Today we shine the spotlight on Munya Avigail Upin, a Drake Alum and silversmith from Chatham, New York. Munya is best known for her exquisite metalwork that combines metal and fiber techniques. Munya makes functional and sculptural objects that serve as an unwritten memoir that encompasses dreams, pain, surprises and realizations. She’s taught at many prestigious schools across the US, and Munya and her works have been featured in top publications such as Metalsmith and American Craft.  Read more to see her detailed pieces and to learn more about her process and motivation. 

BIOGRAPHY:

Munya Upin is a metalsmith and educator living in the living in Hudson Valley. Born in Faribault, Minnesota, she received a BFA from Drake University, an MA from San Diego State University, and an MFA from California State University, Fullerton. She was artist-in-residence at the Oregon College of Art and Craft and has taught at the University of Wisconsin, Madison; Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas; Penland School of Crafts; and the Massachusetts College of Art.

Munya employs skills generally associated with fibers and textiles in the making of original jewelry and sculpture, and she is regarded by many as an authority on combining metal and fiber techniques. Photographs of her work have appeared in Metalsmith, Niche, American Craft, and Arline Fisch’s Textile Techniques in Metal. She is an award-winning metalsmith who has exhibited nationally and internationally for 45 years. Her exquisite metalwork is in private and public collections through the United States and Europe.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

The evolution of one’s work is like a memoir in progress. Narrative work coexists with functional work and both say something about the maker. The work may depict one’s childhood dreams, a circuitous journey through life, or serve to enhance a ceremony. Whatever the statement or purpose, the work is genuine and revealing.

My work is represented by both sculptural and functional objects. The sculptures portray aspects of my life from childhood to adulthood. The pieces are about dreams, pain, surprises and realizations. Though the imagery ranges from non-representational to figurative, all the sculpture, in one way or another, documents my memories. The work is both evocative and cathartic and serves as my unwritten memoir.

The Jewish ceremonial pieces evolved out of a desire to create beautiful objects for weekly and yearly ritual celebrations. I am intrigued by the history of these objects as well as the challenge to design pieces for use in a contemporary setting. Most of the Judaica contains woven elements which create a uniquely rich, textural surface. These surfaces, combined with clean simple forms, express my design sensibilities and my attempts to make ritual objects that elevate the ceremony with which they are associated.

SELECTED WORKS:

Fan Brooch. Argentium silver, copper, pearl. Private Collection. 6 x 5 x 1″.

Thanks Oskar. Pendant. 14k gold, Bakelite, pearl. 5 x 3 x .5″.

Ruby Vine Pendant. Sterling and fine silver, ruby. 3 x 2 x .5″.

For RBG – Collar/Necklace. Sterling and fine silver, pearl. 14 x 8 x .5″.

Bursting Forth Brooch. Argentium silver, copper, pearl. 8 x 3 x 1.5″.

Work in Progress and Glimpse at Process:

FOLLOW MUNYA ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Mark Hoppman, a Drake Alum who worked in the print industry, has spent the last 20 years making artists’ books and drawing and painting in the Puget Sound region. Take a look at his handmade books to fully recognize the artistry needed to illustrate and bind these one-of-a-kind works! Due to Covid-19, The Anderson Gallery and Drake University are closed until February 1, 2021. We are using this time to highlight Drake Alums who are making art and impacting their communities, and we are thankful for Mark for sharing his work with us.

BIOGRAPHY:

Mark Hoppmann, book artist and illustrator, is a board member of the Puget Sound Book Artists where he served as President from 2012-2017. His work has been featured on Youtube, Cityline Tacoma, and KUPS radio and exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions in the Puget Sound region.  In addition to private collections, his work can be found in the Library of Congress, the archives and rare book collections of the University of Puget Sound, the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, and the collections of the Ringling College of Art & Design, Emory University, Baylor University, the University of California at Bayside among others.

STATEMENT:

Mark Hoppmann is a recognized illustrator and book artist who lives and works in Tacoma, Washington. His paintings and drawings are influenced by his roots in the endless wheat fields of western Nebraska and his knowledge of the streets of Florence Italy to the beaches of the Pacific Northwest coast.  

