From time to time, students come upon an elderly couple or a gaggle of little old ladies strolling campus, and more than once I have offered directions to help them navigate from Gesu Church to the Joan of Arc Chapel. They are, in a term, “Catholic tourists,” people who like to look at churches. As Marquette ponders the future of the Haggerty Art Museum here on campus, as the founding director retires and a new man steps into his place, I suggest that Marquette work to capture more of the “Catholic tourist” market.

The new director of the Haggerty, Wally Mason, is reportedly an expert on “cutting-edge, contemporary art.” Frankly, I hope this interest does not dominate the Haggerty.

If you like contemporary art, you can go down the street to the Milwaukee Art Museum, which has a wide-ranging collection. You can go to the galleries of the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design in the Third Ward, which often features contemporary art. In other words, there are already plenty of contemporary art offerings in Milwaukee. So my suggestion is, let’s find our own niche in the Milwaukee area and even the Midwest. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s art columnist is right to say that “[t]he Haggerty is primed to redefine itself with a shift in leadership.”

Let’s take advantage of this unique moment and make something of it. Let us also find a niche that meshes well with our Marquette mission. Everything at this University should be mission-driven, including our art museum. As the Second Vatican Council and Pope Paul VI noted in the Constitution on Sacred Liturgy, art can play a special role in “turning men’s minds devoutly toward God.” There is a whole universe of religious and sacred art out there: let’s bring it here.

Moreover, many Marquette professors and students are researching religious people or eras marked by particular pieces of art or subjects of art.

Members of the Jesuit order often pursue art as a way to glorify God, and yes, even to prophetically advance social justice. Marquette could provide a valuable forum for Jesuit painters to receive the recognition for their work. When the “Saint Peter and the Vatican: the Legacy of the Popes” exhibit came to the Milwaukee Public Museum, parishes and schools from Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin organized buses to bring thousands of pilgrims to see the various pieces of sacred art and church history on display.

With the grandeur of Gesu, the unique beauty of Joan of Arc Chapel and the Basilica of Holy Hill Marian shrine just up the freeway, Marquette could become a Midwestern mecca for Catholic tourists. There is no reason the Haggerty Art Museum could not tap into that market in a very unique and special way, a way that complements our mission and identity.

In other words, we could become a relic road trip destination. How cool would that be?

Popularity: 13% [?]

The Student Fine Art Show at the Haggerty Museum of Art filled the upper and lower galleries with hundreds of people. From 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., students, artists and admirers gathered in the small space, proving once in for all that art exists at Marquette, and even more, that students crave such a creative outlet.

For the fifth year running, Marquette’s own Haggerty Museum of Art has organized an evening for MIAD and MU artists to display what they deem as “art.” For students this form of expression ranged from paintings and sculptures to performing arts.

“It’s such a hidden community,” said junior Andrew Keating.

The Haggerty Museum of Art and MU’s Art Club worked closely together to achieve the success of the event.

“It was definitely a consistent effort by everyone,” said Victoria Taylor, president of the Art Club. “The atmosphere for this evening is really welcoming and opening,” Taylor said of the environment for aspiring artists. Taylor submitted a piece entitled “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter,” which was an acrylic painting of Fabio crying. Because the event generated such a high level of interest, a large number of students submitted their pieces of art.

In total, there were over 50 entries submitted by over 30 artists, said Lynn Shumow, curator of Education at the Haggerty.

Francesca Cozzone, a sophomore art major, submitted an untitled oil painting of the sun. Cozzone painted the piece for a friend’s birthday present, focusing on the colors of red, orange and white.

For most of the contributors of the evening, art is an outlet of expression, but not a career.

Photography was a one of the more popular features found at the student night. Junior Jack Bartlet submitted two untitled pieces he described as “urban shooting.”

Self-portraits were also scattered throughout the works. Student Jamie Bolker, who has taken classes at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, submitted two pieces for the event, including a self-portrait created in charcoal and ink.

“I really got excited when I found out that Marquette does something like this,” Bolker said.

In comparison to last year, there was a quite an increase in the levels of student participation and awareness of the event, noted Shumow. “This year, we really focused on getting the word out and publicizing the event more. It definitely worked.”

Throughout the event, a number of performances took place in the lower gallery. Junior Peter Woods stood out with a unique approach to performing art, creating a distorted and experimental sound with a violin, guitar pedals, amps and recordings from Waiting for Godot, a speech from Hitler’s last day.

