The “Provocative Beauty” exhibition is currently on display at the Bryan Oliver Gallery, located on the second floor of Whitworth University’s Lied Art Center. This exhibition features art created by Pacific Northwest artists selected from the Art Collection of Drs. Dorothy ’49 and Gordon ’50 Carlson.
After graduating from Whitworth with a biology degree, Dorothy pursued a career as a medical doctor, while Gordon followed a path in psychology. Despite their professional choices, both shared a deep love for art and began collecting it throughout their lives. They began donating pieces to Whitworth in hopes of providing students with greater opportunities to be exposed to art.
Paul Carlson and Helen Carlson, children of Dorothy and Gordon Carlson, organized the exhibition to commemorate their parents’ 75th graduation anniversaries from Whitworth University. “[The Carlson’s] gave us more than 65 artworks over a long period of time, and it’s because of their generosity that we were able to establish an art collection…,” said Stacey Moo, the art department program specialist at Whitworth University. The Whitworth University art department has three permanent collections: “Loop Press Print”, “African Art” and “Pacific Northwest Art,” most of which are sourced from donors.
Emily Batchelder, a senior art history major, worked closely with Stacey on the planning and coordinating the exhibition. Batchelder helped discuss, with the Carlsons, which pieces they would bring in and how to connect the exhibition to the university’s permanent art collection. She also curated the display cabinet featuring 3D pieces from the university’s permanent collection, some of which were gifts from the Carlsons.
Batchelder remarked, “Because we’re a small, private university, sometimes the art students or students, in general, might feel we are so little in the grand scheme of things. But this exhibition, because it features all Pacific Northwest artists, can show that if you really love creating art and are dedicated to it, you can make an impact and create incredible things from little Spokane.”
She also noted that Whitworth University displays many of the pieces from the collection through the campus buildings. “Hopefully, students will begin to recognize and maybe appreciate the artwork around campus more,” she said.
As Lance Sinnema, a senior lecturer in the Art & Design department, noted, in the brochure distributed on the exhibition reception day, that even though the artworks displayed came from Pacific Northwest artists, each one of them showcases a variety of styles of their work. Through their work, viewers explore how these artists have responded and reacted to the evolution and changes in artmaking.
“Provocative Beauty,” a selection from the art collection of Drs. Dorothy and Gordon Carlson is available for students and the Spokane community from Sept. 10 to Oct. 25, 2024, in Whitworth’s Bryan Oliver Gallery. Visit the art collection website to learn more.
