CONTINUUM | Pressing Matters: vol. 1
University of Nebraska at Omaha | UNO Art Gallery
A Book Arts Exhibition | September 1 - October 27, 2023
Pressing Matters | Vol. 1 examined handmade books and printed media as a means of slowing down and fostering sustained engagement in contrast to the immediacy of contemporary digital culture. The exhibition surveying the collaborative history of the UNO Book Arts program while also introducing its future through select work by students, faculty, and local book arts professionals.
The exhibition featured artists’ books, altered books, fine press books, sculptural book forms, zines, letterpress works, broadsides, and interactive installations. Visitors were often encouraged to engage directly with most of the books by flipping through them. Seating areas were provided to offer places for extended examination and simply rest. QR codes provided access to additional research and contextual information.
Featured artists included Denise Brady, Laura Capp, Harry Duncan, AB Gorham, Chelsea Herman, Karen Kunc, Kyle Nobles, Bonnie O’Connell, and Neil Shaver.
Pressing Matters | Vol. 1 was curated by Patricia Davis, Curator and Manager of UNO Gallery & Collections, in collaboration with guest curators Kyle Nobles and Parker Herout.
The exhibition also launched CONTINUUM, a new exhibition series designed to strengthen connections between the classroom and the broader community. The series highlights creative problem-solving, collaboration, and innovation within the School of the Arts at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Download a copy of the exhibition guidebook here.
Scroll down to see juicy images of behind-the-scenes content and exhibition programming!
BEHIND
THE SCENES
This exhibition marked a pivotal moment in my gallery career—my first opportunity to transform the exhibition itself into a work of art. I wanted the experience to be immersive and inviting, pushing the boundaries of what people expect from a traditional white-box gallery. Above all, I aimed to create a sense of play.
I invite you to enjoy these behind-the-scenes moments, which capture both the joy and the frustrations we faced as we brought this vision to life in three and a half months! This wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible collaboration of my co-curators, Kyle Nobles and Parker Herout, as well as the dedicated (student) gallery staff and volunteers who embraced my sometimes obsessive ideas for the show: UNO alumni Kim Marx, Andrew Lindgren, Tess Houser, Clarissa Wetizel, and Kiara Hernandez, and UNO Professor of Art, Howard Paine.
PROGRAMMING
Programming for this exhibition was designed to immerse visitors in the world of book arts, offering opportunities for education, play, community engagement, and thought-provoking discussions.
Assistant Professor of Book Arts and Papermaking, AB Gorham hosted a Halloween-themed card making workshop, allowing folks to drop by and print their own card!
We hosted local artist, printmaker, book artist, (Willa Cather Professor of Art + Professor Emerita - NBD (!!)) retired print faculty of University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
and Owner/Director of Constellation Studios, the world-renowned Karen Kunc. She gave an informal talk and showed a fantastic sampling of her amazing books and some other works on paper!I interviewed Chelsea Herman, visual artist and educator specializing in the art of the book. She is also proprietor of Flight Path Press, a private press in Council Bluffs, Iowa specializing in limited edition artists’ books with a focus on how language shapes human relationships to land and how image, text, and hybrid mark-making can be used to chart self- transformation in the midst of unprecedented environmental change.
Dave Richards, dean of library services at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, also brought his History of the Book students by for an informal talk and in-depth look at the exhibition.
