St. Lawrence University’s Richard F. Brush Art Gallery has kicked off 2020 with an exhibition featuring works from the University’s permanent collection.
“Belief Systems: Artworks and Cultural Artifacts from St. Lawrence University’s Permanent Collection” opened Jan. 15 and will remain open through Feb. 22.
For the past several years, as part of its educational mission, the Richard F. Brush Art Gallery has acquired artworks and cultural artifacts that illustrate and explore different belief systems from around the world. As such, St. Lawrence University’s permanent collection can be integrated into the undergraduate, liberal arts curriculum for teaching and research in a variety of courses, including art & art history, Canadian studies, environmental studies, global studies, modern languages, philosophy, and religious studies, among others.
Objects in the exhibition interpret Judeo-Christian beliefs from the German Renaissance to the present day, with works by Albrecht Dürer, William Blake, Georges Rouault, Marc Chagall, Rockwell Kent, Eric Avery, and others. By contrast, Tibetan Buddhist thangka scrolls, Jain manuscripts, and Hindu chakra paintings from Southeast Asia illustrate the relationship between aesthetic expression and devotional practice, as do beaded flags and altarpieces from the Haitian Vodou tradition. Works by Canadian Inuit, indigenous Amazonian, and Akwesasne Mohawk artists recognize the natural, spiritual, and supernatural worlds through paintings, prints, drawings, and textiles.
Regional art historian Caroline Welsh is serving as an exhibition co-curator, while McKael Barnes ’20 is serving as the gallery assistant.
The Richard F. Brush Art Gallery is open Monday through Thursday each week from 12 to 8 p.m., as well as Fridays and Saturdays between 12 and 5 p.m. It is closed on Sundays.
For more information on the exhibitions and upcoming events, contact the Brush Art Gallery at 315-229-5174, or contact Catherine Tedford, director, at ctedford@stlawu.edu.
