Selected Works by Bethany Krull opens season at Meadows Museum Aug 21

SHREVEPORT, La. (Centenary News Service) — The exhibition "Bethany Krull, Selected Works from the Series 'Dominance and Affection', 'Signal' and 'In Servitude'", opens the season at the Meadows Museum of Art at Centenary College of Louisiana. The exhibit begins August 21 and runs through November 6.

Bethany Krull

The exhibition features works by emerging artist Bethany Krull who has developed an impressive resume that includes residencies and exhibitions at a variety of museums and arts institutions. Many of the organizations with which Krull has previously exhibited have added her works to their permanent collections. Krull currently serves as ceramics instructor at Goggleworks in Reading, Pa., where she produces and teaches.

Works on view in the Meadows Museum of Art exhibition come primarily from the three series Dominance and Affection, Signal and In Servitude. The objects on view are created in both porcelain and cast bronze with other materials used for staging. In all three of her series, Krull expresses interest in the ways in which humans relate to and interact with nature.

Surrogate from "Dominance and Affection"

"My work is inspired by my exploration of the intricacies and complexities that exist within the relationship between our species and the rest of the natural world," Krull said, who holds a master of fine arts from the School for American Crafts in Rochester, N.Y.

In the series Dominance and Affection, Krull deals with relationships that exist between man and domesticated animals, more specifically pets. Krull states, "It seems as though, today, the most intimate connection we have with nature is with those animals we have singled out and chosen to keep as companions," she added. "The intense love and affection we feel towards these creatures does not erase the fact that the success of the relationship lies in our complete domination over all aspects of their existence."

Krull has sculpted cats adorned with diamond collars, gerbils in apartment towers, and insect death-matches within miniature, elegantly-crafted boxing rings to illustrate her point. However revered or well taken care of, the success of the relationships between man and these creatures lies in man's complete domination over all aspects of their existence, regardless of outcome.

The series In Servitude echoes man's quest for domination and control. Here, Krull uses porcelain to turn insects and small creatures into service animals by strapping exquisitely crafted containers equal to their size on their backs. The plight of these creatures is rendered inconsequential relative to task and man's thoughtlessness amplified by the miniscule size and fragility of the creatures under burden. The porcelain medium in which Krull creates her sculptures emphasizes this fragility and serves as metaphor for the fragility of nature itself.

In an installation entitled "Swarm" from the series Signal, bronze cicadas crawl up a porcelain tree trunk to depict natural reactions to environmental crisis. Other large mixed media installations and sculptures entitled "Gerbiwheel, Game and Awaiting" are also on view.

To complement Krull's works, Centenary College Professor of Biology Dr. Ed Leuck has loaned a collection of floral specimens to be mounted in the museum's upstairs gallery in an exhibition entitled "Species in Crisis: Endangered Flora." Included are 18 endangered specimens collected over a 30-year period by Dr. Leuck and Centenary College students.

As part of public programming for these exhibitions, Bethany Krull will visit Shreveport to participate in a Centenary College convocation and a public gallery talk.

A special members' reception for Bethany Krull and Dr. Ed Leuck will be hosted by the Friends of the Algur Meadows Museum in the Meadows Museum of Art galleries on Saturday, September 17, from 5:30 — 7 p.m.

Exhibition Calendar

Thursday, September 15: Meaning and Import: Messages in the Series 'Dominance and Affection', 'Signal', and 'In Servitude, Centenary College of Louisiana convocation with Bethany Krull, featured artist, in the museum galleries 11:10 a.m. — noon

Saturday, September 17: Members' reception for Bethany Krull and Dr. Ed Leuck, 5:30 — 7 p.m. in the museum galleries; heavy hors d'oeuvres

Sunday, September 18: Community gallery talk entitled The History and Impetus behind the Work with Bethany Krull, 2 — 3 p.m. in the museum galleries; light refreshments

Sunday, September 25: Lecture entitled Species in Crisis: Endangered Flora with Dr. Ed Leuck, 2 — 3 p.m. in the museum galleries; light refreshments

Sunday, October 9: Lecture entitled Monarchs, Milkweeds, and Migration: Endangered Biological Phenomena with Dr. Beth Leuck, 2 — 3 p.m. in the museum galleries; light refreshments

Sunday, October 23: Community discussion with Dr. Stacy Alaimo and booksigning to follow; 2 - 3 p.m. in the museum galleries; light refreshments

Thursday, October 27, with an additional book-signing on Friday, October 28: What's Love Got to Do with It?: Dominance, Affection, and Ethical Provocation in the Art of Bethany Krull, Centenary College of Louisiana convocation with Dr. Stacy Alaimo, Professor of English, Distinguished Teaching Professor, University of Texas at Arlington, in the museum galleries 11:10 a.m. — noon

For more information about this exhibition and calendar of events, call the Meadows Museum of Art at Centenary College of Louisiana at 318.869.5040.

The Meadows Museum of Art is located on the campus of Centenary College of Louisiana at 2911 Centenary Boulevard in Shreveport. The Museum is open to the general public from noon until 4 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; from noon until 5 pm on Thursday; and from 1 until 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday. The Museum is closed on Monday. Admission to the Museum is free and open to the community. For additional information, call the Museum Business Office at 318.869.5040 or 318.869.5169.