PULLMAN, Wash. – The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Washington State University reopens Tuesday, Sept. 7 for the fall semester with two new exhibitions: “Mirror, Mirror: The Prints of Alison Saar, From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation” and the “Black Lives Matter Artist Grant Exhibition.”
“In Mirror, Mirror: The Prints of Alison Saar, From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation,” we learn that American artist Alison Saar not only creates powerful sculptures—she is also a master of the art of printmaking. In both forms, she employs a personal vocabulary informed by history, race, and mythology. This exhibition features nearly 50 prints and five sculptures by the Los Angeles–based artist over the past 30 years and is on view through March 12, 2022. Cast-off objects such as old chair backs and found ceiling tin become the foundations for etching or lithography plates. Carved wooden panels used for wood block prints echo similar techniques established in her hewn wooden forms. In addition to printing on paper, Saar also employs a variety of used fabrics―layered, cut, sewn and collaged―empowering the content, while resisting the flat repetitive nature of the medium.
The Black Lives Matter Artist Grant Exhibition celebrates and showcases 20 Washington artists through Dec. 18, 2021. Each awardee received a grant of $2,500 to fund the creation of art and public awareness in response to systemic racism. The grants were made in a partnership with the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation which funded similar programs at the University of Oregon and Portland State University. A list of the 20 recipients and descriptions of their projects can be found on the Black Lives Matter Artist Grant winners web page.
“Now more than ever, our community needs artists to help us understand the issues of racism and white privilege,” said Jordan Schnitzer, president of The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation and the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation. “I am confident that the art created from this grant program and exhibited at these museums will lead to better understanding and change in our community.”
The museum is hosting several programs in coordination with the two exhibitions. On Tuesday, Sept. 28, from 5–7 p.m., the museum will hold an opening reception for both exhibitions, and invites the community to join museum benefactor Jordan Schnitzer, artist Alison Saar, and awardees of the Black Lives Matter Artist Grant Program as we celebrate.
In addition, on Wednesday, Sept. 29, from 2–3 p.m., Alison Saar will welcome visitors to Mirror, Mirror: The Prints of Alison Saar by providing an artist’s tour of this retrospective exhibition.
Lastly, join the museum Wednesday, Sept. 29, from 3:30–4:30 p.m., for Black Lives Matter: An Intergenerational Discussion. Select awardees of the Black Lives Matter Artist Grant Program, including Lisa Myers Bulmash, Hasaan Kirkland, Robert Lloyd, and Rene Westbrook, will discuss historical contexts and recent events in our shared search for racial equity. The discussion is moderated by Lisa Guerrero, associate vice provost for inclusive excellence at WSU, and generously funded by the Center for Arts and Humanities.
Admission to the museum is always free.
LOCATION | The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU is located in the Crimson Cube (on Wilson Road across from Martin Stadium and the CUB) on the WSU Pullman campus. For more information visit our website at museum.wsu.edu/about.
About the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation
At age 14, Jordan D. Schnitzer bought his first work of art from his mother’s Portland, Oregon contemporary art gallery, evolving into a lifelong avocation as collector. He began collecting contemporary prints and multiples in earnest in 1988. Today, Schnitzer’s collection exceeds 19,000 works, including pieces by many of the most important contemporary artists. It has grown to be one of the country’s largest private print collections. Schnitzer generously lends work from his collection to qualified institutions. The Foundation has organized over 110 exhibitions and has had art exhibited at over 160 museums. Schnitzer is also president of Harsch Investment Properties, a privately owned real estate investment company based in Portland, Oregon, which owns and manages office, multi-tenant industrial, multi-family and retail properties in six western states. For more information about the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, please visit jordanschnitzer.org.
Media contact:
- Debby Stinson, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 509-300-0033, debby_stinson@wsu.edu
- Caitlin Pihl, Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, caitlinp@jordanschnitzer.org
