Levitt by the Sea showcases the extraordinary works of the Modernist artist Alfred Levitt (1894-2000) during his summers in the artist colony of Gloucester, Massachusetts. The mixture of plein-air and studio pieces displays his experimentation in the 1940s with the contemporary styles of Cubism and Surrealism, while also capturing the working waterfront and landscape of Gloucester as inspiration. Through his art, Levitt transforms familiar seaside images into visually challenging and thought-provoking compositions, asking the viewer to closely inspect the intricacies of each scene. Occupying the Ridderhof Martin Gallery, this collection of almost thirty works is a love letter from Levitt to the creative spirit of Gloucester and his memories of his summers spent there.

This exhibition was curated by the students of UMW’s Art History 317 course, Laboratory in Museum Studies, with guidance from Dr. Tracy Stonestreet.

In conjunction with this exhibition is a timeline of Levitt’s life and work that analyzes the evolution of his artistic style. The accompanying timeline is curated and designed by the UMW Galleries Spring 2024 Interns.

The University of Mary Washington Galleries is pleased to present the Annual Student Art Exhibition 2024.
The Annual Student Art Exhibition showcases the incredible talent and creativity of UMW students. This year’s guest juror is Charlotte Kasic Potter, artist and Executive Director of the Barry Art Museum at Old Dominion University.
Three awards of excellence will be announced at the reception and awards ceremony on April 11th at 5pm: The Anne Elizabeth Collins ’73 Memorial Art Award, the Emil R. Schnellock Award for Excellence in Painting, and the Melchers Gray Purchase Award. For this specific award, the recipient’s artwork is purchased from the exhibition to become part of the UMW Galleries permanent collection.

The University of Mary Washington Galleries is pleased to present the group exhibition Elemental.
Elemental features six artists who investigate the natural elements through various aspects of material, process, form, and content. Brought together through creative and personal connections, these makers showcase a broad array of ceramic expression while also calling attention to humankind’s connection to the natural world.
Although each artist shares conceptual starting points, they approach material and idea through different lenses, further illustrating the complexity and salience of the theme. Andrew Coombs’ vessels reference water through form and function while using fluid glazes and inspiration from ancient Iranian plant imagery for their surfaces. Shanna Fliegel probes notions of the Anthropocene to create richly layered images on clay forms that are simultaneously ancient and futuristic. Jeff Forster’s sculptural remnants evoke geologic time through the interplay of ceramic materials with fire and human forces. Jon McMillan abstracts elements from terrestrial and atmospheric sources, recombining them to create ambiguous sculptures with multiple connotations. Brooke Noble’s porcelain pillows blend references to flora and fauna to investigate everything from environmental concerns to societal cross currents. Kristina Stafford brings together earth and sky, with exposed terra cotta juxtaposing references to plant life, cloud forms and the built environment. Using a diversity of approaches, these artists explore the multi-faceted relationship between humans and nature through a variety of ideas, methods and modes of expression.

Elemental is curated by Jon McMillan. It is a concurrent exhibition during Coalescence, the 58th annual conference of the National Council of the Education for the Ceramic Arts, March 20-23, 2024 in Richmond, Virginia.

The University of Mary Washington Galleries is pleased to present the solo exhibition Origins: Taylor Anton White.
Internationally acclaimed artist and UMW alumnus Taylor Anton White (BA 2017) creates bold, absurdist abstractions rooted in spontaneity, action, and play. For the Richmond-based artist’s first exhibition on campus since graduating, Origins: Taylor Anton White includes explosively drawn and painted pieces that pull from techniques and concepts honed during his time at Mary Washington. White’s exuberant brushstrokes and stark black oil stick drawings of cartoon figures vibrate against formally constructed surfaces, tapping into both the noise and compulsion of contemporary life.
Origins: Taylor Anton White is part of the annual Origins series, celebrating UMW Studio Art Alumni.

This exhibition was curated by the University of Mary Washington Galleries Fall 2023 Interns:

Gabriella Alexander, Calvin Harned, Logan Kniebbe, and Rowan Tully

A special thanks to Maureen Paige ’70 for lending these works to the University of Mary Washington Galleries

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“Twenty years ago, a young man, who all his life was to answer with color, arrived in Paris.”

