Attending a William Wegman Exhibit at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art

July 17, 2012

Attending a William Wegman Exhibit at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art

Last Friday, while I was visiting Skylands, my home in Mt. Desert Island, Maine, I attended the gala opening of William Wegman’s exhibition, Hello Nature, at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick, Maine. You may be familiar with Wegman’s work, as he is quite famous for photographing his Weimaraners. In addition to these well-known images of dogs, the show features more than 100 works in a variety of media including photography, video, painting, and drawing. These pieces were all produced in or inspired by the state of Maine. Another fascinating exhibit on display at the museum is called, A River Lost & Found: The Androscoggin River in Time and Place, a collaboration of Bowdoin professors, Michael Kolster and Matthew Klingle. I loved the exhibits and it was nice being back on the Bowdoin College campus. Bowdoin, a small private liberal arts institution founded in 1794, offers a top-notch education.

: This is William Wegman, the extremely well known photographer who features Weimaraners as his focal point.

: In addition to being a pioneering video artist and photographer, William Wegman is also a prolific painter and draftsman. Since 1978, he has divided his time between New York City and the Rangeley Lakes Region of Maine.

: Here I am with Kevin Salatino – Bowdoin College Museum of Art Director. At the end of this summer, Kevin is leaving Bowdoin to become the director of art collections at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, CA.

: Posing with Daniel Dowd, a local Maine artist who painted all of Wegman’s imagery onto the walls of the exhibit space.

: Wegman revisits many of the materials that have shaped our cultural expectations of the outdoors, including Boy Scout Manuals, field guides, nineteenth-century Transcendentalist literature, and postcards. This wonderful red backdrop is a vinyl blowup of his work.

: The red and black plaid is a blowup of a traditional wool hunting jacket.

: More Wegman imagery of outdoor activities – This is Barry Mills, President of Bowdoin College speaking with Margaret Broaddus.

: This is the dome in the Bowdoin College Museum of Art rotunda, which was designed by McKim, Mead and White, the firm that also designed the Boston Public Library, The Morgan Library & Museum in New York, and the Brooklyn Museum.

: There are gorgeous murals below the dome in the rotunda. This one is “Venice” by Kenyon Cox, 1894.

: This rotunda mural is “Athens” by John La Farge, 1898.

: This is “Florence” by Aboott Thayer, 1894.

: And this rotunda mural is called “Rome” by Elihu Vedder, 1894.

: This horse sculpture made from barbed wire is called “Rondo” by Deborah Butterfield, 1981.

: The Bowdoin College Museum of Art gift shop is filled with interesting books and curios. Like many museum shops, it’s a great place to shop for unusual gifts.

: This is the entrance of the Studzinski Recital Hall and this is John J. Studzinski of the Class of 1978 and a Trustee of the College.

: John Studzinski is an international financier and philanthropist whose gift to the College made possible this recital hall, thereby enriching the cultural life of the Bowdoin community for generations to come.

: Also designed by McKim, Mead and White, this amazing state-of-the-art 280-seat concert hall once housed a swimming pool. The hall was dedicated on May 11, 2007.

: This is the college chapel, which was completed in 1857. The building also houses the McKeen Center for the Common Good, named for Bowdoin’s first president, Joseph McKeen, who said at his inauguration in 1802 that “literary institutions are founded and endowed for the common good, and not for the private advantage of those who resort to them for education.”

: Cocktails and dinner were held in the main lounge at Moulton Union.

: Guests mingled on the terrace with great views of the campus.

: Time Takes all but Memories – This sundial was presented by the Class of 1951 to honor Nathaniel Cooper Kendrick – Dean of the College 1947 to 1966 – Close friend of generations of Bowdoin men.

: This was my place setting at the gala dinner.

: Bowdoin President, Barry Mills, welcomed all of the guests.

: It was great catching up with William Wegman.

: This is the Bowdoin College Wedgwood china with a view of Hubbard Hall from the Museum steps. So many colleges had special sets of dishes designed just for them.

: Another view

: And another

: The first course was local Maine heirloom tomato slices with buffalo mozzarella and tender arugula.

: There was beautifully grilled chicken.

: And tender sauteed trout

: The rest of the dinner course consisted of sauteed local summer squash, a grilled portobello mushroom with caramelized onions and goat cheese, and rice.