Reiman Gallery, Christian Petersen Art Museum, 0003 Morrill Hall, Iowa State University
In a world where we are inundated with information, it is truly valuable to be able to slow down, look deeply at visual content and make thoughtful observations. Visual literacy is the ability to read and understand visual material and is a skill used each and every day regardless of field of study. The ability to look closely at visual material and use reasoning to make interpretations and evaluations based on observation, is a crucial proficiency needed to be an adaptive learner at any age, and ultimately, a more effective critical thinker.
In the FOCUS exhibition series a single work of art is highlighted to delve deeply into how we look and how we can develop critical thought, questioning and discussion through art. With multiple perspectives, backgrounds and ways of looking presented, this exhibition invites you to examine closely and think deeply in response to the visual world.
Aligning with the Visual Literacy Program goals of developing valuable skill sets for visual thinking, this exhibition series challenges and encourages visitors to better understand how they look at art and to focus on building connections and conversations using the lens of art. With several short-run exhibitions each year in the Reiman Gallery (lower level of the Christian Petersen Art Museum), FOCUS: Critical Conversations with Art features a diverse array of works of art and artists from the permanent collection, shown one at a time.
For additional questions about this exhibition series or if interested in contributing your expertise for interpretations contact Lilah Anderson, Educator of Visual Literacy and Learning at [email protected].
Upcoming FOCUS Exhibition Dates: March 1 to April 2, 2021 April 12 to May 7, 2021
Image Credit: Border Crossing (Cruzando el Rio Bravo), 1987 by Luis Jiménez. Lithograph with chine colle on rice paper, ed: 80/90. Purchased with funds from the Joyce Tomlinson Brewer Fund for Art Acquisition. In the Art on Campus Collection, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. U2020.6 *The copyright for this image is held by the artist’s estate. Please do not copy or reproduce this image.
“I had wanted to make a piece dealing with the issue of the illegal alien… People talked about aliens as if they landed from outer space, as if they weren’t really people. I wanted to put a face on them. I wanted to humanize them.” - Luis Jiménez, artist
