The architecture of A. Hays Town and illustrations by Salvador Dali will be among exhibits on display during the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum’s 2018 summer season.
The season will begin on Friday, June 15, with a public reception and free viewing from 6-8 p.m. A private preview for museum members will be held from 4-6 p.m.
The summer season will consist of four exhibits.
- “A. Hays Town and the Architectural Image of Louisiana” will spotlight commercial and residential projects designed during Town’s more than 70 years as an architect. The exhibit will include drawings, photos, architectural models and archival records. It will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the former Art Center of Southwestern Louisiana. Town designed the structure on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus that is now the A. Hays Town Building. It opened in March 1968 and was once the University Art Museum. The exhibit will be on display from June 15 to Dec. 29.
- “Salvador Dalí’s Stairway to Heaven” will display more than 140 illustrations on loan from the Park West Museum in Southfield, Michigan. The illustrations were used in “Les Chants de Maldoror,” a poetic text, and an edition of “The Divine Comedy” by Dante. Dali was influenced by his interest in a range of themes, including nihilism, spirituality, Christianity and mysticism. University Art Museum will be the first venue to host the traveling exhibition. It will be in place from June 8 to Jan. 18, 2019.
- “Marina Zurkow: Mesocosm (Wink, TX)” consists of hand-drawn, software-driven animation by the new media artist. The exhibit was recently featured in the 2017 Moscow Biennial. It was inspired by a sinkhole in the small west Texas town of Wink. The animation features a large sinkhole that boils, gushes, whirls and expels objects such as plastic bags, oil and dark clouds. The exhibit will be on display until Aug. 15.
- “Spotlight on Francis Pavy” showcases the work of the Lafayette native and UL Lafayette graduate. He earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in 1976. His work has been exhibited throughout the U.S., and in Asia and Europe. The exhibit features “Lake Arthur Lotus,” a large-scale collage. Wood-carved blocks Pavy used to create the piece are also displayed. The exhibit will end July 28.
Guided group tours of the University Art Museum are available. Tours for elementary or high school students can be geared to educational themes.
The museum has 11,000 square feet of gallery space and is the largest exhibition space between Houston and New Orleans. It houses a collection of 18th- through 21st-century European, Asian and American art. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum offers changing exhibitions of regional, national and international art.
The University Art Museum is at 710 E. St. Mary Blvd., on the UL Lafayette campus.
Museum hours are: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is closed Sundays and Mondays.
Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for adults over age 62, $3 for students between the ages of 5 and 17, and free for children younger than 5 years old. UL Lafayette students, faculty and staff members can visit the museum for free with their University ID card.
To learn more about the museum, exhibits, and programs, visit hilliardmuseum.org or call (337) 482-2278.
Photo: The Foard House, 2018. Courtesy of Philip Gould.