MIIS Committee on Art in Public Places

We are pleased to announce the creation of the MIIS Committee on Art in Public Places (ICAPP). This group will mirror the College’s CAPP that was established on the Vermont Campus in 1994.

The idea for MIIS CAPP started through a design-thinking activity that explored findings from the 2015 “Live the Brand” report. MIIS community members brainstormed ways to illustrate the transformative experience. After monthly meetings in the spring of 2015, the group determined the need for coordination and the use of public art as one method for showcasing the learning journeys and transformative experiences of the MIIS community.

In service of this aim, MIIS CAPP has been charged with achieving the following goals:

  • Establish a program for an exhibition of art in public places.
  • Illustrate the mission of the Institute, as well as the work of our students and alumni, by providing interesting and challenging artwork of high quality.
  • Elicit gifts and loans of artwork that can enhance the aesthetic and educational mission of the Institute.
  • Involve a broad representation of the community in choosing, placing, and interpreting art in public places to improve the overall campus aesthetic, while preserving historical pieces.
  • Coordinate with relevant departments to secure funding for the purchase, installation, maintenance, and interpretation of works of art in public places.
  • Work with relevant departments to ensure the security and care of these objects.

We look forward to bringing a unified approach to public art displays on campus to illustrate and improve the MIIS experience.

Current Exhibition

Gallery Announcement: Heidi McGurrin Exhibition

We are thrilled to present a new exhibition of striking abstract paintings by local artist, poet, and photographer Heidi McGurrin. With a lifelong curiosity and an adventurous spirit, McGurrin’s work dives into themes of indigenous beauty, social injustice, and the profound connection between nature and human emotion. Her art reflects a life richly lived, shaped by her travels through Cuba, Haiti, Brazil, and the Incan lands of Peru, as well as her deep ties to the landscapes and culture of California.

McGurrin’s journey as an artist began in a world of vivid, wild imaginings, and she began sharing her inner landscapes with the public through poetry in 2017. Today, her visual work stands alongside her literary endeavors, offering viewers an immersive experience that blends abstraction with deeply personal reflection. Her pieces evoke the colors, textures, and rhythms of the natural world and indigenous cultures she so reveres, and they call us to look more deeply into our own stories and connections.

This exhibition invites you into McGurrin’s world—a space where poetry and paint flow together, where the spirit of the earth and the whispers of history are palpable in each brushstroke. With works that are at once energetic and contemplative, McGurrin encourages us to pause, reflect, and embrace the beauty of imperfection, the wildness of creation, and the endless potential of the imagination.

Please join us in celebrating this remarkable collection of abstract works, which are as thoughtful and poetic as the artist herself.

Past Projects

The Eloquent Suri of Ethiopia: People, Art, Culture, and Language
Mark Overgaard, Image Maker

Welcome to the Atrium Gallery, where we are honored to present an extraordinary exhibition transcending mere photography. We are proud to offer captivating portraits of the Suri people, captured through the lens of the acclaimed photographer, Mark Overgaard.

This collection is a profound exploration of not just visual aesthetics, but of the essence of humanity, culture, and tradition. Nestled in the remote corners of Ethiopia, the Suri people have long fascinated anthropologists, historians, and artists alike with their rich cultural tapestry, their unwavering pride, and their vibrant traditions.

Through the masterful craftsmanship of Mark Overgaard’s lens, we are transported into the heart of Suri life. Each portrait is a testament to the resilience and beauty of a people deeply rooted in their ancestral heritage. With meticulous attention to detail, Overgaard captures not only the intricate patterns adorning their faces but also the raw emotions and untold stories hidden within their eyes.

This exhibition is more than just a visual feast. It is a celebration of diversity and preservation of language, culture, and customs at risk of being lost in the tide of modernity. For the Suri people, painting their faces is not just a form of adornment but a language of expression that speaks volumes about their identity, their beliefs, and their place in the world.

As you wander through the gallery, allow yourself to be immersed in the richness of Suri culture. Let each portrait serve as a portal, a window into a world that is at once ancient and timeless. And as you marvel at the intricate patterns, the vibrant colors, and the soul-stirring gazes, remember that behind each image lies a story waiting to be told, a story of resilience, pride, and the enduring spirit of humanity.

We invite you to embark on this journey of discovery, as we pay homage to the indomitable spirit of the Suri people and the visionary artistry of Mark Overgaard. Enjoy the exhibition, and may it inspire you to see the world with fresh eyes and an open heart.

The exhibition is currently on display at the Atrium Gallery at the McCone Building, 499 Pierce Street, Monterey, CA for the fall/2023 and spring/2024 (Oct 8, 2023 – August 16, 2024)

The Institute’s Committee for Art in Public Spaces is working with the Old Monterey Foundation to complete a mural on the side of the McCone Building. Join us to celebrate the conclusion of the mural project on November 8. Learn more and RSVP.

Pierce Street Asphalt Art Project

The Institute is working with the City and the Old Monterey Foundation on the beautification of Pierce Street. As part of this effort ICAPP is proposing an asphalt art project on Pierce Street. The suggested color scheme reflects the Middlebury Institute’s colors and visual identity.

