By Tala Alsharif and Molly Burke / Jambar Contributors
When Richard Mitchell began teaching art history at Youngstown State University in 1966, McDonough Museum of Art had not yet been built.
Today, he’s looking at his own installation inside.
“When I started, this site used to have a hotel on it,” Mitchell said.
He taught for 40 years, working with students to create a cornerstone of the Department of Art.
“I built the photography program here. That was what I was most in love with at that time,” Mitchell said. “When I started here, there was just film cameras, but we started with the very beginning of digital photography.”
Now retired, Mitchell is one of dozens of former and current art faculty showcasing work in McDonough’s fall exhibition, “Legacy: 58 Years of YSU Art.” It opened Sept. 3 and runs through Oct. 26.
For McDonough Director Claudia Berlinski, it’s a chance to show work of her own. She’s displaying a two-painting series embellished with dried leaves called “Ruminations.”
“We have been doing a faculty show every four years or so,” Berlinksi said. “In addition to the full-time faculty who are teaching right now, we included those who taught last year … We decided to invite any living retired faculty, assuming they still made artwork.”
Mitchell chose to show a piece composed of photograph test strips he took in a Guatemalan marketplace, titled “Mercado, Alteration #12.”
“It’s a photograph that tries to get a sense of chaos in the marketplace,” Mitchell said. “It’s more than just a single photograph. It’s a combination of taking all kinds of different parts.”
Artists, students, faculty and community members gathered for a reception Sept. 6 to celebrate the exhibition’s opening. Guests could view the wide variety of work while snacking on refreshments.
“There’s sculpture, there’s ceramics, there’s painting, printmaking, photography. So, it’s all mixed up,” Berlinksi said.
Among the crowd was YSU President Bill Johnson and first lady LeeAnn Johnson.
“We’re always amazed at what we see — such variety, such creativity,” Bill said. “[YSU’s] been around since 1908, 116 years. So, let’s take good pictures today — see what this art looks like compared to what it’ll look like 108 years from now.”
The earliest-serving art professor in the exhibition, Russell Maddick, also started teaching in 1966. According to Berlinksi, he inspired the name “Legacy: 58.”
Maddick is displaying his abstract acrylic painting, “Caribbean Street Talk,” inspired by the impacts of hurricanes in the Caribbean Islands.
“These students should be really very happy about the space they have — the exhibit work here,” Maddick said. “When I first taught here, our department was in a basement of one of the buildings, and that was the extent of it. So, they should take advantage of what they have.”
Joy Christiansen Erb, acting chair of the Department of Art and professor of photography, is showing pieces from a project titled “Lineage.” It’s a series of photographed handkerchiefs that were part of her family for generations.
Christiansen Erb encourages students who want to someday showcase their work to follow their passions and stay motivated.
“When I think of the YSU community, I think of YSU students, and I think about how important it is for them to express their thoughts and feelings through artwork — to recognize the importance of the work they are making and the influence they can have on others in the community,” Christiansen Erb said.
Leah Franke, a sophomore interdisciplinary studio arts major, came to the reception to support her professors.
“I also work for [professor] Dragana Crnjak — I am her studio assistant. So, I was really interested to see what work she made. I wanted to get inspired by my professors, and also this event is a really positive way to highlight Youngstown art and also to network,” Franke said.
The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. It’s free to tour, but donations are encouraged.