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CURRENT EXIBITIONS
June 18, 2009-August 9, 2009
Beyond: Visions of Planetary Landscapes
George Morrison Gallery & John Steffl Gallery
Opening Reception, Thursday, June 18, 5-7pm
Sponsored locally by The Depot Foundation & Como Oil
To view more about this travelling exhibition please visit the Smithsonian Institution Website.
The views of the solar system that one can see while standing here on Earth are often impressive, if not mind-blowing. But from the inner solar system to its outer reaches, the closer and more detailed views of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and the other planets that have been achieved during the Space Age show unparalleled beauty and visions difficult to fathom. This otherworldly view, collected during 40 years of robotic space missions and then processed into breathtaking images, is the subject of the new Smithsonian traveling exhibition Beyond: Visions of Planetary Landscapes. The exhibit will be on display throughout both 4th floor galleries of the Duluth Art Institute in the Depot from June 18 – Aug. 9. The exhibit is funded by a grant from the Depot Foundation with major sponsorship from Como Oil & Propane.
Featuring 35 large-scale (ranging from 3 feet to 5 feet in width) framed prints containing 59 individual photographs, all digitally processed by artist Michael Benson, the exhibition debuted March 2008 and continues on a national tour through 2010, traveling to cities such as Tucson, AZ; Cleveland, OH; Santa Barbara, CA; and Chicago, IL.
At a time when the entire world is a bit battered by our very earthly realities, it is an important role of cultural institutions to remind us how truly amazing our universe is -- helping us gain some perspective. Art holds an unique ability to focus our attention on the wonder. Coupled with science, these photos can give us license to dream beyond our current depressions and dilemmas.
The exhibit’s astonishing views of the solar system’s planets and their moons come primarily from NASA and European Space Agency missions. Benson mines planetary databases for his source material; then, using various techniques, including a mosaic or collage process, he pulls together the images to create seamless photographs of unprecedented clarity and realism. Throughout the process, Benson strives to stay true to the natural and breathtaking reality of space.
While humans have not set foot on any other planet and have not visited any satellite except Earth’s moon, robot creations have traveled to nearly every planet in the solar system, even landing on such varied surfaces as those of Mars, Venus and Saturn’s moon Titan. Through the photographs and data these probes send back to Earth, viewers can soar to the borderlands of the solar system without leaving the safety and comfort of this planet.
Beyond: Visions of Planetary Landscapes was created by Michael Benson and organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). The exhibition is accompanied by Benson’s award-winning book Beyond: Visions of the Interplanetary Probes (Abrams, 2003), which includes a forward by science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. A paperback edition of the book will be released in spring 2008.
Michael Benson is a journalist and award-winning filmmaker (Predictions of Fire, 1995). His journalism has been published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic and The Washington Post, among many other publications. He recently relocated from Ljubljana, Slovenia, to New York City.
The exhibition will be accompanied by several enhancement events including a film festival, midnight train ride to view a mid-summer meteor shower and more. Collaborating organizations: Historic Union Depot, North Shore Scenic Railroad and Lake Superior Railroad Museum.
Please join us for a summer of space themed events! Click Here For Schedule
May 8, 2009-August 30, 2009
Emerging Photographers Exhibition-Spring 2009
Corridor Gallery
Opening Reception, Friday, May 8, 5-7pm
As an ongoing collaboration between the Photo Area at the University of Minnesota Duluth and the Duluth Art Institute, this annual exhibition has become an important part of the formation of the next generation of emerging artists that live and work in our community.
This year’s group of photographers will include several artists working in alternative processes such as cyanotype – a photographic process popular in the 1890s. We will also see a full array of digital photographic work that explores a wide range of artistic concepts.
The work of the photographers chosen for this exhibition transcends the usual perception of “student work” and their ability to participate competently at this level reflects highly on the strength of the photography program at UMD.
May 21, 2009-June 18,2009
New Work by Roald Molberg
Lincoln Building
Opening Reception, Thursday, May 21, 5-7pm Show available for viewing by appointment only after opening please call 723-7110 to book a time to see the show.
Ceramic Studio Artist in Residence Exhibit by Roald Molberg
Artist Roald Molberg believes: “Wherever and whenever we go through life we share something of ourselves, intentionally or not.” Molberg creates textures as a means of sharing of himself and his creative sense. “I see my art as a state of sharing; sharing of myself and the spiritual renewal that is the creative act,” says Molberg who worked in the DAI’s studios from February 2008 – March 2009 as part of a Challenge America grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. To see more of Roald’s work go to www.mnartists.org.
May 14, 2009-July 26, 2009
Outopia: The Perfect Landscape
Depot Great Hall
Opening Reception, Thursday, May 14, 5-7pm
The landscape of the Northland has long been a source of incredible inspiration for the artists of our region. In this exhibition we will be exploring the work of artists who interpret the landscape as an idealized space in the world that is untouched, peaceful, and archetypal. Each artist has a unique vision—born of their own experience with nature—that is realized in the artwork they produce. Additionally, each viewer has their own idea of what constitutes perfection in the natural world and projects yet another layer of interpretation on the artist’s work. Exploring the beauty of our surroundings through the eyes of another is one of the truly magical things that the visual arts has to offer us.
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