Threads through time
60 years of art at Charlotte
When he first began to research the history of UNC Charlotte's art department, the thing that struck Professor of Art History Jim Frakes the hardest was not what he found, but what had been lost. In the ephemeral digital world, links on websites and online articles often led to “page not found.” Even more distressing, people had passed away, taking their stories with them.
“It was a real shock about institutional memory and how fragile it is,” he said. “We really were allowing our history to disappear.”
That realization added urgency to his research, and he committed to documenting the Department of Art & Art History, past and present, in time for its 60th anniversary celebration this fall.
That was five years ago, and while isolated during the pandemic, Frakes found extra energy for the project.
“It was satisfying because it was about connection,” he said. He began calling retired faculty, gathering tales and following threads that led to alumni and archives and more conversations.
“That just created a textile, and it kept getting denser and denser.”
Frakes has spun, woven and stitched the many strands of his research into a rich celebratory fabric that includes facts and stories, exhibitions, and opportunities for the art department “family” to come together in recognition of the department’s accomplishments and contributions to our city’s cultural landscape. His book about the department is forthcoming.
In the meantime, here is a tapestry of resources that brings vividness to this vital history.
Textile by Professor Emerita Edwina Bringle, Mint Museum Collection
“Visual culture is just incredibly fundamental to all forms of culture. It is a primary way that humans everywhere encounter ideas, mutate ideas, create new ideas. I think it's super important for the university to really envision ways to remember this history, so that its current and future ability to deliver this kind of intellectual conversation about visual culture is sustained.”
-Professor of Art History Jim Frakes
‘Generations' at The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Department of Art & Art History, the Projective Eye Gallery presents an exhibition of exemplary work by departmental alumni and legacy faculty. On view through Feb. 7, the exhibition features work by Eric Anderson, Susan Brenner, Edwina Bringle, Keith Bryant, Sara Catapano, Ann Carter, Jen Clay, Lili Corbus, Alexandra Giannell, John Hairston, Adé Hogue, Heather Hoover, Eldred Hudson, Susan Jedzrejewski, Jason Losko, Nadia Meadows, Carmen Neely, Martha Strawn and Winston Tite.
‘60 Years' at The Mint Museum Uptown
The Mint Museum’s permanent collection has extensive holdings of UNC Charlotte alumni and faculty, a selection of which is highlighted in this exhibition uptown. This celebratory exhibition features artwork by T.J. Reddy, Marianne Lieberman, Maud Gatewood, Rod McKillop, Richard Stenhouse, Edwina Bringle, Tom Mason, Roy Strassberg, David Brodeur and Maja Godlewska.