Friday night at the University’s Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art was a scene right out of a posh New York City gallery. Waiters clad in white uniforms and black ties served delicate hors d’oeuvres while guests mingled happily, slowly making their way to the wine bar in the corner. Against the wall, a woman sat perched at the dark-oak piano playing soft, classy tunes.
The foyer inside was packed with guests before the welcoming speech of the new exhibit even began.
The traveling exhibit will be at the museum from Feb. 3 to April 22. “From the Fire: Contemporary Korean Ceramics” features 54 artists who display two pieces each. The 108 pieces fill the museum’s whole Changing Exhibition Gallery, the largest single exhibition space in the state of Oregon, at 4,000 square feet.
“Our selection is more traditional,” said the museum’s Development Director Karen Shaw. “So the contemporary (exhibit) is a real neat comparison.”
Shaw said her favorite piece is a white porcelain shirt created by Chung Hyun Cho.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s ceramics. You have to see it to believe it. It’s these intricate pieces of ceramics that she’s woven together with gold wire. When you look at it you think you’re looking at a lace shirt. It’s astounding.”
“It’s a beautiful contrast to the art that we have in our collection. It’s exciting,” said Shaw. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring folks into the museum.”
While listening to a speech by Charles Lachman, an art history professor and the University’s Curator for Asian Art, guests snacked on sushi and fruit with punch or red wine. The tables were dressed with red linen over black tablecloth, and in their centers, glass cups filled with water and black marbles served as vases for two red roses.
“We picked this because it was a contemporary show,” said Lachman. “About two thirds of it or more is really just contemporary ceramic art. Most of the things in the show if you looked at them, you would never think ‘oh this is Asian, or this is Korean.’ It’s really just international contemporary art.”
“We also picked this because ceramics are so popular in the Eugene area right now,” Lachman said, “so we really thought this would have a wide appeal.”
After Lachman’s speech, guests traveled in clusters up the white marble top stairs to the Changing Exhibition Gallery. By 7 p.m., more than 350 people had made an appearance.
Couples, students and older guests all gushed at the sight of two crowd favorites: a white porcelain bikini and the white porcelain shirt.
The three areas in the exhibit are “Individual Direction”, “Ceramic Sculpture” and “Tradition Transformed.” Pieces displayed such artistic techniques as inlaying, carving, engraving and slip casting. Enamel beads and bright colorful patterns decorated the artwork. Words like “stunning” and “refined” could be overheard as heads shook in awe and snapped back for second looks.
University junior Taylor Schefstrom attended the opening night reception because it sounded interesting. As an art major, she said she appreciated the obvious amount of time put forth by the artists.
“You can’t see how they did it, which is cool,” she said.
Schefstrom said she’d recommend the exhibit to other students.
“There’s a good range of types of art shown. It’s really contemporary. And you don’t think ‘Asian’ right away,” she said.
“It seems the artists are thinking beyond their traditions,” Schefstrom said. “Kids might stay away from it thinking it’s going to be dressed up samurais and tapestries; but it’s modern art.”
It peaked Schefstrom’s interest because it got her wondering how certain pieces were made. A good show sparks conversation, she said.
Katie Fox Hayward, a freshman art major, said it’s not often that students are able to get so many styles from different artists.
“It allows you to compare and contrast,” she said.
She said she wants to come back again when the exhibit is less crowded so she can look and move around more freely.
“But I like opening night. It has a fun vibe.”