CU Art Museum News - November 2020 Newsletter
The CU Art Museum will remain closed to the public while the university continues to monitor the impacts of COVID-19.
We miss you and are committed to bringing the museum into your home by examining artwork in the collection as seen through a variety of personal perspectives. Please check out our virtual Close Looking programs and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
This month Stephen Martonis, Exhibitions Manager, responds to an artwork in our collection.
The most rewarding aspect of my position as Exhibitions Manager is collaborating with artists on the development and production of their ideas. During this pandemic I have been reflecting quite a bit about relationships and artistic collaborations, and how they’ve been altered. When I relocated to Colorado in 2003, Antonette (Toni) Rosato was one of the first regional artists I met, who also welcomed me with open arms into the community. Toni’s piece Mary Carmen and Gladys Ascending, 2003 reminds me of the cycles and stages of life. The weathered and aged domestic dresser hovering above the floor, where one may tuck away small memorabilia from their life beneath their socks, reminds me of the importance of seemingly insignificant moments becoming large later in life and during one’s death. The light piercing through hundreds of drilled holes from the interior is indicative of the stars, and the grid on which it is placed emblematic of possible order and direction during feelings of loss and chaos. These reminders are comforting during the current cycle we find ourselves in. When this cycle comes to a close, and as we enter into the next stage of our time here, the experiences we are having will undoubtedly shape how we approach life, art, relationships, and collaborations.
Toni Rosato taught sculpture at the University of Colorado Boulder from 1989 to 2006. You may be familiar with Toni’s work without realizing it… If you have ever been on the concourse train at the Denver International Airport, then you probably noticed Toni’s installation of thousands of propellers in one of the train tunnels. Toni was an amazing artist, a great collaborator, and a wonderful friend.
Image credit: Antonette Rosato, American (1952 - 2006), Mary Carmen and Gladys Ascending, 2003, mixed media, 44 1/4 x 31 x 17 inches. Gift of the Estate of Antonette Rosato, CU Art Museum, University of Colorado Boulder. 2007.01a-m. © Estate of Antonette Rosato.
In the News!
Collaborations help hands-on projects move online in wake of remote teaching
Published: Oct. 28, 2020
During a non-remote semester, Magnanini's students engage with materials from CU Libraries' Special Collections and the CU Art Museum.
When CU courses abruptly went remote in spring 2020, Italian professor Suzanne Magnanini didn’t skip a beat. As students left campus unsure of how they would complete their course projects without access to library materials, Magnanini called on colleagues to put their heads together for a solution. Working with Sean Babbs from Special Collections and Hope Saska from the CU Art Museum, Magnanini’s students not only completed their projects but were able to accomplish so much more.
Virtual Activities
During our COVID-19 closure we’ll be sharing artworks from our collection so that you can do some close-looking exercises from wherever you are. Invite a friend and do it together (virtually or physically distanced) to spark conversation or do it by yourself for some relaxation.
Feel Good Fridays goes remote! You are invited to this weekly workshop to learn about a work of art and then participate in a related mindfulness practice. The powerful, guided meditation can undo stress, soothe the nervous system, and help you feel relaxed and revitalized. If practiced regularly, the meditation teaches a method for feeling calm, easeful, and resilient, even when facing life’s challenges. Meditations are open to students, faculty, staff, and the public. All are welcome and there is no need for past experience with meditation. Registration is required.
Become a Member
Our members take pride in knowing that their gift helps to sustain a dynamic learning environment rich in artistic inquiry. Your membership supports acquisitions, curatorial research, conservation and digitization of the collection, and the range of free programs offered to students, faculty and the public.
Invest in Our Mission
We develop individualized giving plans for donors who wish to invest in the CU Art Museum and its impact on the campus and community. In addition to discretionary support, annual giving can be directed to support exhibitions, acquisitions, educational programs and collection conservation.