Armed with a camera, sketchbook, and his imagination, he captures the weatherworn textures of nature in ink and watercolor. His eclectic accumulation of bric-a-brac, memories, experiences, and books inspire his paintings and illustrations. His ideas begin as random thoughts and emotions conflicting with each other as they pass through his mind’s eye. Details unnoticed by most – a mood, moments captured by my camera or in the blink of an eye – all come into play. At some point, balance of color, shape, or line begin to sort themselves into one cohesive concept. Composition and texture form layers of meaning, resulting in a book woven by intuition and interpretation.

SELECTED WORKS:

Extraordinary Popular Delusions & the Madness of Crows = Colophon: 162 Illustrations: India ink, graphite, color pencil, conte, watercolor. Limited Edition and digitally printed on Canson 90# classic cream paper. Hand sewn and bound in hand dyed veg tanned leather. Receptacle: manila rope, rusted fence staples and nails, hand-stained distressed wood. Courtesy of the Archives and Special Collections of Collins Library, the University of Puget Sound. 

Crowsette Window: Original Rendering from the artist’s book, Extraordinary Popular Delusions & the Madness of Crows = India ink on Strathmore Vellum Bristol, 7” x 10”

Playing Hide & Go Seek in the Dark = Colophon: Assorted tales by the artist, hand typed on papyrus using a 1946 Silent Smith Corona Typewriter, mounted on paper handmade by the artist. Illustrations: India ink and white pencil, Coptic style binding, Manila hemp, thread, barbed wire. From the collection of Cynthia Sears, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.

The Genie Within = Colophon: The Story of Prince Houssain and His Magic Carpet from The 1001 Arabian Nights. Defying the conventional wisdom of what constitutes a book, the bottle becomes the book cover. Typed with a 1952, 15” Underwood typewriter on Kozo paper, the lines of type were cut and spliced to create a page approximately 150 feet in length. The story is read as one extracts the continuous line of text connected to the stopper in the shape of an ink quill. Paper maché and Kozo.

Transitions: Original Drawing from the Artists’ Book titled The Imaginarium = A series of 64 illustrations comprised of two stories in a do-si-do book form, created to represent an enigma; Everything begins in the middle, the end is the beginning and the beginning is the end. Graphite and color pencil on 90# warm white Legion Stonehenge Paper.

Learn more about Mark’s work by visiting his website below!

Darlys Ewoldt is a metalsmith and sculptor who lives and works in Chicago, Illinois. Darlys has had an impressive career in the visual arts, and her works are well-crafted, colorful, and inspired by the natural world. Due to Covid-19, The Anderson Gallery and Drake University are closed until February 1, 2021. We are using this time to highlight Drake Alums who are making art and impacting their communities, and we are thankful for Darlys for sharing her work and process with us.

BIOGRAPHY:

Darlys Ewoldt was born and raised in rural Iowa. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Indiana University. Ewoldt lives and works in Chicago, and her work has been included in numerous exhibitions and collections. She has been the recipient of multiple grants and awards, including Ford Foundation Fellowship and Project Grants, three Fellowship Grants from the Illinois Arts Council, Projects Grants from the Ruth and Harold Chenven Foundation, the George Sugarman Foundation, the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago, and the Governor James R. Thompson Award for Excellence in Craft.

STATEMENT:

Fragments of memories, or words that resonate and stay within my mind converge with observations of the physical world during the course of my creative process. Poetic forms and mutations found in nature are sources of inspiration. I enjoy the visual experience of diverse landscapes and the transitions of the seasons. My work is intimate in both scale and intention. Interior spaces and being drawn visually and conceptually into the heart of a form is intriguing to me. I intend to subtly suggest images that might evoke a feeling of discovery, memory, or contemplation in the observer. By using metals including copper, brass, silver, steel, and bronze, 3-Dimensional forms can be realized through hammering and fabrication processes. Surface coloration is achieved via chemical patination procedures.

ARTWORKS:

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HERE ARE SOME QUICK LINKS SO YOU CAN FOLLOW DARLYS:

Cat Rocketship, 2007 Art and Design graduate, shares their work on social media and during a livestream Artist Talk on Thursday, January 7, 2021, at 7pm on our YouTube Channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOQe952BjgQ

BIOGRAPHY:

Cat Rocketship (they/them) is a white artist and organizer and future ancestor who grew up in Nebraska and moved to Iowa like a million years ago. They’re using their radical imagination plus drawing and internet skills to help shape a world that doesn’t exist yet.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT:

Cat uses their work to lift up the history of working class people and the power of collective action. They explore methods of art making that make low-cost products and make ideas easy to spread, such as producing stickers, digital and linocut prints, and t shirts. These projects feature words and slogans, and common themes include nature, human interconnectedness with nature, queer identity, and concepts of solidarity and the power dynamics around race and class. Cat seeks to open up conversations about the politics of every day life, worker power, and capitalism. Cat also creates community-based projects in order to create strong connections between neighbors and build relationships. These include large art installations at events such as The People’s Presidential Forum, art builds with community groups, and projects like Portrait Studio and zine making teach-ins.

