Six artists and scholars will present Hixson-Lied Visiting Artist & Scholar Lectures during the month of April. The lectures are free and open to the public.
The April lectures include:
• April 3: Tony Orrico, 5:30 p.m., Sheldon Museum of Art’s Ethel S. Abbott Auditorium.
• April 9: Jack Davis and Sharon Stocker, 5:30 p.m., Richards Hall Rm. 15.
• April 10: Jaque Fragua, 5:30 p.m., Sheldon Museum of Art’s Ethel S. Abbott Auditorium.
• April 17: Amanda Maciuba. Co-sponsored by the Great Plains Art Museum. 5:30 p.m., Sheldon Museum of Art’s Ethel S. Abbott Auditorium. A reception will take place in the Great Plains Art Museum immediately following the lecture at Sheldon.
• April 24: Norman Akers, 5:30 p.m., Sheldon Museum of Art’s Ethel S. Abbott Auditorium.
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 Sheldon Museum of Art.
Orrico is assistant professor of dance and sculpture/intermedia at the University of Iowa. His record of exhibitions spans five continents. His work investigates endurance, mark making, somatics, choreography, and collaborative improvisation. In 2020, Orrico was included in the book “Performance Drawing: New Practices since 1945,” a collection of interviews and essays exploring the relationship between drawing and performance, published by Bloomsbury. View his work at https://tonyorrico.com.
Davis and Stocker, a husband-and-wife team of University of Cincinnati archaeologists, were part of an international team of archaeologists led by UC that recently discovered a Bronze Age warrior’s tomb in southwestern Greece filled with more than 1,400 objects and was featured in the New York Times (https://go.unl.edu/nytpylos). Davis is the Carl W. Blegen Professor of Greek Archaeology at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and a former director of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Stocker is a senior research associate at UC. She has participated in excavations in Greece and Albania.
A Native American artist known for this powerful and thought-provoking works, Fragua’s artistic practice encompasses a diverse range of mediums, including studio painting, mural creation, sculpture, installation and public art. He is from the Pueblo of Jemez and grew up in New Mexico. His art often addresses themes of identity, culture, history, and activism, particularly focusing on issues affecting Indigenous communities in the United States. See his work at https://www.mobilsavage.com/.
Maciuba’s work is concerned with the landscapes, communities, development practices and environmental practices throughout the U.S. Her solo exhibition, “Watershed,” will be on view at the Great Plains Museum from April 4-Sept. 20, and she will be the Elizabeth Rubendall Artist-in-Residence from April 8-19. View her work at https://www.amandamaciuba.com.
As a Native American artist, Akers explores issues of identity, culture (including Osage mythos), place, and the dynamics of personal and cultural transformation in his work. Born and raised in Fairfax, Oklahoma, Akers is a member of the Osage Nation. He received his BFA in painting from the Kansas City Art Institute and a certificate in museum studies from the Institute of American Indian Arts. He received his MFA in fine arts from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. View his work at https://normanakers.com.
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.
For more information on the series, contact the School of Art, Art History & Design at (402) 472-5522 or e-mail schoolaahd@unl.edu.