Gallery 130 - Abstract Artwork of Michael Wille

Kylie O’Leary
Exhibit Assignment
October 3^rd, 2011

Not Exactly There – Michael Wille

At the University of Mississippi, art exhibits are shown at Meek, the school of art. The main exhibit which displays artwork is Gallery 130. Artists allow viewers to admire their artwork here, free of charge. Currently, paintings from Michael Wille’s Not Exactly There are featured at the gallery.

Geometric figures, unique shading, and abstract colors are abundant in Michael Wille’s paintings at the exhibit, Not Exactly There. Three paintings are in the front room of the gallery, while 29 are in the main room. Each canvas features a unique set of colors and a distinct style which makes them stand out from one another, while maintaining a universal and pleasing style.

This particular exhibit is somewhat different than Wille’s traditional studio. He leaves behind the referential characteristics of a location that can be noticed by an audience. For this exhibit, Wille chose a location that he was familiar with, such as South Africa, Rome, or Cleveland. While presenting abstract depictions of these cities, he invites the viewer to construct their own idea of what the picture resembles.

Viewers of the Not Exactly There exhibit are not expected to know what landmarks or features of a city are being depicted, but instead, are invited to study the artwork and to come up with their own interpretation of the picture.

The Not Exactly There paintings exhibit the landscape and architecture of specific places Wille has been. Wille hopes everyone will see each picture in a different way. He also intends for the viewer to feel like they are looking at a new or foreign place when looking at his art. Viewers are encouraged to create their own interpretations of what they see on each canvas.

The process of an artist choosing a city and exploring ways to depict it has been prevalent for nearly a decade.

Wille wants viewers of the Not Exactly There exhibit to examine his paintings in a non-objective way and to free themselves of any prior judgments of a location and how it should be portrayed through art.

In addition to his active studio practice, Wille is an Associate Professor of Art at Illinois State University in Normal, Ill. Wille also holds the title of Associate Director of the School of Art, where he teaches a wide range of courses, such as painting and drawing.

Wille received his master’s degree in painting from Bowling Green State University, and his bachelor’s degree from Millikin University. He has been included in numerous solo and group exhibitions around the country. Wille has also participated in exhibitions in Johannesburg, South Africa and Pietermaritzburg, Japan.

Wille’s paintings have been featured five times in the Midwest edition of New American Paintings, including 2010’s edition.

The Not Exactly There exhibit is at the Ole Miss Art Department as a way for students to learn more about abstract art. Students at the university are personally involved with the gallery. Assistant Professor of Art, Philip Jackson, said “Graduate students install each artist’s exhibit and de-install it. Without them, the exhibits would not be displayed.”

The exhibition has been on display to the public at the university from September 5^th to October 6^th, 2011. Viewers are eligible to hear Wille talk at the reception of his exhibit on October 6^th at 2:30 p.m.

"Not Exactly There"

These are pictures that can be found in Michael Wille's "Not Exactly There" exhibit in Meek Auditorium until Oct. 6.

Michael Wille, an abstract artist, attempts to make meaning of abstract art and engage his audience in his most recent exhibit, “Not Exactly There.”

Wille’s exhibit displays 29 perfectly lined-up square panels hanging on the walls, set up in the University of Mississippi’s Meek Auditorium, Gallery 130.

Traditionally, a lot of Wille’s past artwork consisted of painting familiar locations, such as South Africa, Rome and Cleveland, and addressing the visual architecture and landscape of his source.

Departing from his main mode of creation, Wille enters the realm of non-objective painting with the use of geometric figures, abstract concepts and designs and a multitude of colors.

By leaving behind the referential characteristics of a location, Wille leaves the interpretation of the artwork up to the audience.

Stephanie Feller, a junior education major, attended the exhibit and said the artwork left the interpretation of the paintings up to individuals by using abstract techniques.

“Since Wille didn’t give us [the audience] any big indicators of the places he was painting about, it let us use our imagination and find our own meaning of the work,” Feller said. “Using all those colors and shapes really made us think about what it meant.”

At first glance, the complex and intricate paintings look disorderly and jumbled, as they are side-by-side ghost-white walls. The white walls call more attention to the vivid abstract color schemes.

After a closer look, the varied colored and textured lines start to differentiate the multi-faceted mess. The rich and bold colors, made of acrylic, plaster, plaster dust and graphite, start to outline the shapes of geometric figures. The methodical placement of the shapes and designs, such as overlapping and crosscutting, give the paintings a three-dimensional quality.

Feller said the usage of colors and patterns made the work come to life.

“The colors were so beautiful, and the different lines made the work pop-out at you and looked 3-D,” Feller said.

The “Not Exactly There” exhibit will continue to be on public display until Oct. 6. A lecture and reception for the exhibit will also be held on Oct. 6.

