Campus News

Second Art Proposal for UK’s Memorial Hall Presented March 29

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photo of Memorial Hall in spring
photo of drawing and photo of arched spaces in Memorial Hall
photo of detail from Ann Rice O'Hanlon fresco in Memorial Hall

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 26, 2018) This week University of Kentucky will present the second of two talks with nationally recognized artists, who have designed concepts for art to be featured in two vaulted spaces in the vestibule of Memorial Hall. The free public presentation by Bethany Collins will start 3 p.m. Thursday, March 29, at Memorial Hall.

Karyn Olivier and Bethany Collins’ proposals are the final selections in a process seeking artworks from artists across the U.S. by the UK Memorial Hall Art Committee, who are looking for site-specific installations that will establish a rich aesthetic and conceptual dialogue with the building itself and the mural by Ann Rice O’Hanlon that occupies a large wall in the main lobby. Over the years, the O’Hanlon mural has been one of many topics in several important discussions on inclusion.

O’Hanlon’s mural has stirred a range of responses. On one hand, it is recognized as a unique document of a time in U.S. history when the government engaged artists to create ambitious acts of American storytelling — the Public Works of Art Project, part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. On the other, some argue that the mural misrepresents and sanitizes the imagery of the time it depicts. In doing so, it failed to declare the immorality of slavery and instead minimized the violence and inhumanity that many experienced through subjugation and slavery.

In commissioning new artworks for Memorial Hall, the committee is re-imagining the challenge taken up by O’Hanlon in 1934: to depict Kentucky’s evolution from a frontier state to a modern Commonwealth. As part of that charge, the artists may interpret the complex realities of Kentucky and the United States today.

The committee is looking for works that:

  • engage issues of history, race, identity, culture, and diversity;
  • exemplify a strong concept and skillful use of materials; and
  • contribute to an inclusive educational environment.

“No single artwork will address all of the ideas and emotions that people have about the mural at Memorial Hall. What we want is a thoughtful new work that can expand the conversation about the legacies of Kentucky and the United States, and for something commissioned in 2018 to address the complexities of identity and place in the past as well as the present,” said Stuart Horodner, co-chair of the committee and director of the UK Art Museum.

Collins’ public presentation of her proposal will run 3-4:40 p.m. Thursday, March 29, in Memorial Hall. The talk will be followed by a Q&A. Individuals wishing to share their ideas on either of the art presentations are encouraged to email the committee at MemHallArtCom@uky.edu by midnight, March 30.

In addition to her presentation, Collins will meet with the committee, faculty and students, as well as tour Memorial Hall. She will also have lunch with several African-American students who originally met with President Eli Capilouto and university officials in December 2015 to present a list titled “African/African-American Student Concerns on Racial Climate.” Included in the list of 18 concerns was no. 14 “Racist mural in Memorial Hall.” Karyn Olivier, the other artist submitting a proposal, presented her concept on campus March 20.

“This is an important step forward in building and sustaining an inclusive campus community,” said Terry Allen, committee co-chair and associate vice president for Institutional Equity. “The O’Hanlon mural in Memorial Hall has greeted thousands of students and guests visiting the facility for over 80 years. Our goal is to provide a proper context for the artwork, to tell a complete story. We are hopeful for broad campus participation during the visits of these artists, and value the feedback of every individual.”