William Masselli ~ Editor-in-Chief
On Feb. 11, the University of Lynchburg’s Daura Art Gallery hosted a Valentine Potato Printing event.
Coordinator of Academic and Public Engagement, Laura Cole, and Director of the Daura Museum of Art, Barbara Rothermel, were elated with the engagement event generated..
Rothermel gave all the credit to Cole, stating, “This was Laura’s idea, as she organizes all academic and public programming.”
Cole talked about her thought process in making this event, stating, “Since both exhibits, ‘Myth, Metaphor & Politics: Art from Native Printmakers’ and ‘On Paper: Fine Prints from the Collection,’ exclusively feature printed works, I knew I wanted to have some kind of printmaking activity. Potato printing was a clear choice because it is a really simple yet effective and fun method of printing, and the timing just worked out that it would be around Valentine’s Day. I thought it would be nice to make it festive and a fun way for students to engage with the activity.”
Cole described the two exhibits, stating, “The two exhibits (‘Myth, Metaphor & Politics: Art From Native Printmakers’ and ‘On Paper: Fine Prints from the Collection’) were chosen by our Director, Dr. Barbara Rothermel. Myth & Metaphor is a traveling exhibit, and when the opportunity to host it came up, we knew we couldn’t pass it by as we have not had anything quite like it before. Dr. Rothermel curated `On Paper’ using works from our own collection, focusing on prints so that the two exhibits complement each other.”
Cole added,’The Myth & Metaphor’ exhibit is a powerful exploration of works from Indigenous printmakers across the globe, each one revealing the diverse points of view and style of art present in the world of contemporary native printmaking. There is a lot for students to learn from this one, even if it’s just a deeper appreciation for the diversity of Indigenous cultures. The On Paper exhibit focuses more on some different types of printmaking techniques, ranging from woodcuts to serigraphs, and has some great information about the individual artists, their works and lives.”
Cole stated, “For the potato printing program on Friday, I hope that people will take some time to explore the exhibits and get some inspiration, but I also hope that they walk away seeing how easy it can be to create art. So often, people think that they need to have a lot of training, or have the fancy tools and materials to be artistic, but sometimes all it takes is a potato and some paint and anyone can make art. Because the idea is to create valentines, I’m hoping people also see how great art can be as a way to communicate and connect with others. I hope people walk away having had fun, and feeling good about creating something, even something as simple as a valentine to give to a friend.”
Rothermel stated, “This is a fun activity that is planned in advance of Valentine’s Day. Participants will create personalized valentines using the potato printing method. It is a great way to show your love and appreciation for someone by making a valentine for that special someone.”
Rothermel added, “This program is offered in conjunction with two of the Daura Museum’s current exhibits of fine prints (Myth, Metaphor & Politics, and On Paper). The potato printing process is fun and easy for all participants as no previous experience is needed. While creating their own valentines, participants also have the opportunity to see the exhibits in the Daura Museum that show various types of printmaking by master artists from the past 500 years.”
If you are interested in visiting Daura Museum of Art, please contact Dr. Barbara Rothermel at rothermel@lynchburg.edu.
