Feb. 27–Apr. 15

 

TACOMA, Wash. – Kittredge Gallery is pleased to present two exhibits for the next six weeks: one a student-curated landscape show of the national parks, by Abby Williams Hill (1861-1943); the other video and drawings from Berlin-based artist Isabella Gresser.

Painting the National Parks: Preserving A.W. Hill’s Experience is a show celebrating the 100th anniversary of the national parks with paintings by early 20th-century artist Abby Williams Hill.

After her move to Tacoma in 1889, Hill depicted the Northwest landscape, particularly views of the newly inaugurated national parks, during this early part of her career on the West Coast. She continued creating works to preserve her particular vision of the region throughout the 1920s and 1930s. As a female artist Hill broke the gender conventions associated with those who painted and drew the American West at the time, often trekking to locations with her children in tow.

This exhibition highlights Hill’s individual vision of the western landscape and the breadth of the locales that she depicted. It calls attention to the diversity of landscapes in our national parks and encourages consideration of the parks’ histories and their role in allowing generations of visitors to experience the nature of the West.

Behind the Pines, by Isabella Gresser, is an exhibit of works across media and forms, including drawing, photography, video art, film, and installation. Her experimental work is characterized by an emphasis on research and critical theory, and the linking of cultural and philosophical aspects of the West and the Far East.

 

The exhibition includes Gresser’s video art and a vitrine installation, Barons in the Trees—a “work-in-progress” that assembles ink drawings, photography, video stills, and collected poems.

Kittredge Gallery serves as a teaching tool for the Department of Art and Art History and as a cultural resource for both the university and the community at large, exhibiting work by noted regional and national artists. Exhibits and talks are free and open to the public.

Opening Reception: Wednesday, March 22, 5–7 p.m., Kittredge Gallery

Abby Williams Hill Curators’ Talk: Friday, March 24, 10 a.m.–12 noon, Kittredge Gallery

Gallery Location: University of Puget Sound, N. 15th St. at N. Lawrence St., Tacoma, Wash.
Directions and Map: pugetsound.edu/directions
Regular Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday, noon–5 p.m. 
Website: pugetsound.edu/kittredge

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For accessibility information please contact accessibility@pugetsound.edu or 253.879.3931, or visit pugetsound.edu/accessibility

PRESS PHOTOS are available upon request.
Photos on page: From top right: Barons in the Trees, by Isabella Gresser; Mt. Rainer from Vashon Island, by Abby Williams Hill; Detail from Barons in the Trees.