Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

This year the Van Every/Smith Galleries are excited to have two Mellon-funded internship positions for “Stories Yet to be Told: Race, Racism, and Accountability on Campus,” an initiative that will transform key campus spaces into interactive sites for interrogating race and racism. We would like to introduce the first of our two Stories Yet to…

David Hilliard (American, b.1964)Norm’s Birthday, 2001Four panel Chromogenic print40″ x 120″Gift of John Andrew MacMahon, Class of 1995 David Hilliard is known for his multi-panel panoramic photographs, where each image offers a new perspective of the narrative being told. Unlike single photographs, this style allows the artist to direct the viewers’ eyes to the smallest…

Learn more about From Pandemic to Protests, an exhibition drawn fully from our permanent art collection, through some of our recent press. Maya Tetali ’21 wrote about From Pandemic to Protests for The Davidsonian. She interviewed Adrienne Lee ’21, a Gallery intern who assisted Gallery staff, along with summer intern Sebi Sola-Sole ’21, to organize…

Name and hometown?Isabel Smith (she/her/hers). St. Augustine, Florida.  Class year and major/minor?Class of 2024. Undecided but intended Communication Studies major, Gender and Sexuality Studies minor. Did you do anything this summer or during quarantine related to the arts?My parents are self-employed artists; my mom is a 2D mixed media artist and my dad manages the…

Ellen MuellerResist in Place (still), 2019Digital Video, 0:01:54On loan from the Artist On view in the E. Craig Wall, Jr. Academic Center from October 4 – November 21st, 2020. Please note: All buildings on campus, including the Wall Center, are only open to Davidson students, faculty, and staff due to the pandemic. We are planning to re-screen videos…

Philippe Halsman (American, 1906-1979)Anna Maria Alberghetti, 1961PhotographGift of F.A.P.A. II Philippe Halsman’s passion for photography began at age fifteen when he found an old camera of his father’s in the attic. He bought glass plates with money from his allowance and taught himself how to develop them in the bathroom of his home. As a…

Name and hometown?Gabi Sarussi and I’m from Scottsdale, Arizona Class year and major/minor?I’m a senior Economics major and Studio Art minor. Did you do anything this summer or during quarantine related to the arts?This summer I had my first major commission for a painting, and started a personal art Instagram account. Follow me here for…

Louise Nevelson (American, 1899-1988)Reflections IV, 1983Color etching, aquatint, and screenprint49.25 x 40.25 in inGift of Carol Quillen, Davidson College President, and George McLendon I first learned about Louise Nevelson’s works in Dr. Shaw Smith’s “Contemporary Art History” course. In the course, we focused on Nevelson’s assemblage sculptures, which place random items into grids, exploring order…

This semester we are excited to welcome a group of new interns to the Van Every/Smith Galleries! We’ll be introducing them every week through this New Intern Intro series. First up is Claire Begalla ’24! Name and hometown? Claire Begalla. DeLand, Florida. Class year and major/minor?My class year is 2024 and I am planning on…

Barbara Morgan (American, 1900 – 1992)Martha Graham, Letter to the World, 1940Gelatin silver print10 X 13 in.Gift of Martin Blumenthal The photograph Martha Graham, Letter to the World is art within art: it was taken by photographer Barbara Morgan, depicting a dance choreographed by Martha Graham, based on poetry by Emily Dickinson. American photographer Barbara…

Barbara Morgan (American, 1900 – 1992)Martha Graham, Lamentation (Oblique), 1935Gelatin silver print19.5 X 15.5 in.Gift of Martin Blumenthal Martha Graham was a pioneer maker and is accredited to establishing the foundation of Modern Dance. With a deep value of communicating the human experience through the physical body and a sharp attention to clarity in movement,…

Christo (American, Bulgarian-born, 1935-2020)Wrapped Monument to Vittorio Emanuele, Piazza del Duomo, Milan, 1970Colored photolithography on cardboard14.5 x 19.5 inOn loan from John Andrew MacMahon, Class of 1995 Christo’s Wrapped Monument to Vittorio Emanuele, Piazza del Duomo, Milan and Michelle Van Parys’s Men can be found on view in Chambers Building. Please note: All buildings on…

