Artist of the Corridor: Art Exhibits in the City Building
Artist of the Corridor
The City of Urbana hosts an art exhibit space in the City Building at 400 S. Vine Street for seasonal exhibits of artwork by Urbana artists.The program, entitled “Artist of the Corridor”, featured its first exhibit in the Spring 2010.
Current Artist of the Corridor exhibition: "Dogon Symbols of Africa," Wiley Students and Betsem Benjamin
February 1 - April 30, 2012. Paintings produced last year by third and fifth grade students at Wiley Elementary School in Urbana in collaboration with artist Betsem Benjamin are on display in the City Building Lobby through April 2012. The Dogon symbols that appear in the students' work are ancient scriptural forms originating in the Western part of Africa, especially Mali. They speak of a variety of subjects, including figures, religion, marital status, intelligence, and love. By studying the rich cultural, linguistic and artistic forms of countries and regions in Africa, the students had the opportunity to learn not only about that continent but their own rich American cultural heritage. Thanks to an incredible team of educators from Wiley School (Marcia Richards, Betty Allen, Rusty Clevenger, Cara Mauirizi, Rebecca Cortright, and Barbara Sartain), Wiley students were able to supplement their normal studies with arts education incorporating issues of globalization, culture, and the geography and history of Africa.
How to Apply:
Artists living in Urbana are invited to participate in the program. Exhibitions are displayed for a two month period. Interested artists should send a letter of interest and 3 digital images of their artwork to Christina McClelland, Public Arts Coordinator in the Community Development Services at 400 S. Vine Street in Urbana, or by email at cmmcclelland@urbanaillinois.us.
Previous Artists of the Corridor include:
Rosalind Faiman Weinberg, Will Arnold, Bonnie Switzer, Kathryn Fitzgerald, Cheri Manrique, Hua Nian, Phil Strang, Michael Fuerst, Betsem Atiback Benjamin, Lyosha, and Sandra Batzli