GENDER & SEXUALITY PROJECTS: Nature is Queer (and You Are Part of Nature)

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This collection explores one theme of my work: gender and sexuality. “Are You a Boy or a Girl?” (2020) is a mixed media drawing of a crow over a blue background. Above the crow is a dialogue bubble asking, “Are you a boy or a girl?” The crow responds, “Caw caw.” This illustration came out of reading Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg. An early chapter of this book explores how as a young child Jess feels like she is “making everyone angry” because of the way she performs gender. For a moment, she is alone in nature. She questions a crow about the bird’s identity and reflects, “Nature held me close and seemed to find no fault with me.”

As a gender non-conforming person who performs both masculinity and femininity, often at the same time, I have been asked, “Are you a boy or a girl?” in many circumstances. When children in a classroom ask, it usually comes from a place of curiosity (though sometimes even children are attempting to replicate gender shaming they’ve seen or experienced). When men ask it in a bar it is a question with no safe answer. They are asking, “Should I want to fuck you or fight you?” They are asking me to quantify how much discomfort they should feel about me and my presentation, and what form of violence they should inflict. In a world where queerness is increasingly accepted, transness is still a dangerous place to live. I felt moved to put this metaphor to paper. The conversation between child and bird leaves an answer hanging in the air – that gender is a construct.

“Nature is Queer” (2020) is colorful illustration captures a few of the endless ways life manifests, the endless variety that means survival, including all the differences in gender, ability, sexuality, and bodies that exist in humanity. It was commissioned by One Iowa to celebrate the completion of their 2020 LGBTQ Leadership Institute.

“Lord of the Butterflies” (2018) was commissioned by Button Poetry to be the cover of Andrea/Andrew Gibson’s (they/them) 2018 release, “Lord of the Butterflies”, a collection of poems exploring gender and sexuality. On it, a silhouetted androgynous figure releases a flock of whirling butterflies, each carrying a symbol representing a different gender identity. The illustration is an exploration of the beauty of carrying many genders inside ourselves, and the confusion of sorting them through in a world where we are assigned one tightly defined range of gender characteristics.

POLITICAL AGITATION PROJECTS:

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A lot of my work features loud slogans. This comes both from my work as an organizer, and from the memetic power of slogans on shirts and stickers. People want them. They don’t always know why, but they like the sentiment, they identify with it, they put it on their bodies, and they strive to embody it. Then, through exposure to the new idea, they have conversations about it. They connect with others over it. These pieces are created to create cognitive dissonance or, sometimes just to foster an unruly spirit and a reminder of the power of the people to disobey in order to make change happen (like the FSU sticker).

In order to create great social change, we must believe that it is possible. Artists have a role to play in this. As Toni Cade Bambara, black feminist leader and writer said, “it is the role of the artist to make the revolution irresistible.” As communist poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht said, “Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.”

Fuck Shit Up sticker (2018) – I drew this sticker after sitting in a meeting with organizers who were planning direct action over an anti-immigrant pro-ICE bill in Iowa. The folks in the room promised that we would gum up the gears of state power in order to slow or stop the bill. I made the sticker on a whim – it’s not an incisive or witty piece, but people respond to it. Even without the power of being connected to a drive for human rights, for livable wages, for trans rights, it’s a reminder to its holders of the power we have to cause a lot of trouble.

Solidarity Not Charity sticker (2020) – As much as I love the FSU sticker, I’m striving to illustrate the need for and power of collective action and practicing solidarity, not individualized action. The first step is putting the word on everyone’s tongue. The practice of mutual aid is natural to humans, but it’s one that we are educated against here in late stage capitalism. Instead we’re taught that it’s everyone for themselves, and the emphasis on individual responsibility and power infiltrates every aspect of our lives. This concept reinforces and is reinforced by ableism, racism, and sexism. Producing stickers like this one that end up on bags, water bottles, notebooks, and light poles helps spread the idea and concept of mutual aid. It’s part of a greater effort by countless artists, organizers, and agitators to strategically shift culture toward collectivism.