Sign-up to help paint Pierce!

Past Exhibitions

Virtual Resources

Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau

Omar E. Montaño presents a virtual exhibit celebrating the ocean at the Monterey Museum of Art. “The stewardship of our oceans is very important to me. This particular body of work was inspired by the Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau documentaries that I remember enjoying as a child. Revisiting the documentary series was necessary, as footage provides the source material used for creating each of the individual compositions. To push storyboarding and illustration, I chose linoleum block prints as the medium. The title for each print comes from the documentary that supplied the composition’s visual material. These prints not only celebrate the work of an early environmentalist, but explore the quality of our stewardship since the last of these films aired in the mid-1970s. “

Refuge and Survival: Leaving It All Behind

The Middlebury College museum in Vermont recently acquired a triptych of photographs by Canadian photographer Darren Ell. The images feature the piles of thousands of mostly orange-and-black life vests that had been abandoned at Molyvos on the island of Lesbos, Greece, by Syrian, Bengali, Yemeni, East African, and other refugees upon their arrival by boat from Turkey. Taken in March of 2016, the images are part of a series entitled Survive Refuge that documents the global refugee crisis at perhaps its most acute.

In a new blog post, Pieter Broucke, Professor of History of Art and Architecture, discusses the geopolitical and artistic contexts of this new acquisition. 

Artists Respond to the Protests

New York Times reporters showcase how artists show support and solidarity in response to systemic racism. 

Embracing Art in Vermont and California

iCAPP has curated some of our favorite virtual exhibits in Vermont and California. We hope you can spend a few moments enjoying these exhibits.

Vermont
  • Middlebury Museum of Art
    • Votes…for Women? 3D Tour
    • Land and Lens: Photographers Envision the Environment
    • Precolonial African Sexuality, Contemporary Homophobia and #LimitlessAfricans
    • Coloring Pages (for art and stress relief!)
  • Vermont Art Online (Middlebury faculty-student project)
    • ICAPP recommends checking out the Museum of Everyday Life!
California

Past Exhibits

Salon Jane Exhibit Opening March 6 in Honor of International Women’s Day 

Thursday, September 26: Moses Nyanhongo Shono Sculpture Exhibit and Presentation

In collaboration with Gallery Sur in Carmel, the Middlebury Institute will preview the opening of LIFE IN STONE, an exhibition of recent sculptures by acclaimed Shona stone sculptor, Moses Nyanhongo, from Zimbabwe. The one-day even will feature a display and exhibition of sculpture hand carved in a variety of beautiful stones, as Moses demonstrates his sculpting techniques and shares the cultural heritage of the Shona Sculpture Movement. The event will take place from 5-7pm in the Holland Center Courtyard. 

Wednesday, February 6: Decoding symbols in Chinese Arts

The Asian Art Society of Monterey Bay is partnering with the Middlebury Institute to offer a presentation by Ms. Zhao Hua, Professor at the Confucius Institute at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Ms Hua has an academic interest in Pun Rebus (谐音字画 Xié Yīn Zì Huà)—essentially wordplay in Chinese visual art. She has come up with an innovative teaching philosophy: learning the surprising meanings behind 《谐音字画》 Xié Yīn Zì Huà enhances students’ grasp of the Chinese language and at the same time increases their understanding of Chinese culture. Her book on the subject titled《谐音”画”汉字》Xié Yīn Huà Hàn Zì, was published by Peking University Press in 2012. Event is free and open to the public. 

Thursday, July 19: Martha Casanave “Magical Pinhole Photography” Opening Reception

Martha Casanave travelled to Russia in 1988 and made beautiful and dreamy images of Leningrad in winter using a pinhole camera (film camera with no lens). Join us in viewing her other images from Russia, which are more conceptual hand-painted photographs.  The exhibit will also feature work from Monterey. To learn more contact Carolyn Meyer at 831-647-6417 or Eduardo Fujii at efujii@miis.edu. This event is sponsored by the MIIS Committee for Art in Public Places (CAPP) and the Graduate Initiative in Russian Studies. The exhibit is currently on display in the Samson Reading Room. 

Thursday, May 3: Damascus Kafumbe–Tuning the Kingdom: Kawuugulu Musical Performance, Politics, and Storytelling in Buganda

Lecture and Musical Africanisms Percussion Workshop, 7-9 p.m. with conversationalists Edgard Coly and Francesca Aka. A fun and informative night for all!

Friday, May 4: Author’s Hour with Damascus Kafumbe

Hosted by Pamela Jungerberg at the Institute Library

Friday, May 4: Series finale: African Soundscapes Concert with Damascus Kafumbe, Jayson Fann and Friends

Samson Center Patio, Van Buren Street

SUNDAY, May 6: Global Solutions

A student initiated celebration of the arts! Great music, ideas, visuals, and a Spring Arts Fest display at Samson Patio.

The Spring Arts Series is Supported by One Middlebury and the Jessica and Ron Liebowitz Fund for Innovation at Middlebury College

http://go.miis.edu/arts18