www.artfagcity.com: As of last week Carnegie Mellon University effectively has no contemporary art gallery. Astria Suparak, director and curator of the Miller Gallery, the university’s one contemporary art space, was terminated at the close of the winter break. Without a curator and director, the College of Fine Arts plans to transform the gallery into a “combined gallery, teaching and research space,” with programming led by what’s being called a “faculty leadership committee,” chaired by Franco Sciannameo, Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary Initiatives and Professor of Film Musicology.
2 comments:
I am not at all surprised that there has been backlash following CMU's actions towards the Miller Gallery curator. I have heard similar backlash from CFA students at CMU. From what all of these highly respected curators and fine arts professionals, along with the students, have to say, I simply do not understand the University's actions. I think that while it is important to have a space to showcase student work and have a space that facilitates learning and experimentation, it was not necessary to terminate the Miller Gallery curator and essentially everything the Miller Gallery has become under her leadership. The Miller Gallery was a place where students could go to experience art that was not conventional, and that very art in many cases could have inspired them to push their own conventions further. It will be interesting to see what the University has in store for the Miller Gallery in the future.
I think all of this is a statement to the sheltered and closed-off nature of CMU students. Every student that I have talked to has only had positive feedback for the Miller gallery, but in the scope of the rest of the university that is only a fraction of the entire population. I dont think there is any argument that the Miller gallery is a powerful and successful gallery, but SADLY no one goes to it. Overall, the problem is not that the gallery is unsuccessful, it is that CMU students are unsuccessful at engaging in activities outside of their major. I am very sad to see the gallery go especially since we have plenty of critique space as it is.
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