No Borders Bunny (2018) – I drew this during a discussion with organizers about decriminalizing migration. Powerful voices in the room spoke about the inequities of borders: “There are no borders if you’re rich enough.” We recognize that both Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. uphold borders as not just necessary, but the most natural thing in the world. But who do those borders serve? In this image of a rabbit jumping a wall, we are reminded that borders are man-made. They are a tool of the oppressor. We are reminded that borders inflict violence not just on poor and dispossessed humans, but on our non-human relatives as well. We are reminded that we are wild, just like the rabbit, and we can be ungovernable. This is a straight-up anarchist image, and I’ve been surprised by the swathes of people who buy this shirt, sticker, or print. Many of them identify with right wing ideologies. This image has created space for many conversations about radical change.

People’s Presidential Forum art direction (2019) – In 2019, Iowa CCI Action Fund, a grassroots political organization working to build political power with working class Iowans, cohosted a forum where fast food workers, farmers, field workers, and nurses asked questions of Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigeg. I was asked to create signs, bandanas, a stage, an entrance, and a soundscape that uplifted the people and our collective values that put our communities above profits and our planet over corporate power. Our team was struck by the corporate feel of the event’s location – in Hy-Vee Hall in downtown Des Moines. We wanted to dress the space in a way that made the 3,000 attendees feel powerful and welcomed. We covered the facade of the space – 45′ tall by 100′ wide – with a hand painted banner and mural on kraft paper. We dressed the stage in portraits of our community leaders and words reflecting our commitment to each other. We spent less than $500 to build it all and we transformed the space and covered it in messy, human art.

SKELETONS AND ANIMA PROJECTS

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The skeletons are a flexible character in my work. They’re fun, they’ve chill, and they’re a momento mori…in a cute way. To be honest I don’t know why I’m obsessed with death or why I collect bones. I’ve processed the major deaths in my life, but I like to carry a little death with me everywhere. Maybe it’s that any view of the world that doesn’t include death feels incomplete. Maybe it’s comforting to know that my bones and the elements that make me up are fleeting – that even in this very moment molecules are leaving me forever. The anima prints are fun and tie us to our non-human relatives. They also evolved as a big seller at craft shows where in The Before Times I made my circuit.

For a while I was attracted to using skeletons for a large body of work (including a full 78-card tarot completed in 2017) because they are non binary. They exist without race or sex, and I don’t give them gendered costumes. I struggle with this as well — am I attempted to create a world that doesn’t deal with race? What are the ramifications of that? The skeletons can also get away with more things than humans in drawings. The poly skeleton drawing is one of my favorites this year. It’s cheeky af. There’s a whole play party happening, complete with snacks, drugs, and oral sex. But it’s not all that obviously because these characters exist as scratchy skeleton drawings. I can (and have) draw fully fleshed-out humans engaged in sex, flirting, murder, betrayal, love…but there’s something Midwestern goth about only depicting these acts in skeleton form.

COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECTS: MARKET DAY

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Market Day (2009 – 2020) is an Indie craft show and community of crafters, artists, makers, and especially women, queer, and femme makers. We’ve cultivated a place for artists to grow together, a place for young artists to get a toe-hold in the community, and a place to expand the audience for low-fi and accessible art in Central Iowa.

FOLLOW CAT ON INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK!

CHECK OUT CAT’S WORK ON THEIR WEBSITE AND BUY WORK ON ETSY!

RACE AND VISIBILITY: AN ONLINE EXHIBITION

Students in Art & Design Professor Lenore Metrick-Chen’s class Curating Race, Fall 2020, studied issues of race and visual culture. Their starting point centered on how race is created by society and power systems: it is not a biological or genetic reality, but a social reality. Focusing on Iowan history, and contextualizing this study with national history, they examined how imagery has been crucial in promoting and in challenging ideas of race. The culmination of the course is their virtual exhibition, Race and Visibility- An Online Exhibition. Each student created a room in the exhibition that stands on its own, and collectively they offer a probing and visually engaging exploration of the representation of race and its consequences. This exhibition will be available online through March 31, 2021.

Race and Visibility is curated by Professor Lenore Metrick-Chen’s class “Curating Race” in Fall 2020. Please click on each link below to start a “Guided Tour” of each virtual exhibition. Or, if you opt for “Enter Exhibition” instead, you will be able to click on individual art and objects to get more information and, sometimes, music, videos and sound.