“It’s really about nightmares,” Woods said. “I’m kind of obsessed with them right now.”

Woods’ avant-guard performance is a result of larger group in which he participates, the Milwaukee Noise Fest.

Other performers of the evening included senior Kyle Shamorian, as well as senior Mike Luede, who both played songs on guitar.

“I’m really eclectic,” Luedke said, who showed his love of art with an electric guitar.

In the future, the Haggerty Art Museum hopes to continue its gallery openings for students and others who appreciate art of all kinds from the MU college perspective.

“I think it’s nice that students have a place here,” Shumow said.

Popularity: 26% [?]

Marquette University celebrates 125 years by looking at the big picture of the university… actually, 42 pictures to be exact. “Marquette Then and Now: Images Celebrating 125 Years of Faith and Learning in Action” pays tribute to the achievements and overall growth of Marquette throughout the years.

The exhibit runs until April 1 at the Haggerty Museum of Art. Contributors to the exhibit include the Department of Special Collections, University Archives, the Instructional Media Center and the Haggerty Museum of Art.

The display features historic pictures that have been digitally reprinted alongside recent pictures that capture the same component of campus. With an emphasis on the “then and now” aspect, photographers retook the pictures from the same angles.

“Originally, the idea was take an archive picture and try and recreate it,” said Dan Johnson, official university photographer. Instead, Johnson decided to first find themes that are relevant on campus today, and then match them with older pictures.

One such example of this striking similarity is a picture of a Peace Corps student in the 1960s, which was then matched with a current picture of a student’s service trip to Honduras.

“This pair reflects especially the Cura Personalis that Marquette wishes to be known,” said Annemarie Sawkins, associate curator at the Haggerty Museum of Art.

Johnson, who has photographed Marquette for the past 30 years, collaborated on the project with Matt Blessing, director of Marquette’s Special Archives and member of the 125th committee. Blessing approached Johnson with the idea for the exhibit a year ago.

For the past year, Johnson and other photographers took pictures of the aspects of Marquette that still capture its early beginnings. The photos document many different features of Marquette’s campus, including its evolution throughout the years.

The physical makeup of Marquette’s university grounds was captured with pictures of Schroeder Hall, first as a busy street and now a part of Marquette’s greening campus.

Pictures of women’s sports at Marquette also displayed the changes prior to Title IX of the Education Amendment, which allowed women’s sports teams. The most prominent change reflected in the photo display is the advancement of technology on campus. In one example, an archive photo shows a crowded Memorial Library filled with students studying. In a current photo, however, a student studies on the bridge of Raynor Librarywhile listening to her iPod, using her BlackBerry and working on her laptop.

“The photographs reflect the various acts of Marquette students have and continue to participate in throughout the years,” said Sawkins.

The Haggerty Museum of Art is privileged to display this historic exhibit.

“Haggerty is one of many collaborating on Marquette’s campus and using it as an opportunity to celebrate,” said Sawkins.

Others see the exhibit as an opportunity not only for the museum, but also for students and faculty as well.

“I think it’ll be interesting for anyone not affiliated with Marquette,” said Lynne Shumow, Curator of Education at the Haggerty. “It’s a great opportunity for faculty and students to learn about Marquette what they didn’t know before.”

Popularity: 23% [?]

“Art and Conflict in Central Asia” is a beautiful but rare exhibit. After touring Italy, this compilation of modern cultural art has made a one-time stop in the United States at Marquette University’s very own Haggarty Museum of Art.Organized by the Soros Center for Continuing Arts, as well as international curator Enrico Mascelloni, this exhibit is a great honor for Marquette. Touching on topics such as war, politics and religion, the Milwaukee community has been quite receptive to this exhibit.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the “stans” of Europe were created, which include Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. Using the contemporary work of 13 artists, the exhibit is able to capture the violence and conflict that still exist between these neighboring countries.

The central themes of the art are expressed through video, photography and video stills. In the case of the sculpture “Monument to a Hero,” a pair of cut off horse hooves is used to represent the epidemic of state monuments being destroyed in response to the independence of Kazakhstan. In another piece entitled, “My Brother the Enemy,” two men are depicted facing each other with pistols in their mouths. These graphic and uniquely modern works emphasize the continuing violence and aggression in this area. The exhibit also focuses on the roles of women, war and dervishes, or Sufi Muslim ascetic religious fraternities.

