A grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts will fund three major exhibitions at University Galleries at Illinois State University through the fall of 2016. The $99,000 grant – the second Warhol Foundation grant received by University Galleries – will support the work of up-and-coming artists and a survey of video works by acclaimed artist and Illinois State alumnus Terry Adkins.
“The grant from the Warhol Foundation will allow us to present exciting and thought-provoking contemporary artwork to the community in the most optimal way possible,” said University Galleries Director Barry Blinderman. “University Galleries’ new space in Uptown Normal is particularly well-suited for the exhibitions we have planned, which include a great many photographs and video works. The grant is also very significant for the artists involved because of the support and exposure this substantial funding provides for them.”
This fall, the grant will support the first comprehensive presentation of works by artist Carrie Schneider, including approximately 50 photographs, nine videos, and the premiere of a 16mm film. The first ever survey of video works by the late Terry Adkins will fill the gallery spaces during the spring of 2016. Adkins, who received a master’s degree from Illinois State, was a multi-media artist and musician whose works encompassed sculpture, performance, sound, printmaking, photography, and video. An exhibition of works by emerging and established women artists inspired by the works of women authors will be on display in the fall of 2016. Several of the featured artists will be commissioned to create new works and present lectures or performances in conjunction with that exhibition.
Another important component of the grant-supported exhibitions will be the creation of three exhibition catalogs with photographs of the featured artwork, original poetry, essays by prominent scholars, and interviews with the artists.“The Warhol Foundation is dedicated to providing pivotal opportunities for artists,” said University Galleries Senior Curator Kendra Paitz. “This grant allows us to commission new works from several artists and to provide them with publications that will both contextualize and expand the reach of their work.”
The highly competitive Warhol Foundation grants are given to museums and cultural organizations that directly or indirectly support artists and their work. The Foundation supports work that is often challenging and experimental in nature and encourages new scholarship in the field of contemporary art. University Galleries received a $75,000 Warhol Foundation grant in 2012. More information on the Warhol Foundation can be found online.
