A coffee social with visiting artist Pablo Helguera will be held on Friday, Nov. 21, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the boardroom of the Sheldon Museum of Art. This informal gathering follows Helguera’s Hixson-Lied Visiting Artist & Scholar Lecture on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 5:30 p.m. in the museum’s Ethel S. Abbott Auditorium. Both events are free, open to the public, and no registration is required.
Based in New York, Helguera is recognized as a pioneer in socially engaged art. His practice involves performance, drawing, pedagogy, installation, theater, and other literary strategies. Coming from a family of classical musicians, his work also frequently includes musical elements.
Helguera is the recipient of many national and international awards, including the Guggenheim and Creative Capital fellowships, as well as the first International Award for Participatory Art in Italy. He has performed and presented his projects in multiple international biennials and venues.
Helguera is the author of numerous books, including “Education for Socially Engaged Art” (2011) and “The Parable Conference” (2014). He has worked as head of public programs at various museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the MCA Chicago.
He is currently assistant professor of arts management and entrepreneurship at The College of the Performing Arts at The New School in New York. He writes a weekly column titled “Beautiful Eccentrics.”
The School of Art, Art History & Design’s Hixson-Lied Visiting Artist & Scholar Lecture Series brings notable artists, scholars and designers to Nebraska each semester to enhance the education of students. The series is presented in collaboration with the Sheldon Museum of Art. Underwritten by the Hixson-Lied Endowment with additional support from other sources, the series enriches the culture of the state by providing a way for Nebraskans to interact with luminaries in the fields of art, art history and design. Each visiting artist or scholar spends one to three days on campus to meet with classes, participate in critiques and give demonstrations.