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To celebrate the College of Fine Arts’ 100-year anniversary, the College of Visual Arts has curated an art exhibition displaying pieces that tell the school’s history over time.
The centennial exhibition is free and open to all in the Fred Jones Art Center’s Lightwell Gallery, located at 520 Parrington Oval. The historical art collection will be on view weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Dec. 6.
The celebration, which has been about a year in the making, has been spearheaded by the School of Visual Arts Associate Director Dr. Robert Bailey. Bailey, who also teaches as an associate professor of art history, said the project came together after a nudge from the school’s leadership.
“I have a long-standing interest in the school’s history, so it’s hard to say when I actually began working on this, but I think we decided about a year ago,” Bailey said. “I came up with the idea and we decided that was the right way to celebrate the college’s centennial.”
With so many paintings and various art forms to choose from throughout the school’s storied history, putting this project together wasn’t easy. Bailey credited the school’s former director, Andrew Phelan, and his previous historical records for his contributions to this project.
“I built on some of his previous work – he’s the most knowledgeable person about the school’s history, so I credit him. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without reading his work,” the professor said.
Bailey, who came to the university 12 years ago, said as an art historian, he was curious about the school’s history and how it came to be. With that curiosity and Phelan’s help, Bailey was able to curate a collection of art pieces with a meaning, giving students, faculty and Norman residents a glimpse into the school’s story.
“Ever since coming to OU, I’ve wanted to know more about the school’s history and have actively sought opportunities to learn about it so I’d know where I am and what history I’m a part of,” Bailey said. “I hope that, for students in the school and for people throughout the College of Fine Arts and beyond, just having an opportunity to think through the school’s history sparks some interest, ideas or ways that these things can be useful to them.”
Bailey expressed that he didn’t have a specific art piece that stood out as a favorite, but instead, he enjoys and appreciates how the pieces come together to create a bigger picture of the school’s collective history. The professor didn’t think one particular piece could convey the entire story and invited those who walk through the exhibit to consider how old concepts or ideas might be relevant in today’s society.
“To me, it’s the larger story that’s the most interesting, and how you can trace these continuities across time from things that were happening early on in the school’s history that resurface again and again,” Bailey said, adding, “And I think there are ways that something that seems new calls back to something that came before if that makes sense.”
Bailey added that the exhibition might mean a little more to students currently enrolled in the College of Fine Arts, but didn’t overlook the opportunity to connect with locals who might share the same curiosity that inspired him to organize this celebration in the first place.
“For students in the school, this is a chance to learn about where you are and the history of the place you’re studying at – that’s true campus-wide, too,” Bailey said. “And the School of Visual Arts is always willing to connect with the local residents – especially the arts community – to have opportunities for exchanging and sharing ideas when thinking of the role of the visual arts in the city.”
“We’re putting art history out there to celebrate the college on its 100th anniversary… that’s really all there is to it,” Bailey said.
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