Zeuxis, an association of still-life painters, was founded in New York City to celebrate still-life painting in a postmodern art world and is named for an artist living in Greece during the fifth century B.C. According to legend, Zeuxis created a painting of grapes so realistic that birds swooped down from the sky to eat them. In Facets of Perception, the artists of Zeuxis each include a glass tumbler in their work. Within this unifying motif, the works show a variety of scenes and situations. Featured artists include 2005 Frances Niederer Artist-in-Residence Ruth Miller, Hollins Professor of Art Bill White, and Zeuxis founder Phyllis Floyd.

Featuring items from the Wyndham Robertson Library Special Collections and the museum’s permanent collection, Associate Professor of Art Kim Rhodes’ Art 350 class has curated an exhibition exploring the symbolic, metaphorical, and political interpretations of women’s fashion in the nineteenth century. Godey’s Lady’s Book is widely recognized as the premiere women’s magazine of the nineteenth century, featuring hand-tinted fashion plates, poetry, and articles. The colorful fashion plates depict stylish ladies at the seashore and “modern ways to arrange the hair,” while other pages offer patterns for embroidery and articles on home décor. Also included in the exhibition are period garments, hairwork jewelry, and painted screens. This exhibition is supported by the Sowell Fund and the Collaborative Faculty/Student Research Fund.

Painter Michael Ananian creates images that reflect the mutual influence of framework and ideas. Using rough brushstrokes that mimic the instincts and emotions of his subjects, he combines these elements to construct a complete visual narrative. Ananian received his B.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design and his M.F.A. from the Yale School of Art. He has served as a visiting artist at the University of Louisville, Indiana University, and the University of Tulsa and is currently on the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison creatively portray an environment damaged by technology and overuse. Featured in each historically inspired photograph is Robert ParkeHarrison as “The Architect’s Brother.” The character stitches together a torn landscape using a giant needle and thread, or climbs a huge overblown dandelion to spread its seeds. With sweetness and humor, The Architect’s Brother reminds us to consider the ways we use our world. The Architect’s Brother was organized by George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film with the support of the Bulrush Foundation.

This exhibition features the work of the members of the class of 2007 majoring in studio art and film and photography: Brittany D. Addison-Prescott, Kate Anderson, Mandy Atkinson, Elizabeth Hunter Bartenstein, Erika Breiding, Cheyenne Brown, Stephanie Coston, Elizabeth M. Denton, Mandy Dziewulski, Dyanna W. Fincher, Tiffany Jackson, Lora Walentina Jarocki, Larissa McGinnity, April Ngo, Lisa Marie O'Quinn, Rhiann Elizabeth Pask, Lee Pembroke, Amanda Progen, Megan Hoke Rexrode, Ann C. Richardson, Nessa E. Ryan, Alexandra Leigh Schlicht, Sarah Straits Vanell, Libby Viars, Adrian Wade, and Ashley Wimer. Join us at the campus preview reception to see which works have been awarded purchase prizes and will be added to the teaching collection. The family reception at the conclusion of the show is a celebration for parents and relatives who are on campus for commencement.

The subtle details and biomorphic forms of Susan Cofer’s Prismacolor pencil drawings suggest spiritual introspection without voicing a particular agenda. After graduating from Hollins in 1964, Susan Cofer returned to Atlanta where she continues to work. She is well known for her intensely sensitive and enigmatic organic form drawings. Her work has been exhibited in prominent museums and galleries throughout the U.S. including the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C. and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

Each year during Reunion, The Wilson Museum is honored to feature the work of an alumni artist. Please contact the museum if you are (or know of) an alumna artist to make sure you are in our database.

By combining bookmaking with nontraditional media, Nancy Callahan’s books tell an unexpected life story illustrated through the objects of everyday life. Known for her creative work in screen printing, Callahan is a leader in the field of artist's book. She has exhibited her work since 1968 both nationally and internationally. Based on her research and development of unique book and paper structures, she has lectured nationally and has received several research and project grants. She currently serves as Associate Professor of Art, State University of New York College at Oneonta.

What’s your vision of the feminine? Contemporary female artists Laura Schiff Bean, Johan Hagaman, Melody Postma, June Stratton, and Maggie Taylor share their opinions in this exhibition featuring painting, sculpture, and new media. Structured as an open forum, this exhibition features each artist’s explorations of iconic, ritualistic, psychological and socio-cultural feminine portrayals through a variety of materials. This exhibition was organized by Lanoue Fine Art in Boston.

Organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and featuring objects from their collection, this exhibition shows how artists use movement to create spirited and expressive masterpieces and includes 2-D and 3-D art and artifacts from several cultures. A yacht racing over dark water, a galloping horse, and a full-skirted dancer represent motion in painting and sculpture. These works project the vibrancy of life and celebrate the desire of artists to capture the thrill, terror, and delight of movement. Speed has been called “an experiment in cross-cultural art interpretation, following a single concept down several avenues of discovery and rediscovery.” The Eleanor D. Wilson Museum is a Statewide Partner of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Richard Stenhouse applies pastel and graphite to translucent Mylar with such precision that the resulting image appears as an atmospherically sensitive photograph. He shows North and South Carolina landscapes colored with an air of mystery, evoking emotions through careful choice of subject matter. This exhibition showcases work from almost two decades of the artist’s career, during which he honed the seldom-used technique of drawing on Mylar film. Stenhouse studied architecture before pursuing his M.F.A. at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His work is collected by several museums including the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art and the Mint Museum.

The Collection Connection exhibition series connects a work from the museum’s permanent collection with a wider body of the artist’s work. Tom Brady’s sketches and oil paintings show students how an artist works with different media over time. With brilliant color and thick impasto, he brings importance to everyday people and objects. Brady received his M.F.A. from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and was awarded a Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant in 2000. Black Cross, the work owned by the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum, was acquired in 2004 as part of the Ralph Grant collection. Brady’s art has been exhibited in museums throughout the east coast.