Thorne Showcases Keene State Perspectives
Keene State College’s Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery Showcases Exhibit Featuring Student, Faculty, and Staff Perspectives
Exhibit Available Online for Public and Classroom Use
Keene State College’s Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery is now displaying newly curated objects as part of an exhibit that explores object-based learning, which is learning by visually analyzing objects to help reveal the context in which the object was made. Keene State College students, faculty, and staff are guest curators for this exhibit by selecting an object to analyze from their own perspective – the objects include historical artifacts and art.
“We are now displaying new objects in this exhibit that share people’s experiences, feelings, and thoughts. It also explores an active form of learning, which is a valuable teaching tool at Keene State,” said Maureen Ahern, director of Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery at Keene State College. “Object-based learning is an effective tool that can take place outside of the classroom, gallery, or museum, and can be done at any time with objects from everyday life. My sincerest thanks to those from Keene State who offered their time and thoughts for this exhibit.”
One object on display is Rockwell Kent’s lithograph “And Women Must Weep” (1937). According to Spanish professor Lisa Renee DiGiovanni, it “draws us in, powerfully, to a reflection on anguish. A woman is rendered in black and white, standing barefoot at the center, with her head sinking into her hand. Her long and lean figure, callous feet, and simple, draping frock suggest poverty. She weeps, like so many women have wept, alone. She stands in the foreground, and a man in the background, behind a picket fence. He carries a rifle, a backpack and a flag, indicating departure for war. Standing in front of the piece in silence, I was moved and began to ponder the cultural context within which this painting might be situated.”
Rodney Obien, Keene State professor and Archivist, selected three pieces by Francisco de Goya. “Represented in the exhibition are prints from Goya’s three most famous etching series: “Los Caprichos” (The Caprices), “Los Desastres de la Guerra” (The Disasters of War), and “La Tauromaquia” (Bullfighting). These prints embody the core questions being asked in this exhibition: How does the artist’s culture affect the creation of their artwork? Can art continue to inform about the human condition beyond specific culture or time it was produced? How does the artwork in exhibition express culture?,” said Obien.
More information about the exhibit is available online.
About Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery
Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery began its collaboration with Keene, surrounding communities and Keene State College when it opened in 1965. The Thorne’s mission is to equally serve all constituencies by presenting high quality exhibits for education and appreciation. The Thorne collection has two focuses: One focus is collecting and preserving artwork by artists from the 19th century Dublin Art Colony as a heritage for the people of the Monadnock region. The second focus is collecting work of high aesthetic and educational value to enhance the teaching of Keene State College faculty, and for the enjoyment of students and all visitors to the Thorne. More information about the Thorne can be found online.
