Bring Beaux to the show

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ernesta
“Ernesta” (Photo: Sam Knecht / Courtesy)

The art department’s upcoming exhibit, “Enduring Visions: Selections from the College Permanent Art Collection,” featured Sept. 13 to Oct. 9, showcases the college’s art acquisitions, centering on two works by Cecilia Beaux, a well-known Victorian painter.

“This show is meant to do two things,” said professor of art Sam Knecht. “First, it’s a teaching collection — these works will receive special attention simply by being put in the gallery. Second, it will be an encouragement to the visitor that the college is interested in enhancing its permanent art collection.”

In April, the college received two paintings by Cecilia Beaux, “Ernesta” and “Ernesta’s Shoes,” gifts from Ann Arbor resident Anne Natvig. Beaux was a  top-tier artist who was declared by her contemporary, the artist William Merritt Chase, to be “the greatest woman painter of our age.”

“The Cecilia Beaux paintings are the works of the greatest value and greatest historical importance that we have to date,” Knecht said.

The exhibit’s other highlights include a portrait of former Hillsdale College President Joseph Mauck and paintings by Brian Curtis, an associate professor of art and drawing at the University of Miami.

Unlike past exhibits, which have showcased the works of students or faculty members, this exhibit focuses exclusively on artists who are not directly affiliated with the college.

“I decided to shift the spotlight to other artists of repute because our own faculty gets their day in the sun with some frequency,” Knecht said.

The college does not have an art gallery to house its permanent collection, but Knecht believes this exhibit will raise awareness among both students and faculty that the college is interested in collecting and exhibiting fine art from well-known artists.

“Whenever we accept or acquire an artwork, it’s always with the question, ‘How will this fit in with the teaching mission of the art department?’” Knecht said. “Secondarily, ‘How will that resonate with the broader mission of the college?’”

Senior Will Veitkus, a monitor at Sage Center for the Arts, said art exhibits can impact all who attend.

“I think art, especially well-done professional art, can inspire more than anything,” he said. “That’s why we go to museums.”

Forester McClatchey ’16 commented that the presence of a permanent art collection on campus should prompt students to immerse themselves in more art.

“I would hope that students would value this chance,” he said. “I think they would. Hillsdale has a remarkably low philistine quotient, and I think most or all students would acknowledge the importance of art history in a liberal arts education.”

McClatchey also said though art is important to Hillsdale’s mission, there is still much room for its growth as a staple of campus culture.

“I think there’s a powerful emphasis on art at Hillsdale, but it mostly stays within the walls of Sage,” he said. “I suspect a permanent collection will be a good way to connect the art department with the rest of campus.”