Tarble Arts Center offering three exhibitions through March 26
Feb-23-2022
(Charleston, IL) – Eastern Illinois University’s Tarble Arts Center announces three new exhibitions taking place through March 26 that will offer the public a variety of historical, cultural, and awe-inspiring artwork on display. These unique exhibitions are completely free and open to the public, and are detailed below:
- Working Artists: Selections from the Tarble’s Permanent Collection
The Working Artists exhibition highlights the Great Depression as a distinct movement in art history, highlighting the folk art of the period, regionalism, and the challenges of being a working class American. This exhibition historicizes the role of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in central Illinois by showcasing the work of artists employed by a major federal agency during the Great Depression. Guided by Assistant Professor Dr. Camden Burd, students enrolled in the Department of History’s Public History Practicum received hands-on experience from researching, selecting, and examining each piece displayed in the collection. Viewers can learn about the artist of each piece, the budding artistic moment they represent, and the political and economic realities of the era. This exhibition is supported by a Redden Grant from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
- Artist-in-Residence: Rafael E. Vera
Visual artist Rafael E. Vera has been in residence at the Tarble Arts Center since February 14, turning one of the Tarble galleries into an active studio. From Maracaibo, Venezuela and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Vera is working with students in EIU’s Department of Art and Design to create an original art exhibition that comes to life. This unprecedented glimpse into installation art offers visitors insight into site-responsive studio practice, how installation art is conceptualized and made, and the importance of teaching, learning, and collaboration within Vera’s larger art practice. The completed installation will be on view February 25 through March 26.
- Touch Me: A Flat File Exhibition
Typically, the last thing a museum wants visitors to do is touch the artwork—but, for the Tarble’s upcoming flat-file exhibition, visitors will be allowed and even encouraged to page through the portfolios installed in the galleries. Each flat-file drawer will contain artwork made by members of the Tarble community, allowing for an unprecedented look at a wide range of artists and styles in this tactile viewing experience. Many of the works on view in this exhibition will be for sale, though the Tarble Arts Center will not manage those transactions.
For more information about the Tarble Arts Center at Eastern Illinois University, call (217) 581-2787, email tarbleprograms@eiu.edu, or visit https://www.eiu.edu/tarble. For more information about EIU, or to learn more about its various programs and services, visit the EIU website at www.eiu.edu, or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.