– Elisabeth Bollee de Vautibault, A Wife’s View (1959)

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Julien Binford (American, 1908-1997), came to pursue a career in the visual arts after attempting to join the medical field. When showing great promise in drawing, he was encouraged to enroll at the Art Institute of Chicago, which would ultimately prove vital to his life and career as it allowed him to work in Paris in the 1930s. While abroad, Binford met his wife, French writer Elisabeth Bollee, who would abandon her life as a Countess to move back to Virginia with him in 1935. While living in Virginia, Binford was inspired by his surroundings and produced a great number of works. He later became a professor of art at the then Mary Washington College in 1946, and in 1956 he co-founded the University’s Galleries’ Exhibition Program. He would retire from Mary Washington College in 1971 to focus on his art, until passing away in 1997 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Throughout his career, Binford displayed a devotion to color that would heavily influence his artistic output. Despite his range in medium and depiction of various subject matters, his commitment to color persisted. The pieces selected for this exhibition include sketches and unfinished works that are connected by that commitment. 

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“We should not want it to be forgotten that the symbols of a painter are not those of a statesman, a scholar, a philosopher, or a poet. His symbols are not words, but colors.”

– Julien Binford in Connoisseurship, Research, and Gallery Work (1971)

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Below are all of the works featured in this exhibition. We invite you to both consider Binford’s total use of color, as well as individually appreciating pieces you are drawn to.

Please click to view the full images.

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The University of Mary Washington Galleries is pleased to present the landmark exhibition, Park Dae Sung: Ink Reimagined. This exhibition showcases the extraordinary works of contemporary artist Park Dae Sung (b. 1945). Park possesses a profound mastery of traditional ink painting that he demonstrates in modern and imaginative interpretations of the natural world. Through his art, he transforms familiar Korean landscapes into vibrant, awe-inspiring compositions. Occupying both the Ridderhof Martin Gallery and duPont Gallery, this collection of nearly forty works on paper is a testament to the artist’s innovative spirit and remarkable skill.

The exhibition was curated by Suzie Kim and supported by the Korea Foundation and the Gana Foundation for Arts and Culture. 

Hours & Admission: Park Dae Sung: Ink Reimagined will be on view from October 26 to December 10, 2023, in the Ridderhof Martin and duPont Galleries, with the opening reception taking place on October 26 from 5-7pm. During the opening reception, there will be a calligraphy demonstration by Korean Calligrapher Myoung Won Kwon, from 5:30-6pm, in front of duPont Gallery. Admission is always free and tours are available.

The University of Mary Washington Galleries is pleased to present a group exhibition featuring the current members of the Studio Art faculty at the University of Mary Washington. The quality, diversity, and depth of the program is reflected in the artwork of the dedicated studio art faculty including: Lindsey Arturo, Michael Dean, Carole Garmon, Aimee George, Larry Hinkle, Ashe Laughlin, Jon McMillan, Margaret Meehan, Chad Mundie, Miranda Reichhardt, Jason Robinson and Sarah White.

The exhibition will be on view from September 7 to October 8, 2023 in duPont Gallery, with the opening reception taking place on September 7 from 5-7pm. There will be an artists’ lecture at 5pm in duPont Gallery on October 5. Admission is always free.

The University of Mary Washington Galleries is pleased to present the group exhibition The Garden. Featuring the perceptually tactile and expressively verdant interdisciplinary works of eight artists – Jorge Benitez, Ruth Bolduan, Sally Bowring, Cat Crotchett, Reni Gower, Chris Gregson, Melissa H. Potter, and Javier Tapia – The Garden compels the viewer to look to nature to refresh the spirit and renew the soul. The Garden is organized by Wylie Contemporary Inc. and co-curated by Reni Gower and Jorge Benitez. Artwork is lent by the artists. The exhibition will be on view from September 7 to October 8, 2023 in Ridderhof Martin Gallery with the opening reception taking place on September 7 from 5-7pm. A gallery talk with the artists will be held on September 21, 2023 at 5pm in Ridderhof Martin Gallery. Admission is always free and tours are available.