Power of the Press

Ashland University Coburn Gallery to Host Print Exhibition

Published on Aug. 18, 2015

8/18/15 ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University’s Coburn Gallery will host an exhibition titled “The Power of the Press” that will feature a selection of socially and politically themed prints by celebrated artists Käthe Kollwitz, Honoré Daumier and Francisco Goya from the Ashland University collection curated by AU Associate Professor Dr. Wendy Schaller.

An opening reception for the exhibition will be held Thursday, Aug. 27, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Coburn Gallery. During the reception, there will be printmaking demonstrations provided by AU Associate Professor Keith Dull and AU art majors. At 5:30 p.m., a collection overview will be provided by Dr. Schaller.

The reception is free and open to the public and the exhibition runs through Oct. 31, 2015.

Embracing the social function of art, these outspoken artists used biting satire and powerful emotional expression not only to address the human condition of their times but to challenge political authority and counter social inequality. To be exhibited in conjunction with a national juried exhibition of contemporary printmaking by the same title.

The National Juried Exhibition “Power of the Press” includes 20 artworks from 16 artists from across the  United States and includes Andries Fourie, Salem, Ore.; Margaret Denk-Leigh, Independence, Ohio; Keisha Mrotek,  Oakland, Calif.; Ramiro Rodriguez, South Bend, Ind.; Kimberly Nguyen, Oklahoma, Okla.; Donté Hayes, Kennesaw, Ga.; Christina Carlyle Reed, Seattle, Wash.; Jill Annie Margaret, Boise, Idaho; Amnestie Lillian-Tate VerDuin, Mount Pleasant, Mich.; Margi Weir, Detroit, Mich.; Marissa Angel, Virginia Beach, Va.; Akemi Ohira, Charlottesville, Va.; Elizabeth Klimek, Gaithersburg, Md.; AU Associate Professor Keith Dull, Ashland, Ohio; Chadwick Tolley, Evans, Ga.; and Stephanie Sabo, Los Angeles, Calif.

The juror for the “Power of the Press” was Liz Maugans, one of Zygote Press’ co-founders and managing directors. She is a native of Ohio who received her Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Maugans teaches drawing and printmaking at the Cleveland Institute of Art, and has taught at various other institutions in the Cleveland area.

On Sept. 19, the Coburn Gallery will host two events:
-- a “Printmaking Workshop” with Keith Dull for ages 16 and over. This is the perfect opportunity to become acquainted with a variety of printmaking techniques. Dull, who teaches printmaking at AU, will provide demonstrations on copper plate etching and polyester plate lithography, and linoleum relief printing that will be followed by an opportunity for participants to draw, process and print their own image using one of these techniques. The workshop is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a $30 fee that includes all materials.
-- an Art Saturday program titled “BRAYER + INK =PRINT POWER—Explore Printmaking” for young artists ages 7 to 12 years old who will try their hand at relief, collagraph and monotype printmaking processes while exploring social messages in art. The class meets from 10 a.m. to noon and the cost is $5 per child, which includes all materials.

On Oct. 8, the Coburn will host Artist and Activist Traci Molloy for a public lecture at Ashland University at 7 p.m. in Dauch College Ridenour Room and on Oct. 9, Molloy will work with students and community members on a socially conscious art project exploring the theme of Bullying.

Molloy has worked with youth who lost a parent on 9/11 through American Camps, with refugees at the Center for Grieving Children's Multicultural Program, with high school students in the Bronx to address race and gun violence, and has taken on the theme of human trafficking in "Freedom Expressions" at the Atlanta airport.

The Molloy lecture is co-sponsored by AU Art Department, Coburn Gallery, Ashland Center for Non-Violence, Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology and Student Activities.

For more about the “Power of the Press” exhibition or events at the Coburn Gallery, visit www.ashland.edu/coburngallery or find us on Facebook. The Coburn Gallery is open from 12 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 to 4 p.m. Saturday/Sunday.

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students. ###