“This exhibit shows interesting art that works well with many classes at Marquette,” said Lynne Shumow, Haggarty’s Curator of Education.

So far, broadcasting classes at Marquette have taken advantage of this opportunity, filming interviews with Mascelloni and creating a Web Site with the footage. With a grant from Institute of Museum and Library Services, Haggarty is also working with the Marquette School of Education to teach future teachers how to integrate art into classes.

In addition to Marquette students, Haggarty is working with the Milwaukee Public School System and the Milwaukee Art Board.

“[This exhibit] definitely works well with what we’re trying to do here,” said Shumow. Aside from students, other organizations have come to learn and reflect about this exhibit. On Nov. 6, the Jewish Community Center began a three-part program about Asia culture. On Nov. 14, Dr. Uli Schamiloglu will be giving a talk about the exhibit concerning popular religion and Islam in Central Asia. Schamiloglu, a faculty member at University of Wisconsin-Madison, is an author and professor of languages.

Overall, “Art and Conflicts of Central Asia” is a rare window of opportunity to see the world around us with the ease of walking behind Johnston Hall.

“Art and Conflicts in Central Asia” is showing at the Haggarty Museum of Art through Jan. 21.

Popularity: 28% [?]

Breaking the boundaries between art and sports, art exhibit “Hockey Seen: A Nightmare in Three Periods and Sudden Death” opens at the Haggerty Art Museum on Sept. 28. With well-known philosopher Nelson Goodman behind this unique display of media, the museum will be hosting a reception for the American Society for Aesthetics on Oct. 27 in conjunction with the exhibit.

Goodman used his ideas on aesthetics and epistemology as the heart of this exhibit’s essence. “Nelson felt that art was under-appreciated, but was just as important as a subject in school,” said Dan Herro, head preparatory at Haggerty.

As a result, Goodman established a program at the Harvard School of Education known as “Project Zero,” which linked the study of art and education.

Nelson first drew his inspiration for “Hockey Seen” from his wife and visual artist, Katherine Sturgis, who captured the liveliness and artistic movement in hockey, with drawings she saw on black and white television.

First recognized as a theater production, “Hockey Seen” toured the United States and even Belgium after making its debut in 1972. For the production, Sturgis’ drawings were turned into slides and projected onto the backdrop of the stage. In addition, composer John C. Adams, who is known for his work on the operas “Nixon in China” and “The Death of Klinghoffer,” created a unique and avant-garde soundtrack by combining the realistic sounds of whistles, crowd cheers and elements of early electronics. A team of dancers would authentically re-enact the liveliness and creative energy that runs through three periods of a hockey game, as well as a final showdown.

“Meeting the lines between art and sport, (“Hockey Seen”) is aesthetically pleasing,” said Lynne Shumow, Haggerty’s curator of education. “(Goodman) is trying to bring art to a wider audience.”

“Hockey Seen” is currently being showcased as an art exhibit and consists of several artistic elements which are neatly woven together. In addition to the movie component of the exhibit, the paper-mâché masks that were worn by the dancers are also on display, along with over 100 framed drawings by Sturgis and photos taken from the performances.

After Goodman died in 1998, Dr. Curtis Carter, director of Haggerty Art Museum and close friend with Goodman, was given the exhibit in 2000.

“He (Goodman) knew that this kind of artwork was kind of an unusual piece, but that I understood it and appreciated it,” said Carter.

With that in mind, Carter believes that “Hockey Seen” will be appreciated from a large array of Marquette students, ranging from the theater major to the typical athlete.

“I think we wanted to get students and others to see the types of art connected,” said Carter. “The university setting is an ideal place.”

“Hockey Seen” will be shown at Haggerty Art Museum until Jan. 14, 2007. Haggerty Art Museum is located on Marquette University’s campus on Clybourn and 13th streets. Admission to the museum is free.

Popularity: 15% [?]

The Haggerty Museum of Art on the southwest end of Marquette’s campus opened its first exhibit for the year January 26 with work by renowned African American artist Bob Thompson. The exhibit, titled “Bob Thompson: Meteor in a Black Hat,” features over 25 works by the artist that span his short life.
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Popularity: 6% [?]