UConn exhibit introduces students to fine art

“Game of Thrones: Contemporary Art Furniture” in the William Benton Museum of Art at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn., opened Mar. 28 and runs through July 28.

Inspired by the 2019 UConn Reads selection, “A Song of Ice and Fire” from the Game of Thrones fantasy novel series by George R.R. Martin, the exhibition features examples of art chairs by John Dunnigan, Jim Cole, Terence Main. Mitch Ryerson, Lothar Windels, Fernando and Humberto Campana, Dale Broholm, and Wendell Castle.

“It is our goal to introduce our visitors to the decorative arts as fine art and the concept that the chairs on view are a form of sculpture. Central to this exhibition is the idea that design aesthetics and function can be integrated into one object,” according to a museum statement.

For more, visit www.benton.uconn.edu.

“Current Student Work” opened at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship’s Messler Gallery in Rockport, Maine, on Apr. 19 that runs through May 29.

The exhibition showcases furniture and furnishings created by participants in the Center’s flagship course, the Nine-Month Comprehensive. The students come from a wide array of backgrounds and professional experience, including architecture, linguistics, theology, public relations, theater, fashion design, and military service. For many of them, this exhibition is the first opportunity to present their work in a professional setting.

“The quality of design and execution would be exceptional in any context,” Peter Korn, the center’s executive director, said in a statement. “Aled Lewis and our co-teachers are justifiably proud of the success with which these students have harnessed their imaginations and skills.”

Exhibitors from both the U.S. and abroad include William Earl Bihlmeyer, Ken Diamond, Caitriona Fiero, Joseph Flynn, Denise Gaul, Paul Keating, Alexander Lohn, Chris Merchant, Peter Nielsen, Osamu Sassa, Karen Schaffer, and Tyler J. Willmon.

This article originally appeared in the June 2019 issue.