Williamson Gallery, Scripps College

See you this Friday at the RCWG and congratulations to senior art majors Sarah Teske, Ella Lehavi, Ella Skinner, Natasha Sethia, Dahlia Wang, Ruth Mueller, Nicole McDermott, Kendall Fosse, Avery White, and Izzy Kramer!

It’s Scripps College’s Day of Giving!

Established in honor of our former Gabrielle Jungels-Winker Director, Mary Davis MacNaughton, the MacNaughton Endowment safeguards her legacy of education and service to Scripps students by providing crucial ongoing support for the Williamson Gallery. Your donation directly contributes to exhibitions, programs, publications, special projects, and collections, arts-based teaching and learning, and internships.

Click the link in bio to donate today!

For more than thirty years, the Williamson Gallery has enriched the student experience at Scripps by presenting free art exhibitions and related programs, facilitating hands-on access to more than 15,000 artworks, and offering internships that provide invaluable experience in curation, collections management, and art conservation.

Click the link in bio to donate to our Day of Giving campaign!

Support the RCWG on Day of Giving this Wednesday, March 20!

Thanks to an anonymous donor, your donation will be matched 1:1 up to $2,000! Click the link in bio and scroll down to select “Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery: Mary Davis MacNaughton Endowment” from the list of designations.

Artfully yours,
the RCWG team

79th Ceramic Annual Lecture, Conversation, Performance

Conversation with Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander and Jasmine Baetz

6 p.m. Thursday, March 28

Balch Auditorium

Reception and Poetry Reading by Lynne Thompson

7 p.m. Thursday, March 28

Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery

Scripps Presents, in collaboration with the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, is excited to celebrate the 79th Scripps College Ceramic Annual, the longest continuous exhibition of contemporary ceramics in the United States.

Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander, Robert M. and Ruth L. Halperin Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art and co-director of the Asian American Art Initiative at Stanford University’s Cantor Arts Center, will speak about the embodied possibilities of clay and its simultaneously overt and elusive relationship to race. A conversation between Alexander and Scripps College Lincoln Visiting Artist in Ceramics Jasmine Baetz will follow.

Audience members will then be invited to view the 79th Ceramic Annual, The Idea of Feeling Brown, during a reception at the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery. Curated by Jasmine Baetz, the exhibition features thirteen artists from the United States and Canada whose work engages with the writing of q***r performance theorist José Esteban Muñoz. The reception will also feature Lynne Thompson, former Poet Laureate of Los Angeles and Chair of the Board of Trustees at Scripps College, reading new work from her forthcoming book Blue on a Blue Palette: Poems.

Register for this free event at the link in our bio.

Artist Talk & Exhibition Sneak Preview with Habiba El-Sayed

Friday, January 26
4–5 pm | Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery
251 E 11th St. in Claremont

Focused on the themes of human fragility, empathy, and perception, Habiba El-Sayed parallels mythology with contemporary experience to re-imagine historical references using a combination of both old and new technologies. Get a sneak preview of the 79th Ceramic Annual and learn more about the artist’s work. Supported by the O’Brien Lecture Funds.

The Scripps College Ceramic Annual, the longest continuous exhibition of contemporary ceramics in the nation, enters its 79th year! Curated by Jasmine Baetz, Lincoln Visiting Artist in Ceramics at Scripps, the exhibition features new and recent ceramic works by 13 artists from the United States and Canada

Artist Talk and Exhibition Sneak Preview with Magdolene Dykstra

Today! | 4–5 pm
Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery
251 E 11th St. in Claremont

Using sculpture, installation, and mark-making, Magdolene Dykstra explores the tensions between individuality and collectivity, visibility and anonymity, impermanence and transformation. Get a sneak preview of the Ceramic Annual and learn more about the artist’s work. Supported by the Harper Lecture Funds.

📷: Courtesy of

Make a Community Quilt for World AIDS Day

Contribute to a community work of art and commemorate World AIDS Day 2023 with Denison Library and the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery. Drop by Denison Library to view works of art about the AIDS epidemic and decorate a fabric square for the Q***r Resource Center World AIDS Day Quilt. The Quilt will memorialize multiple pandemics that have affected LGBTQ+ people, including AIDS, Mpox, and COVID-19.