Ezra WubeMela, 2011Stop motion animation using paper clips, 1:41On loan from the Artist On view in the E. Craig Wall, Jr. Academic Center from August 16 – October 3, 2020. Please note: All buildings on campus, including the Wall Center, are only open to Davidson students, faculty, and staff due to the pandemic. We are…

Andrew CaldwellFearful Fascination, 2019Lens-based new media incorporating still and moving images, 3D and motion graphics techniques, 2:00On loan from the Artist On view in the E. Craig Wall, Jr. Academic Center from August 16 – October 3, 2020, along with three other works that address the themes of migration, displacement, and belonging. Please note: All buildings on…

Epiphany Knedler810 Dickinson Avenue, 2018Video, 0:06On loan from the Artist On view in the E. Craig Wall, Jr. Academic Center from August 16 – October 3, 2020. Please note: All buildings on campus, including the Wall Center, are only open to Davidson students, faculty, and staff due to the pandemic. We are planning to re-screen…

We are excited to present AN ENVIRONMENT ENDURED curated by Adrienne Lee ’21 and Emilie Hoke ’21. This exhibition features works from the Van Every/Smith Galleries Permanent Art Collection that encompass “environment.” As curators of the exhibition, we sought to introduce a variety of works that narrate environmental issues that loom, whether seen or unseen. Together, the…

Growing up in Alabama, Bethany Collins never bought the argument that “Dixie” was an innocent song of Southern nostalgia. She found the song guilty of celebrating a South that battled to keep slavery intact, then later often used violence to prevent free Black people from owning property, voting or holding elected office. In the theory…

Alma LeivaSurvival map for the outsider (Mapa de supervivencia para el forastero), 2015Animation, 3:55On loan from the Artist On view in the E. Craig Wall, Jr. Academic Center from August 16 – October 3, 2020. Please note: All buildings on campus, including the Wall Center, are only open to Davidson students, faculty, and staff due to…

Nancy Baker (American, b. 1951)Eating Mist II, 2016Pigment prints, glitter, Mylar and acrylic on hand and laser cut paper, museum board43 x 33 x 3 in.Gallery Purchase during the 2016 Art Acquisition Party with contributions from Malu Alvarez ’02, Jane Avinger, Susan Beaumont, Armando Bellmas, Lydia Bittner-Baird, Chai Lu Bohannan ’14, Elizabeth Bradford, Caroline Brooks…

All of the photographs in this blog post are on view in our current exhibition, From Pandemic to Protests: Visualizing Social Isolation and Social Injustices through the Davidson College Art Collection. Click the button to view the exhibition online: Alvin C. Jacobs (American, b. 1974)Untitled (Charlotte Uprising, Uptown Charlotte, NC, 2016), 201616 x 24 in.Digital…

All the photographs mentioned in this blog post are currently on view in the E. Craig Wall, Jr. Academic Center. The building is open to current students, faculty, and staff due to the pandemic. View all artworks on view in the Wall Center at the link below: Joshua WhiteFeatherArchival pigment print4 x 4 inGallery Purchase…

Hagit Barkai (Israeli) All Stories: End with Peak, 2011 Oil on Canvas 78″ x 52.25″ x 1.75″ Gift of Lydia Lorenzin, in memory of Tomm Lorenzin, Class of 1992 As a Gender & Sexuality Studies major, I am drawn to artists that examine the consequences of power dynamics. Hagit Barkai, an Israeli artist now living…

William Hogarth (English, 1697-1764)The Sleeping Congregation1762Etching and Engraving26.5 x 21 in.Gift of John A. Welsh, Class of 1959 William Hogarth was an English painter, printmaker, and satirist renowned for his moralistic paintings and engravings of quotidian life in 18th century London. Over 40 years of printmaking and editorial cartooning, the artist’s burin spared no one,…

Patrick Caulfield (British, 1936-2005)Small Window at NightScreenprint39.5 x 29.25 in.Gift of Fred Nederlander Patrick Caulfield was an English painter and printmaker renown for his bold paintings that often incorporated elements of photorealism. He flattened ordinary objects, rendering three-dimensional perspectives on a flat plane. Interested in surrealist painters such as Giorgio de Chirico, Caulfield took a…