Thanks for touring these exhibitions! Students would love your feedback so please send comments to lmetrickchen@drake.edu.

Marissa Hernandez is the recipient of the 2020-21 Drake Alumni Artist Residency at
Mainframe Studios. She recently completed murals for The Candle Bar, Slow
Down Coffee Company, Art Terrarium, and the Conmigo Early Education Center.
She graduated with a BFA degree in painting and graphic design in May 2020 during the
pandemic. Remarkably, Marissa is more active than ever and has used this time to
safely partner with Des Moines businesses and agencies to transform our city.

Marissa focuses on marginalized identities and places Black, Indigenous, and
People of Color in idealistic worlds. She uses murals and social media as tools for
accessibility and large-scale representation, and she is an extraordinary example
of someone using their creative talents to make a true impact to our community.

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Watch Marissa’s Artist Talk and learn more about her ideas, inspiration, process and goals. You will be challenged and inspired!

https://youtu.be/3aScOalQ6Js

And be sure to follow Marissa on Instagram and check out her website!

MEET PAINTER KEVIN CALLAHAN

BIOGRAPHY:

Kevin Callahan is graduate of Drake University where he studied painting under Jules Kirschenbaum. He now creates works in a variety of media, which include painting, sculpture, photography, crafts, and writing. Kevin studied with world renown Israeli artist Larry Abramson at a Painting Intensive at the San Francisco Art Institute and worked under Phil Hanson and Michelle Grabner at the Ox-Bow School of the Art Institute Chicago. Kevin’s award-winning art hangs in collections throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, and Israel. He currently works and resides with my wife in Parkville, Missouri, where they run The Elegant Line Gallery. Both of their sons are accomplished artists. His philosophy is simple: Composition, Story, Elegant Line. If you find the elegant line, your work will be lyrical. Check out Kevin’s website and support and follow his work. 

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ARTIST’S STATEMENT:

My acrylic paintings carry overtones reminiscent of both Edward Hopper and Thomas Hart Benton, but they are most often compared to Alex Katz. My work exhibits a slightly primitive look reminding the viewer of the relationship between the camera/canvas/painter/subject. Working from digital images, I capture subjects often unaware in a moment of space and time This invasion/observation offers a very personal connection between the viewer, the artist, and the subject. My work reveals everyday acts yet hints at mysterious unknowns. Individually each work offers a view of intriguing subjects, caught in a moment of time. As a body of work, they capture the essence of the subject in a kaleidoscope of color and movement. 

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PAGES FROM THE BOOK OF THE UNKNOWN EXPLORER

Join us online on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 7pm for Judit Hersko’s virtual performance lecture followed by questions from the audience. This event is designed for students and faculty in all disciplines. A registration invitation and Zoom link will be sent in February.

Judit Hersko is an installation artist who works in the intersection of art and science. She collaborates with scientists on visualizing climate change science through art and narrative. Her work is rooted in extensive research as well as in a playful exploration of materials and phenomena of light, shadow and transparency. Her current practice involves story telling through performances that incorporate the objects she makes.

Judit Hersko is the recipient of the 2020 Myron “Mike” Marty Arts + Humanities Lectureship awarded by the Center for the Humanities through a generous donation from the Ralph & Sylvia G. Green Charitable Foundation. 

IMAGINING THE FUTURE: HOW STORIES WE TELL SHAPE THE PLANET

Join us in person for a safe and socially distanced collage workshop in the Anderson Gallery on Friday, March 26, 2021 from 1-4pm. This is limited to 16 students from any discipline. Learn more about climate change as Judit leads the group through brainstorming sessions and short demonstrations to create books made with found materials. Individual workstations and art kits are free and available to those who participate. Invitations to register will be sent in March. 

Judit Hersko’s work has received national as well as international recognition. In 1997 she represented her native Hungary at the Venice Biennale, and in 2007 her work was featured in Weather Report: Art and Climate Change, curated by Lucy Lippard for the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. In 2008 she received the National Science Foundation Antarctic Artists and Writers Grant and spent six weeks in Antarctica working with scientists. She has presented extensively on this work at universities, research institutions, conferences, and symposia around the world, and she has published several articles and book chapters. Hersko is a Professor in the Department of Art, Media, and Design at California State University San Marcos, where she initiated the Art and Science Project.