On Friday, September 20th, the University of Wyoming Art Museum’s fall opening garnered wide attention from the community. The opening began at 5:00PM, where the curators briefly announced what attendees would be able to view throughout the museum. After the short announcement, they served hors d’oeuvres for viewers to snack on before they walked through the museum. To keep the evening going strong, live music was provided for guests after 6:30PM. The reception lasted until 8:00PM, during which the curator commented that it was likely one of the largest turnouts they had seen yet.
Featured in the museum, the Garde works were one of the main attractions. Harold Garde, a surrealist painter with a lifelong connection to the university, had over 100 works discovered posthumously. In line with his interests, the university displayed many of them. Garde intended for many of his works to be observed through the viewer. That is, many of his pieces were up for interpretation. The display works had titles giving insight to what was happening in pieces. Multiple pieces with the name of ‘Family’ were featured, one showing off what seemed to be a corpse. Another, titled ‘I Watch You Walk By,’ is a piece in which the subject’s eyes seem to follow you no matter where you are in the room.
Aside from Garde, there was also a collection of works contributed by Netje. A woman born into wealth, she collected many pieces for herself and the university. The Netje gallery contained intriguing pieces from different cultures and artists, including ones of Picasso and Andy Warhol. Her contributions were quite unique, ranging from portraits of herself abstractly in the nude to lamps in the shape of tractor marks made from animal collagen. Her unique and sizable collection brought flair to the opening.
Two smaller displays, Binnie in Context and the Fall 2024 Pat Guthrie Teaching Gallery, featured a mixture of contemporary and ancient art. Binnie in Context was a collection made up of woodblock art, described as a dying practice. This Japanese art style consists of meticulously carving blocks of wood out for a coherent print. With new strides in printmaking, it is a dying art from how difficult the process can be. The Pat Guthrie Teaching Gallery was a collection of pieces that will be taught in various art classes during the Fall 2024 semester.
Most of the art was donated from alumni of the University or those who have an attachment to it. Along with works by Picasso and Andy Warhol, the number of historic pieces was immense. An 18th century display of how a fine art conservator would restore works to show the original color, entitled ‘Cupid.’
With the opening being such a success, the museum hopes to see this popularity continue. Throughout the time these pieces are being displayed, the museum will hold a number of events, including a workshop to learn the strappo technique on September 27th and a creative writing workshop on October 24th. The curators for the fall display are hopeful that community members will join to stir up artistic inspiration in Laramie and bring even more attention to the openings of the coming years.