UM411 - Information at your fingertips

By Sharon White

Where is the Student Union building? How can I find Bishop Hall? Is this the way to the library? Where are the bus routes for campus posted?
These are just some of the questions asked by freshmen and transfer students on Oxford campus since the beginning of the fall semester.
The state of Mississippi is experiencing an increase in enrollment at eight public universities say state College Board Officials. Enrollment for Ole Miss is up 6.5 percent, which is an increase of 1,111 students. In anticipation for the number of questions asked by new students, Ole Miss created UM411, an informational website that addresses the most frequently-asked questions about campus life.
Unlike the universal 411 numbers that only supply phone numbers and sometimes addresses, UM411 is the first of its kind to supply answers about transportation, parking, dining options, student information, services, and severe weather.
Sparky Reardon, UM dean of students, said UM411 will aid students by providing them with tools to make the transition into college life easier.
"We want to give students all of the information necessary to be successful and they succeed by having information," he said. "There is now one central location for answers. We've had students and parents to email and thank us for UM411."
It is apparent that there is more traffic on the Oxford campus with the long lines and the need for security patrol to direct students and traffic, but this is not a surprise to Jennifer Farish, associate director of external media relations at Ole Miss.
"The faculty and staff worked to increase the number of students and to make sure that there were enough dining facilities, class sections, etc., to support our growing student body," she said.
"UM411 was created to inform students about those changes and additional services. It was a joint collaboration between a number of departments on campus led by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs."
During the first week of school, students were introduced to UM411 by Brand Services, a campus marketing department.
"We distributed door hangars to dorms with the website information and Twitter hash tag prior to Move-In Day," Farish said.
"We also distributed water bottles with the website and the university Twitter account at the freshmen picnic. In addition, the site was featured in a few local media outlets and had a primary presence on the university home page."
A survey was taken to find out if freshmen are utilizing the website. Many students commented that they were not aware of UM411. Nyisha Harris, a UM freshman forensic chemistry major, did not know such a site existed.
"I've never heard of UM411, but I will take a look at it as soon as I leave class," Harris said.
Ken Faulkner, a UM freshman broadcast journalism major, said it was a good idea to have one place to go for information, and he plans to use it.
"Great idea and it saves time," he said. "It is better than going from website to website."
UM411 can be found at www.olemiss.edu/um411.

"Starbucks Bringing More Than Just Coffee"

When it comes to being a student, there are a few vital necessities to get through college- coffee is no. 1.
A newly added Starbucks opens Sept. 19, on the second floor of the J.D. Williams library, fulfilling Ole Miss students’ daily caffeine quota. Starbucks is replacing Java City and was funded by ARAMARK Educational Services, Inc.
Joshua Halliday, Ole Miss marketing programs manager, said Java City was replaced due to changing customer demands.
“Ole Miss Dining, in partnership with The University of Mississippi, is always looking for new ways to enhance and improve our dining program,” Halliday said. “Last academic year, Ole Miss Dining conducted a semester long market research project, evaluating the services that we offer the University to address changing customer demands, as well as evaluating under serviced parts of campus.”
Ole Miss Campus Dish said Starbucks will feature a full service menu. They also said students will be able to find all of the items featured in any Starbucks location in the country, ranging from coffee and frozen beverages to pastry shop treats.
Latrice Fox, a student librarian worker, said she thinks Starbucks will do a lot better than Java City, especially because of Starbucks’ variety.
“I feel that it’ll bring in a lot more money than Java City because it offers a lot more food than Java City did and probably a lot better food and a lot more diverse coffee,” Fox said.
Ryan Johnson, head of information services and associate professor said Starbucks will be a positive addition in the library.
“It’s going to expand the service that was already there, the Java City just bigger. It will probably have broader options, that way it will be a plus for everybody,” Johnson said.
Halliday said he thinks the Starbucks also will be a beneficial change in dining options.
“Since our market research was the driving force behind this decision, I am confident that ‘yes,’ it will be a positive addition that will better accommodate our growing and changing student population,” he said.
With the influx of students and the demand for coffee, Johnson said Starbucks could potentially add additional noise to that area of the library.
“That portion of the library up there will probably get louder, with more noise in the back room, more noise in the Starbucks area, and we’ll end up with more noise up there,” Johnson said. “The nature of what will happen up there will be less individual study and more group study.”
Noelle Ludlum, a UM accounting junior, said she thinks there needs to be more work done to update UM, before adding a new Starbucks.
“The campus could use a lot more things before adding a Starbucks,” she said. “A lot of the buildings need updating, as simple as air conditioning, or more parking so we don’t always get tickets,” Ludlum said.
Fox agrees that the limited parking space needs to be fixed before smaller projects are taken on.
“I’ve been saying this since I’ve been here, we need more parking and not all these random businesses, but I guess all these small businesses will eventually give money to help pay for the bigger things, like getting more parking.”
Halliday said there are other benefits to implementing Starbucks.
“The expanded offerings will also help allow students studying to stay in the library when needed without having to leave for drinks and food,” Halliday said. “The expanded Starbucks location has also added an additional 60 plus seats for student groups to gather and work together on projects.”