Thursday, November 30, 1-4 pm
Holbein Room, Denison Library

Co-sponsors: Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Denison Library, QRC, AARC, OBSA, CLSA, OEID, Benton Museum of Art, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department at Scripps College, Pitzer College Student Life, and HMC DSA

Image (detail):

Kim Abeles
HIV/AIDS Tarot, 1992
Ink on paper
5 3/4 x 22 3/4 in.
Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery
Gift of Naomi Sawelson Gorse in honor of Sheila Pinkel
2019.11.2

This Giving Tuesday, support the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery in our fundraising challenge! An anonymous donor has pledged $1500 to the Gallery if 15 others donate before the end of Giving Tuesday. Your gift allows us to offer free exhibitions and programs, care for our collections, and artfully inspire the next generation. Head to the link in bio to help us out!

Friends of the Williamson Gallery Emma Dubery ‘19 and Jennifer Caballero ’87 share the value of a Scripps education, and why they’re excited to give back (links in stories).

This Giving Tuesday, support the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery in our fundraising challenge! An anonymous donor has pledged $1500 to the Gallery if 15 others donate before the end of Giving Tuesday. Your gift allows us to offer free exhibitions and programs, care for our collections, and artfully inspire the next generation. Head to the link in bio to help us out!

Thank you for supporting our work!

Q***r-ish: Photography and the LGBTQ+ Imaginary (October 28–December 15, 2023)

Opening Reception
Saturday, October 28
5–7 PM

“Shaping the Q***r Imaginary”
Gallery Talk + Tour with Professor Ken Gonzales-Day 
Wednesday, November 8
4 PM

All Gallery programming is free and open to the public.

Curated by interdisciplinary artist and Scripps College Fletcher Jones Chair in Art Ken Gonzales-Day, Q***r-ish showcases almost 100 historic vernacular photographs highlighting moments of same-sex affection alongside almost 40 contemporary photographs by LGBTQ+ artists. These images encourage viewers to consider the link between photography, representation, and LGBTQ+ communities, as well as the role of the photograph in shaping notions of q***r identity.

 
Image:
Two women smoking, n.d.
Gelatin silver print
Collection of Ken Gonzales-Day

“Art is not a luxury as many people think – it is a necessity. It documents history – it helps educate people and stores knowledge for generations to come.”
-Dr. Samella Lewis

Gettin’ It Done: A Selection of Work by Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Betye Saar, Emma Amos, Alison Saar, Letitia Huckaby, LaToya Hobbs, and Kenturah Davis (Aug. 26 – Oct. 15)

“Through her art, her teaching, her writing, and her advocacy, Samella Lewis profoundly impacted not only Scripps College, but the entire fields of art and art history. This exhibition not only celebrates her life, but explores the themes that animated her work, particularly the realities of Black life in the United States during the twentieth century,” said Erin M. Curtis, Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Director of the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery.

“The work in the exhibition expresses humanity and hope, while shedding light on the complexities of Black women’s experiences,” said Curtis. “Mentorship is a key theme in the exhibition: Elizabeth Catlett taught Samella Lewis at Dillard University, and Samella Lewis mentored Alison Saar at Scripps College. ‘Gettin’ It Done’ is imbued with Dr. Lewis’ creative force and singular vision.”

Gallery hours: Wed. through Sun. | 12 – 4 pm

Images 1-9: installation photos featuring a self-portrait by Samella Lewis, and work by Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Betye Saar, Emma Amos, Alison Saar, Letitia Huckaby, LaToya Hobbs, and Kenturah Davis.

“Art is not a luxury as many people think – it is a necessity. It documents history – it helps educate people and stores knowledge for generations to come.”
-Dr. Samella Lewis

Gettin’ It Done: A Selection of Work by Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Betye Saar, Emma Amos, Alison Saar, Letitia Huckaby, LaToya Hobbs, and Kenturah Davis (Aug. 26 – Oct. 15)

“Through her art, her teaching, her writing, and her advocacy, Samella Lewis profoundly impacted not only Scripps College, but the entire fields of art and art history. This exhibition not only celebrates her life, but explores the themes that animated her work, particularly the realities of Black life in the United States during the twentieth century,” said Erin M. Curtis, Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Director of the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery.

“The work in the exhibition expresses humanity and hope, while shedding light on the complexities of Black women’s experiences,” said Curtis. “Mentorship is a key theme in the exhibition: Elizabeth Catlett taught Samella Lewis at Dillard University, and Samella Lewis mentored Alison Saar at Scripps College. ‘Gettin’ It Done’ is imbued with Dr. Lewis’ creative force and singular vision.”