Cheryl Haines Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly, 2019 Documentary, FOR-SITE Foundation film 1 hour 16 minutes After much anticipation, the award-winning documentary film Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly is now available for audiences to view at home. In partnership with First Run Features, over thirty local theaters in the United States and Canada will be streaming the documentary in its…

Sze Tsung Leong (British-Mexican-American, b. 1970)Xinjiekou, Xaunwu District, Nanjing, 2004, From the series History Images, 2004Chromogenic print40 x 80 inGift of John Andrew MacMahon ‘95 During Spring 2020, I took a course called “Urban Ecology” with Dr. Anika Bratt, Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Davidson College. Through the course, I learned about the…

Through support of the Justice, Equality and Community Grant, Bethany Collins is the 2019-2020 Public Humanities Practitioner-in-Residence at Davidson College. While many institutions continue to struggle with their past in regard to slavery and racism, particularly in the form of monuments and portraits, Davidson College is choosing to engage with the past. The recent creation…

Katyayani Singh (1998, Indian)I’m Sleeping, 2018Progressive Video Gift of Charlotte and Alan Artus I’m Sleeping speaks volumes in this moment and couldn’t be a better piece to investigate right now! Katyayani (Kat) Singh is a graphic designer and art director. She grew up in India, completing her BA at the University of New Delhi in…

Introducing rising senior Emilie Hoke, who is enhancing our collections this summer. While working from Raleigh, NC, she listens to chill Spotify playlists. Name: Emilie Hoke (she/her/hers) Major: Environmental Studies and Studio Art Favorite color: Sunflower yellow Favorite local business: Main Street Books! What architecture style best describes your personality?: International Favorite artist in our…

Steven Gagnon (American, b. 1973)The Dollar Spangled Banner, 2001Serigraph collaged with one-dollar bills12 x 16 in.Gift of James G. Pepper, Class of 1965 Steven Gagnon, born in 1973, grew up in Fort Pierce, Florida. Hopping from one weather-perfect locale to another, the artist studied at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, and returned to his hometown…

Meet rising senior Adrienne Lee! She is working from North Carolina on our exhibitions this summer after recently defeating bed bugs! Name: Adrienne Lee (she/her/hers) Major/Minor: Studio Art major, Neuroscience minor What do you listen to at work?: “Sunshowers” on Spotify! When I’m craving psychological caffeine, I listen to Peggy Gou. Occasionally some Debussy’s when…

Meet rising senior Sebi, who is interning with us this summer and working with our upcoming exhibitions. He is probably listening to music right now while working remotely from Bethesda, MD. Name: Sebi Sola-Sole (he/him/his) Major: Art History Favorite color: Yellow when it sits next to a medium gray Favorite local business: Summit! What architecture…

Next up is rising junior Michaela Gibbons, who is doing PR and marketing for us this summer! While working from home in Guilford, CT, she listens to podcasts, such as “Schnitt Talk.” Name: Michaela Gibbons (she/her/hers) Major: Economics and Gender & Sexuality Studies Favorite color: Warm, rosy beige Favorite local business: Nothing Bundt Cakes! What…

Susan Harbage Page (American, b.1959)Bra (Brasier),from the portfolio Borders and Belonging (2011)Color inkjet print on cotton rag paper17″ x 22″Gallery Purchase This past semester I had the privilege to study under Dr. Yurika Tamura in Gender and Sexuality Studies 345: Queer Immigration and Diaspora. Through this course, we explore queer theory as it applies to…

Mikael Chukwuma Owunna, 4 Queer African Women in the Snow, 2017, Inkjet print on Kodak Pro Endura, gloss finish,24 x 36 in.Gallery Purchase Mikael Chukwuma Owunna, a Nigerian-Swedish American photographer and engineer, explores the black body and queerness and imagines new realities for marginalized identities through his art. In his first monograph published in 2019,…

