Ackland Art Museum unveils new exhibits

The Ackland Art Museum’s upcoming exhibitions feature two exhibits titled “Adding to the Mix” and “In Pursuit of Strangeness.”

Graduate student interns Klint Ericson and Erin Corrales-Diaz curated the exhibits. Ericson said although the exhibits are separate and can be viewed individually, they are also connected and can be viewed together.

“This is one of the more challenging exhibits I have ever curated because it was open-ended,” Diaz said.

As a part of her internship, Diaz was responsible for creating an exhibit and had minimal restraints on the theme. She chose to use pieces from the Ackland’s collection and the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Diaz, who was in charge of “In Pursuit of Strangeness,” said she hopes viewers will look at the artists and their pieces in a new light.

She also said she expects to see a broad range of reactions to the exhibit.

“I certainly hope the viewers enjoy the show,” Ericson said. “There’s some beautiful works to look at.”

Ericson, who was in charge of “Adding to the Mix” in addition to other tasks as part of his internship, said one of his objectives was to introduce new works from the Ackland’s permanent collection and to display new pieces that had never been exhibited before in the museum.

“(I hope) that (viewers) take the time to read the labels and look at the themes and have the time to be challenged about the artwork and how it’s made.”

His exhibit is the sixth part of the museum’s “Adding to the Mix” series.

Carolyn Allmendinger, the museum’s director of academic programs, said she felt the two exhibitions harmonized because Diaz and Ericson worked together and coordinated.

“I always like the part where you can see something that makes you say ‘Wow,’” Allmendinger said.

She said she hopes the exhibitions will give people a variety of ways to think about the art.

Diaz said to begin the process of picking the art to include in her exhibition, she had to decide on a theme for it, which she considered her thesis.

She said she picked the works that were her favorite and worked around them.

Ericson said his planning revolved around the museum’s purchase of a 1930s geometric landscape painting by artist Raymond Jonson, whose work played an important role in American abstraction.

“I am just so proud that we have an opportunity for people to see the work that students are doing with us,” Allmendinger said.

Contact the desk editor at arts@dailytarheel.com.