Gallery hours: Wed. through Sun. | 12 – 4 pm

Images 1-9: installation photos featuring a self-portrait by Samella Lewis, and work by Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Betye Saar, Emma Amos, Alison Saar, Letitia Huckaby, LaToya Hobbs, and Kenturah Davis.

“Art is not a luxury as many people think – it is a necessity. It documents history – it helps educate people and stores knowledge for generations to come.”
-Dr. Samella Lewis

Gettin’ It Done: A Selection of Work by Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Betye Saar, Emma Amos, Alison Saar, Letitia Huckaby, LaToya Hobbs, and Kenturah Davis (Aug. 26 – Oct. 15)
“Through her art, her teaching, her writing, and her advocacy, Samella Lewis profoundly impacted not only Scripps College, but the entire fields of art and art history. This exhibition not only celebrates her life, but explores the themes that animated her work, particularly the realities of Black life in the United States during the twentieth century,” said Erin M. Curtis, Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Director of the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery.

“The work in the exhibition expresses humanity and hope, while shedding light on the complexities of Black women’s experiences,” said Curtis. “Mentorship is a key theme in the exhibition: Elizabeth Catlett taught Samella Lewis at Dillard University, and Samella Lewis mentored Alison Saar at Scripps College. ‘Gettin’ It Done’ is imbued with Dr. Lewis’ creative force and singular vision.”

Gallery hours: Wed. through Sun. | 12 – 4 pm

Images 1-9: installation photos featuring a self-portrait by Samella Lewis, and work by Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Betye Saar, Emma Amos, Alison Saar, Letitia Huckaby, LaToya Hobbs, and Kenturah Davis.

Happy Fall & Autumn Equinox!

Come visit this print and other pieces showcasing the power of visionary Black art spanning three generations in the exhibition “Gettin’ It Done: A Selection of Work by Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Betye Saar, Emma Amos, Alison Saar, Letitia Huckaby, LaToya Hobbs, and Kenturah Davis.

🍁On display in the RCWG until October 15
⏰New hours! 12-4 PM | Wed. through Sun.
🖼️ Join us during your lunch break!


Image:
ALISON SAAR (b. 1956)
Fall, 24/25, detail, 2014
Etching, monotype and chine colle
Courtesy of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation

Hi! I’m Cecelia Blum, a rising senior majoring in English. As the Ludwick Campus Preservation Intern, my role this summer is to conserve bronze statues and Shakespearean plaster reliefs around campus. I’ve been learning new skills, doing hands-on work, and seeing tangible results. I’m also interviewing artists and writing about their work for future features on the Gallery website.

My favorite piece in the collection is “Cherries After Artemisia” by Sherrie Wolf. This piece incorporates a work by female Renaissance artist Artemisia Gentileschi, known for her masterful technique and expressions of feminism. I love the striking red color and surreal glassiness of the cherries. I find this work incredibly seductive and unique.

Image 1:
Portrait of Cecelia Courtesy of Jacqueline Legazcue

Image 2:
Sherrie Wolf (b.1952)
Cherries After Artemisia (2000-2001)
Ink and Colors on Paper
14 in x 11 ½ in
2014.17.2
Gift of the artist, Sherrie Wolf

Images 3 & 4: conservation work on campus

Hello! I’m Jessica Yim, a rising junior double majoring in Art Conservation and Studio Art at Scripps. This summer, as the Gallery’s Getty Marrow Collections/Conservation Intern, I’m working with professional conservator Donna Williams to clean and repair a variety of objects. I’m currently treating ceramics as well as bronze sculptures on campus such as “Man and Nature” by Albert Stewart, which has never been conserved before!

As a studio art major, I’m interested in learning about how to handle diverse materials, and this internship has given me the perfect opportunity to do so. In addition to my interest in artist materials, I also love learning about and looking at contemporary artworks. One of my favorite pieces in our collection is “Freedom, A Fable,” an artist book by Kara Walker. This piece initially seems like a whimsical and fun children’s book, but it addresses serious issues regarding racism and gender discrimination. Despite gaining emancipation, the female slave cannot escape her oppression – freedom is a fable. It’s powerful how Kara Walker’s typically wall-sized installations become so intimate and personal through this pop-up story.

Hello, my name is Lena Kohls! I’m a second-semester senior at Scripps majoring in Media Studies with Art & History minors. This summer I’ve been working at the Williamson Gallery as the Getty Curatorial Intern! Most of my role involves preparing for our upcoming fall shows, as well as assembling the catalogue for next year’s Ceramic Annual. I’m also developing a personal exhibition focusing on feminine adolescence and working with the other interns on our group show.