Jen Ray (American, b.1970)Untitled, 2008Limited edition inkjet print23 7/8 x 31 1/2 in. Gallery Purchase Having interned in the gallery for the past four years, I’ve been a part of countless exhibitions. When I think of the most exciting exhibitions, I immediately recall Jen Ray’s Surrounded by Wolves. I remember the exhibition opening, both raucous…

Matthew Brandt (American, b. 1982)Gray’s Lake, ID 7, from Lakes and Reservoirs series, 2013Unique Chromogenic print soaked in Gray’s Lake water72″ x 105″Gift of John Andrew MacMahon, Class of 1995 As an Environmental Studies and Studio Art double major, I am drawn to Matthew Brandt’s works. Brandt’s artistic process and resulting works captivate me.  We…

Olivia Crumm (American)The World is Breathing, 2017HD videoGallery Purchase Olivia Crumm uses her camera to capture the radiance in subjects some may deem too wearisome to photograph. She was born in Westchester, New York, and received a B.A. in photography from Bard College in 2017. The artist seems to be intrigued by skin as many…

“Like the gardens which she photographs, Geesaman’s pictures are a telling metaphor for our lives as social creatures: a compound of nature and artifice in which pleasure itself becomes an instrument of control.” Chris Waddington, Art in America, October 1990 Two works (Château Freyr and Belœil, Belgium, both 2004) by prolific American photographer Lynn Geesaman…

I was immediately attracted to the vibrant colors used and the geometric composition that make up Liz Nielson’s abstract photograph, Fortune Teller. While the image is by no means symmetrical or recognizably patterned, there is a feeling of balance and centering that jumps out at me. The brightness of the background creates a sense of…

Start your week by meeting our last intern, first-year Kaikai Wang! Though we are sad to end the semester remotely, we can’t wait to see most of you in the fall. Without further ado, meet Kaikai! Home: China. Major/Minor: Undecided, maybe studio art major and econ minor. Why did you intern in the gallery?: Because…

by Isabelle Sakelaris ’19, April 2019 On Thursday February 7th, I was lucky enough to receive a tour of the President’s House from President Quillen and her husband, Dr. George McLendon. The President and her husband, avid art collectors, are also privileged to show art from the Davidson College collection on their walls, with artists…

Romare Bearden (American, 1911-1988)Evening 9:10, 461 Lenox Avenue19648 ½ x 11 in.CollageGallery Purchase Romare Bearden was a modernist artist known for making collage his primary medium and for depicting the everyday experiences of African Americans across the country. Being born in1911 next door in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bearden’s name holds a unique weight on our…

We hope you are enjoying the first weekend in May! Where I am writing this, it is currently 55 degrees and sunny, so Maine is definitely welcoming spring. Below, read our short interview with senior intern Elizabeth Miller, who brings experience with environmental studies and anthropology to her job with the Van Every / Smith!…

Listen to audio tours of campus sculpture! See photos on our Art on Campus page.

Makayla Binter is a senior Studio Art and Biology double major from Rochester, New York. Unfortunately, Makayla did not get to have her senior exhibition on campus due to COVID-19. However, we still want to ensure that Makayla gets to share her work with the Davidson community. She has kindly created this wonderful video to…

Matthew Pillsbury (French-American, b. 1973)Alli and Deirdre Lord, Christine Matheis, et al; The Bachelorette, February 4th, 20042024Platinum printGift of John MacMahon ’95 When looking through Van Every/Smith’s collection, I was immediately drawn to Matthew Pillsbury’s photograph, Alli and Deirdre Lord, Christine Matheis, et al; The Bachelorette, February 4th, 2004. I have always enjoyed platinum prints, particularly…

Meet Rebecca Pempek, Class of 2020, who has been working for the Van Every / Smith gallery for her four years at Davidson! Not only is she a dedicated representative of the gallery, but she is also a DACE fellow and an incredibly talented artist. In case you missed seeing her extraordinary exhibition in January,…

We continue our intern introductions with senior Elizabeth Young – you may recognize her from past posts she has authored about standout pieces in our collection! Hometown: Seattle, WA Major/Minor: Biology major, French & Francophone studies minor. Why did you intern in the gallery?: To get more art exposure! Working in the gallery is a…