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Are you an artist, arts organization or venue?: organization

What town do you live in?: Amherst

In which disciplines do you work or exhibit?: Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Photography, Video, Digital Media, Sculpture, Installation, Fiber, Sound/Music

Artist Statement/Bio: The University's mandate of pursuing cutting-edge research within the sciences and the humanities is reflected in the UMCA's exhibitions and programs. We approach the visual arts with the same quest for knowledge, discovery, and understanding that guides the scientist, engineer, or anthropologist. We see it as our mission to pursue the margins, explore unknown territory, rediscover the familiar, and take risks.

A unique advantage of a university affiliated public art museum is its ability to produce cross-disciplinary exhibitions that forge links among the various fields in the arts and humanities. This interdisciplinary focus reflects the UMCA's mission to explore and stretch the boundaries, focusing on new artistic developments and potentially leading to new scholarship. By serving as both a showcase and an active "laboratory" for the visual arts, our goal is to open up the field of discussion for our audiences. By bringing in guest curators to organize exhibitions, and writers and critics to contribute to our publications; by inviting visiting artists to meet with students and the general public; by scheduling special lectures and panels on timely subjects; by efforts to extend our program beyond the UMCA - through all these initiatives we seek to contribute a new element of inquiry to the visual arts and to increase people's involvement with art.

Describe your organization or gallery: The University Museum of Contemporary Art (formerly the University Gallery) – the teaching museum of the University Massachusetts Amherst – is a multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art.

Through exhibitions, a permanent collection, educational programming, and a visiting artists program, the University Museum of Contemporary Art acts as a forum where renowned and emerging artists can test ideas and where diverse audiences can participate in cultural experiences that enhance understanding of the art of our time.

In its program, the UMCA balances a commitment to experimentation with a mandate to serve as a dynamic teaching and learning resource, affirming the University’s dedication to education, research, and community service.

Website: http://www.umass.edu/fac/universitygallery/index.html

UMCA's Blog

Museum Without Walls Public Arts Competition

The impact of public art on a community is priceless and immeasurable and once experienced it only appreciates. Public art has the power to energize our public spaces, arouse our thinking, and transform the places where we live, work, and play into more welcoming and beautiful environments that invite interaction. Public art can make strangers talk, children ask questions, and calm a hurried life. It enhances the quality of life by encouraging a heightened sense of place and by introducing…

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Posted on April 4, 2012 at 1:10pm