My current favorite piece in our collection is Winslow Homer’s “The Four Fishwives,” which was painted in 1881 and depicts four women walking along a beach in the coastal village of Cullercoats, in North East England. This painting is a product of Homer’s time living abroad–he spent close to two years in the fishing community and developed a fondness for the fisherfolk, particularly the women. One of my favorite things about “Fishwives” is the richness and depth that Homer was able to achieve through watercolor, which shows an impressive amount of skill. Homer is one of my favorite painters, so I’m thrilled that we have some of his works in our collection.


Image 1:

Portrait of Lena Courtesy of Jacqueline Legazcue

Image 2:

Winslow Homer, (1836–1910)
Four Fishwives, 1881
Watercolor on Paper
18 in. x 28 in.
YO24
Gift of General and Mrs. Edward Clinton Young

My name is Olive Gaetz and I am a rising junior at Scripps, majoring in Studio Art with a minor in Spanish. Though my academic focus is digital art, I also have an interest in painting, linocut printing, and embroidery.

This summer, as the Wilson Arts Administration Intern, I am contributing to the Gallery’s social media – creating content for the upcoming academic year -- as well as helping plan academic programming and future exhibitions.

I’m curating a show called “Signs from Above” that features 12 bird-related multimedia pieces from the Gallery’s collection. Paired with poetry, this exhibition analyzes the symbolism of birds across five different cultures with works spanning 1,000 years of history.

One of my favorite pieces in the Gallery’s permanent collection is the lithograph print “Just Friends” by Paul Gardner Darrow, a local artist and former professor at Scripps College. The title and content are so charming, and the artist depicts so much character in these animals. I love the simplicity that comes with relief printmaking and it’s impressive to see the amount of detail Darrow captures in his work.



1:

Portrait of Olive, Courtesy of Jacqueline Legazcue

2:

Paul Gardner Darrow (1921–2019) 
Just Friends, 1966
Ink on Paper
19 in. x 13 7/16 in.
77.3.22
Gift of the Fine Arts Foundation

My name is Mica Barrett and I'm a rising senior at Scripps dual majoring in History and Digital Media Studies. Last summer I interned at the Williamson Gallery and was lucky enough to work with artist and Gallery benefactor Elizabeth Turk '83, designing literature and promotional material for her artistic endeavors. This summer I've continued my work as a Turk Intern, creating educational material for the Williamson Gallery's upcoming traveling exhibition, "YOKAI: Scenes of the Supernatural in Japanese Woodblock Prints.” It’s been incredibly exciting to research and gather inspiration as I create illustrations to pair with the exhibition’s educational guide. I’ve also enjoyed meeting with professionals who facilitate interactions between sites of artistic and cultural importance and surrounding communities in the Los Angeles area.



1-3: Photographs courtesy of Jacqueline Legazcue

Hello! I'm Rosy Weber, a rising senior at Scripps College majoring in studio art. My interests are printmaking, sculpture and installation art. This summer I'm working at the Williamson Gallery as the Wilson Conservation Intern. In this role I have the opportunity to work with LA-based conservator Donna Williams to preserve both historical buildings as well as art pieces. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed exploring the rich ceramics collection here at Scripps, as well as the opportunity to meet with and learn from professionals working in a variety of fields related to the museum and art world.

My name is Gigi Hume and I’m a rising Scripps senior majoring in Media Studies. As the Williamson Gallery’s Arts Administration Intern, I am curating an exhibition called “Star Machine: Power and Politics of Women in 1930s Hollywood.”

“Star Machine” showcases five photographs from the Gallery’s permanent collection paired with 20 loans from other institutions like the Los Angeles Public Library and the Margaret Herrick Library. I’m currently in the process of finalizing my labels before the exhibition goes live September 9th on the Williamson Gallery website.

One piece that I love from our collection is Ted Allan’s portrait of Jean Harlow—the original “blonde bombshell.” I’m excited to draw inspiration from exhibitions shown at both the Williamson Gallery and other institutions to create a narrative about this fascinating time and place.

My name is Alyssa Damore, and this summer I have worked at both the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery and Denison Library as the Getty Marrow Visual Resources Intern. I am a senior at California State University Long Beach majoring in Art History.

