Art and music collide at First Thursday events
Eve Drewelowe, American (1899-1988), The Tetons—Wyoming, 1936, oil paint on canvas, 32 x 38 inches composition, Gift of Mary Rogers Thoms, CU Art Museum, 鶹Ƶ, 85.1744, Photo: Jeff Wells, © CU Art Museum, 鶹Ƶ.
On the first Thursday of each month, the CU Art Museum on the Boulder campus explodes with a symbiosis of visual and auditory treats.
Inside the free event, art exhibits are paired with a specially curated playlist of music, prepared by a creative team from CU Boulder’s student-run, independent Radio 1190. The music is inspired by the exhibition and conversations with the artists, and also includes original music by the station’s community members.
"Radio 1190 staff meets with the museum and the artists to work ideas, messages and narrative into a music mix that drives the event, gives life to the art and a vibe to the people attending," said Mikey Goldenberg, Radio 1190 general manager. "It's unlike any other event on campus."
The next First Thursday happens Dec. 1 from 5 to 7 p.m., where visitors will be treated to Radio 1190's musical interpretation of the Pioneers: Women Artists in Boulder, 1898-1950 exhibition. The exhibition celebrates the artistic contributions of Colorado women, who were the drivers of cultural life in the first half of the 20th century, and provides a case study into the ways women contributed to the development of American art.
This Thursday also marks the opening of a Bachelor of Fine Arts exhibit, featuring art produced by fine art students graduating in December. It features a collision of past pioneer artists with the student’s art of the future, says Jeremy Blair, the museum’s public engagement curator.
“We’re expecting a really nice dialogue between the history and past of Boulder arts with the present and future of Boulder arts,” he said.
Muriel Sibell Wolle, American (1898-1977), Potosi Mine Office, 1944, graphite on paper, 11 7/8 x 15 13/16 inches, Transfer from Chancellor’s Office, CU Art Museum, 鶹Ƶ, 88.08.01. Photo: Kerry Doran, © CU Art Museum, 鶹Ƶ
First Thursdays began in September, and the event is mutually beneficial to Radio 1190 and the museum, Blair says. It allows the radio station to play to a new audience, while introducing art museum visitors to Radio 1190. It also brings in a diverse population from outside the campus as well as the family, friends and students of artists, including many who had never visited the museum.
The artists in this Thursday’s exhibit include Eve Drewelowe, Gwen Meux, Muriel Sibell Wolle, and Virginia True, among others. The exhibit was curated by Kirk Ambrose, professor of art history, chair of the Department of Art and Art History, and Stephen V. Martonis of the CU Art Museum. The exhibition is supported by CU Boulder’s student arts and cultural enrichment fees, and CU Art Museum members.
“We’re looking to make First Thursday a part of the fabric of the campus,” Blair said.