Faulkner's Geographies: A Photographic Journey

Alex Edwards

Journalism 271

Faulkner’s Geographies: A Photographic Journey

Winding through the Ancient Greek pottery and the astronomic equipment, the University of Mississippi Museum opens to reveal Faulkner’s Geographies: A Photographic Journey.

Faulkner’s Geographies showcases the world in which William Faulkner lived and many experiences throughout his life. The photos printed do not show an elegant or extravagant life, but rather the simple environment of Northern Mississippi and times spent at Rowan Oak.

“I enjoyed the Faulkner’s Geographies exhibit because it worked as an interesting time capsule for Oxford and the surrounding areas,” said Robert (Loren) Newsom, an undeclared sophomore.

The exhibit’s presentation is simple, as most of the photographs are black and white. The use of white walls against the black and white photos creates contrast and emits at stark clean feel. The simple appearance helps keep the focus on the photographs rather then the surrounding museum.

Museum hours and costs to view Faulkner’s Geographies, A Photographic Journey can be found at www.museum.olemiss.edu.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

As Cliché as this might sound, David Zurick would concur, finding no better way to illustrate what constitutes “the South” than through a series of photographs. These photographs range from a giraffe standing tall amidst a bundle of trees, to an open corn field where an onlooker can almost feel the corn swaying with the slightest breeze.

Zurick, a photographer, geographer, professor at Eastern Kentucky University and recipient of the “National Outdoor Book Award” first sought to explore the south in 1996. He was curious as to why the south was seen “apart from the rest of America” and to some “as a place that is losing its identity.”

He found the regions “southernness” most intriguing and through his images Zurick stresses the idea that there isn’t just one south but in fact many. Zurick says his images sought to convey “an outsider’s geographical perspective on southerners.”

While Zurick’s images are each unique and each present different descriptive and opinionated captions, all are similar in the fact that they are captured in black and white.

When Ole Miss Center for American Places director, George Thompson first saw Zurick’s photographs he approached Southern Studies director David Warden about asking Zurick for approval to display his images here at Ole Miss. Zurick, although in Nepal for the remainder of the year, agreed. An exhibit was then established.

Zurick’s exhibit entitled, “Southern Crossings Where Geography & Photography Meet” is open to the public from now until October 14^th in the Barnard Observatory. Mary Hartwell Howorth of the Department of Southern Studies says the exhibit is special and, “people should come to the exhibit because of curiosity and an interest to learn about other views people have of the South. They are iconic photographs of places in the South and I like it.”

Not Exactly There

Emily Quatman

10/3/11

Not Exactly There

Elements of abstract color, geometrical shapes, and eye-catching designs are depicted in Michael Willie’s exhibit, Not Exactly There. The art gallery, located in Meek Hall at The University of Mississippi, is currently filled with a total of 32 of Willie’s works of art.

This particular exhibit is somewhat different from what Willie is typically known for exhibiting to the public. For this exhibit, however, Willie chose a location that he was somewhat familiar with, such as South Africa, Rome, or Cleveland, to use as inspiration for how his paintings were presented.

These paintings depict the architecture and landscapes from those locations, which Willie painted in a very abstract, metaphysical way. Willie’s hope for the viewers of this exhibit is that they feel that they are in a new environment.

Viewers of the Not Exactly There exhibit are not supposed to recognize any features or characteristics of a city or location that Willie chose to depict in these paintings, but rather study it and experience it for their own interpretation of the art work.

In this exhibit, Willie wanted his viewers to see his paintings in a non-objective way and free themselves of any prior judgments of how a location should be exposed and displayed on a canvas.

Aside from hosting art exhibits throughout the country, Willie is an Associate Professor of Art at Illinois State University in Normal, Ill. Willie also holds the title of Associate Director of the School of Art, where he teaches a wide variety of painting and drawing courses.

Willie received his MFA degree in painting from Bowling Green State University and his BFA from Millikin University. Willie has been included in countless solo and group exhibits throughout the country, as well as in galleries in Japan and South Africa.

Willie’s works of art have also been featured five times in the Midwest edition of New American Paintings, most recently seen in the 2010 edition.

The Not Exactly There exhibit came to The University of Mississippi Department of Art as a way for art students, and students of various areas of study, to broaden their horizons in the art world and become more aware of the use of abstract art presented on canvas.

This exhibit also gives art students a glimpse into the use of acrylics, graphite, plaster, and plaster dust, which are utilized in many of Willie’s paintings.

The exhibit contains three paintings in the front room of the art gallery and 29 paintings in the main room. Each painting is displayed on square canvases and exhibits a large variety of colors.

Senior Secretary of the Art Office, Dustin Harris said, “The exhibit was commissioned and coordinated by Durant Thompson and Philip Jackson (assistant professors). It has been on display since Sept. 5^th and will run until Oct. 6^th, which is when a reception for the exhibit will be held.”