Over the course of my internship I learned how to use EmbARK to catalog and organize the incredibly vast and diverse collection of artworks at the Williamson Gallery, as well as organizing the personal archive of photographer Dody Weston Thompson. Thus far, my favorite piece in the collection would be Suzuki Goro’s “Bird Plate.” This was one of many pieces in the collection that required a bit of detective work, which made it incredibly satisfying to finish cataloging and upload to our gallery website.

Hello! I am a sophomore at Scripps majoring in Art Conservation with a minor in Japanese. As the Williamson Gallery's Getty Marrow Collections/Conservation Intern, I have been working with paper conservator Erin Jue on mending and repairing objects from a variety of sources. I have a personal interest in Japanese prints, which, luckily for me, Scripps has amassed an incredible collection of.

While on campus, I've been able to handle many of these prints, which has allowed me to enjoy the craftsmanship and attention to detail up close. My favorite piece in the collection is "A Nasty Cat” by Utagawa Kunisada III, which features a scene from Tsuruya Nanboku IV’s kabuki play "Traveling alone to the Fifty-Three Stations.” I’ve found Nanboku’s dark and grotesque scripts to be incredibly enthralling in the past, especially "The Ghost of Yotsuya," so to learn more about his other works and be able to engage with it in a more visual and hands-on way has been an absolutely invaluable experience for me.

Meet our incredible team! The Williamson Gallery welcomes interns each summer. We'll highlight projects they're working on and their favorite pieces from the collection.
-
Hello! My name is Maya and I'm a rising senior at Scripps, majoring in History, with a focus on 18th century Europe and history of thought. This summer I am the Getty Marrow Curatorial Intern. I've been working with Interim Gallery Director Kirk Delman on the 78th Ceramic Annual as well as exciting upcoming projects and exhibitions in the Gallery.

One of these projects is assisting Scripps Dance Professor Kevin Williamson along with his collaborators Maria Gillespie and Nguyen Nguyen on their exhibition "to get there from here" which will be on view from August 24-October 9, 2022. I think this will be an interesting installation that will expand on ideas of geographies, identity, and s**ce. The exhibition also ties together many different mediums of art that allow for various ways to connect with the show. I am super excited to witness the end result!

My interest in the arts and museum work comes from believing that it is an integral s**ce for connection, learning, and history. I have really enjoyed getting to explore the Gallery’s collection and have come across so many great pieces. One that I find particularly interesting is Lillian Matilda Genth’s “Flower of the Desert." Not only is it a beautiful painting, but Genth’s own relationship with portraying female bodies was dynamic as she shifted from painting n**e portraits to fully clothed women. The history of the body has been a prevalent topic in many of my classes and I think this painting is an interesting supplement to those conversations.

Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992) was a German actress, singer, and activist. She got her start as a silent film star in 1920s Berlin before garnering international acclaim for her performance in Josef von Sternberg’s The Blue Angel (1930). She signed a contract with Paramount Pictures and moved to the United States. Once here, Dietrich continued cultivating a “glamour girl” persona marked by her slicked-down blonde hair, androgynous clothing, and cool, enigmatic air. In celebrity circles, Dietrich was openly bisexual and counted herself as a member of Golden Era Hollywood’s “Sewing Circle”—an informal network of le***an and bisexual industry actors. Though not open with the public about her sexuality, there were hints of her attraction to women. Specifically, in the film Morocco (1930), she initiated one of the first on-screen kisses between two women.

In the years preceding and during World War II, Dietrich was a fierce anti-fascist. She renounced her German citizenship, sold war bonds, financed the escapes of several German friends, and recorded anti-Nazi broadcasts for German audiences. In November 1947, the West Point Military Academy awarded Dietrich the Medal of Freedom for, as Paramount reported, her “extraordinary record entertaining the troops overseas during the war.”

On her career spent in the spotlight, Dietrich wrote in her book, Marlene Dietrich’s ABC, “Camera: A friend of mine. We understood each other.” The above images taken by famed Golden Era Hollywood photographers George Hurrell and Mack Elliott certainly capture that understanding.

Today, when we think of the legacy of Marlene Dietrich, we can marvel at her magnetic charisma displayed both on and off screen and her unwavering morality in the face of fascism. She has more than earned a place at the intersection of LGBTQ+ and Hollywood histories.

Be sure to explore more Hollywood portraits in the RCWG online collection (link in bio) and seek out some of Dietrich’s films. The Blue Angel is available for rent on Amazon Prime and Morocco is streaming on HBO Max.

- Gigi Hume SC '23, Wilson Arts Administration Intern