Rethinking our relationship with the natural world is the common thread between the two new fall exhibitions 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday Aug.19-Dec. 4. at the WSU’s Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University. The exhibitions are as follows:
Love in the Time of the Anthropocene: Terry Evans, Philip Heying, and A. Mary Kay — The term Anthropocene refers to the concept that humans are the most powerful force shaping living conditions on Earth right now. Working from this perspective are three artists with deep connections to Kansas. Terry Evans and Phillip Heying, both photographers, and A. Mary Kay, a painter, turn their gazes on the prairie environment emblematic of the Great Plains. Although they work in diverse and divergent ways, all three artists expose the beauty of this ecosystem, the wide array of human and non-human creatures that share it and the complexity of the ties that connect us. The works in this exhibition form an expansive and profound tribute to their subjects and remind us of the emotional rewards of a close connection to the land at hand.
Look, it’s daybreak, dear, time to sing: Richard Ibghy and Marilou Lemmens — Canadian artist duo Richard Ibghy and Marilou Lemmens present works that explore points of contact between birds and humans in an effort to expand the meaning of hospitality, care, communication and attentiveness between species. The exhibit is comprised of interrelated bodies of sculptural and video work and pays particular attention to human coexistence with nature in the Great Plains. In Wichita, the exhibition will be accompanied by several exciting programs created in partnership with local organizations that promote care for the environment and the animal.
Admission to the Ulrich is free. For more information, visit the museum’s official website.
