04/05/11

Story by Stevie Greco, administrative assistant, Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

Visiting Artists' Presentations

Portrait of May Tveit, photo by EG Schempf

Portrait of Steve Gorman working in his studio, Independence, Mo., photo by EG Schempf

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College continues its popular program, Third Thursday · Visiting Artists' Presentations, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. April 21 in the museum's Hudson Auditorium with special guest artists Steve Gorman and May Tveit and moderators Amy Kephart (JCCC adjunct associate professor, fine arts) and others. The program is free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are required.

Steve Gorman utilizes white earthenware and ceramic stain to sculpt works which reference plant life, animal and human forms, and even elements of fashion. In doing so, he reveals his obsession with nature, rendering it in fantastic forms and hyper colors. He re-structures the natural world, creating pieces which allude to genetic engineering and hybridization. Informed by the Surrealist and Modernist movements in art, Gorman's works also share an affinity with early film animation. And, like cartoons, his exaggerated figures can evoke humor or apprehension. His forms are equally fanciful and grotesque or sensuous and sinister.

"I strive to enhance the illusion of animation to lend a heightened physical presence to my work," Gorman said.

Recently retired from a 25-year teaching career with the North Kansas City and Centerview school districts, Gorman received his BA and MA from the University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, studying additionally at the Philadelphia University of the Arts. His work is the subject of Reanimate ∙ Steve Gorman, a solo exhibition at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, on view until May 8.

May Tveit makes site-specific sculptures, installations and public artworks. Having studied, worked and taught internationally, Tveit puts issues of corporate globalization, capitalism and consumption at the forefront of her practice. Tveit infuses her work with whimsy and playfulness, a tactic that serves as a seductive entry to its critical underpinnings. Often creating immersive installations, the artist embeds her objects and structures with politically driven concepts.

"I strive to create art experiences that are thought provoking and critically relevant to our times," Tveit said.

Visually, Tveit's pieces employ diverse materials such as color-coated plastic hay bales; life-size dialogue bubbles; and red, white and blue jumbo balloons. A graduate of Domus Academy in Milan, Italy, and the Rhode Island School of Design, Tveit was the recipient of a Charlotte Street Foundation Fellowship, American Institute of Architects Allied Arts & Craftsmanship Award, ArtsKC Inspiration Grant, University of Kansas Research Grant and Hall Center for Humanities Creative Work Fellowship. In 2010, she received an Andy Warhol Foundation/Charlotte Street Foundation Rocket Grant and, that same year, she was selected to participate in the Art OMI International Artist Residency. Her work is represented in numerous corporate and private collections.

The next Third Thursday program is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 15. These free programs feature two artists working within the KC region, with each artist giving a 20-minute presentation followed by discussion in the museum's Hudson Auditorium. Museum staff facilitates conversation and audience participation by pairing each artist with a JCCC faculty moderator. Third Thursday programs promote student interface with area artists.

The Nerman Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. The museum is closed Mondays and all JCCC holidays. For more information, call 913-469-3000 or visit www.jccc.edu/museum. Admission and parking are free.

Third Thursday programs are supported in part by an Ovation Grant from the ArtsKC Fund of the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City.

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