Austin Peay State University unveils new curated photography exhibition

Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University Department of Art and Design will unveil its newest exhibition, Topography: Exploring Dimensionality in the Jim and Nan Robertson Photography Collection this November.

Curated by Jewel Birdsong Scholarship and Presidential Scholarship recipient Sara Straussberger, the exhibition will be on display from November 10th-March 2017 in the Harned Building’s Mabel Larson Gallery.

A reception and brief curator’s talk will take place at 3:30pm this Thursday, November 10th, in the gallery. This event is free and open to the public,

This new exhibit showcases the wide range of subjects and formal qualities found in the Jim and Nan Robertson Photography Collection at APSU.

The subject matter ranges from the undulating shapes ofsand dunes to the contours of the human figure to rich architectural surfaces. The formal qualities include detailed visual textures, from peeling paint to smooth metal silos, along with visual and implied lines, strong value ranges and crisp print quality.

The Jim and Nan Robertson Photography Collection consists of more than 350 images made by 19th and 20th century photographers. Originally displayed in the Robertson’s 5th Avenue Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona, between 1979–1981, these photographs were generously donated to the APSU Permanent Art Collection shortly after the couple relocated to nearby Dover.

Straussberger is a BFA student in the Department of Art and Design and a philosophical studies minor. The Jewel Birdsong Scholarship is a curatorial scholarship that lets a select student work directly with the APSU Permanent Art Collection to curate and install a dynamic and engaging exhibition in the Mabel Larson Gallery.

The Mabel Larson Gallery, located on the bottom floor of Harned Hall, is open from 8:00am-5:00pm, Monday through Friday. For more information on this event or the University Art Collection, contact Michael Dickins, gallery director, at dickinsm@apsu.edu