Must-See Exhibition: A Tender Spirit, A Vital Form: Arlene Burke-Morgan & Clarence Morgan
Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 1:43AMArticle by Becky Fillinger, photos provided
A delightful new exhibit is open at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery, Regis Center for Art at the University of Minnesota. A Tender Spirit, A Vital Form: Arlene Burke-Morgan & Clarence Morgan exhibition will be on display until March 18. We asked Howard Oransky, Director of the gallery, about why we should we all should make the time to view the exhibit. He gave us five excellent reasons.
Arlene Burke-Morgan and Clarence Morgan in residence at the Penland School of Craft, Penland, NC. Courtesy of the Morgan Family.
Reason #1: It is a story of art, love, and devotion.
This exhibition tells the story of an artist-couple whose life together was itself a work of art. The exhibition consists of 100 paintings, drawings, sculptures, and related ephemera. Arlene Burke-Morgan (1950-2017) and Clarence Morgan (b. 1950) epitomized the artist-couple: in love with each other and devoted not only to their art but also to their family and faith, and to the wider community of students and artists. Originally from Philadelphia, they moved to Minneapolis in 1992 when Clarence Morgan joined the faculty in the Department of Art at the University of Minnesota. Arlene Burke-Morgan also taught as a lecturer in the Department of Art from 1992 to 1996. Clarence Morgan retired his position as Professor of Art at the end of 2021.
Arlene Burke-Morgan, untitled, undated, ceramic sculpture, 14 x 13 x 9 in. Courtesy of the Morgan Family.
Reason #2: Arlene Burke-Morgan was an amazing artist.
Arlene Burke-Morgan (1950, Philadelphia; 2017, Minneapolis) earned a B.F.A. from the Moore College of Art and an M.F.A. from East Carolina University, School of Art. Her work has been exhibited nationally, including presentations at the National Academy of Design (NY), The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (NC), the Alternative Museum (NY), the Nexus Center for Contemporary Art (GA), and the Columbia Museum of Art (SC). She received numerous awards, including the Julius Hallgarten Award for Painting at the National Academy of Design, the North Carolina Arts Council Artist Fellowship, and the McKnight Foundation Fellowship in the Visual Arts.
Clarence Morgan, Medieval Remnants, 2011 Mixed-media collage-drawing on 3M Scotchcal film, 10.5 x 10.5 in. Courtesy of the Morgan Family
Reason #3: Clarence Morgan is an amazing artist.
Clarence Morgan (1950, Philadelphia) earned a Certificate-Diploma from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and an M.F.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, Weitzman School of Design. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including presentations at Ze Zhong Gallery and Dax Art Space, Beijing, Rosenberg+Kaufman Fine Art and Reeves Contemporary (NY), the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Walker Art Center and the Weisman Art Museum (MN), Galerie Resche, Paris, and the Contemporary Art Center, New Orleans. He has received numerous awards, including the North Carolina Arts Council Visual Artist Fellowship, the Art Matters Individual Artist Grant, and the Bush Foundation Individual Artist fellowship.
Exhibition catalogue cover. Courtesy of the Katherine E. Nash Gallery.
Reason #4: The exhibition catalogue is beautiful.
The Katherine E. Nash Gallery has published A Tender Spirit, A Vital Form, the catalogue to accompany the exhibition. The catalogue includes 100 full-page color images of artworks by Arlene Burke-Morgan and Clarence Morgan and original essays by Robert Cozzolino, Tia-Simone Gardner, Bill Gaskins, and Nyeema Morgan. The catalogue is distributed worldwide by the University of Minnesota Press and is available at the University of Minnesota Bookstore.
Howard Oransky, Director, Katherine E. Nash Gallery, University of Minnesota
Reason #5: You are welcome here!
The exhibition is open to the public and admission is free! The Gallery is located in the Regis Center for Art, East Building, 405 21st Avenue S, Minneapolis. This is in the Arts Quarter area of the West Bank campus. Open: Tuesday and Friday, 11 am – 5 pm; Wednesday and Thursday, 11 am – 7 pm; Saturday, 11 am – 3 pm. Closed: Sunday and Monday. Please call the gallery or check the website for the most current COVID access information: 612-624-7530, nash.umn.edu.
There is metered parking nearby on the street, and paid parking available at the 21st Avenue parking garage and the 5th Street surface lot. There are bus and light rail stops nearby. Come visit us!
