Korri Palmer
Contributing Writer
With the semester in full swing, it is time for The College of Wooster Art Museum (CWAM) to provide its community with more beauty for consumption. On Tuesday, Jan. 22, Doug McGlumphy presented his collection of work titled “monumental” based on materials that remind him of political events in our current climate. McGlumphy’s career is in full swing; he is currently the preparator and collections manager at CWAM, as well as the director of the Olin Fine Arts Gallery and an art instructor at Washington and Jefferson College. At Wooster, Kitty Zurko, the director and curator of the Museum, applauds Doug for “his dedication to teaching and his many years supporting other artists by making their work look amazing in the CWAM galleries.” McGlumphy’s exhibit is modeled after his “travels on the backroads and byways to and from Tuscarawas County” where he created the art on his family farm. His fresh use of positionality allows viewers to see the world through his experience and even observe his connections to current politics.
McGlumpy’s “monumental” offers a feeling of familiarity with the materials used in the exhibition, but also challenges viewers to question the positionality of his individual works. This familiarity can be seen in some of his works, which include “Migrant,” “Glass Ceiling” and “Broad(side).” These pieces of art are created from everyday materials such as the shipping pallet, produce boxes, chicken-and-egg crates featured in “Migrant” or the barn siding, tobacco leaves and deer head trophy used within “Broad(side).”
When asked why his artwork holds importance, McGlumphy said, “in our time of hyper-partisanship, it is important to view political perspectives with a sense of humor through materiality.” This humor can be seen through his pieces such as “Broad(side),” which references the common farm phrase “you can’t hit the broad side of the barn.” This phrase is often said to describe a person who has poor aim, which can be seen with politicians who use complicated rhetoric to confuse their audience.
This exhibit will be available for viewing in Sussel Gallery until March 7. McGlumpy will be at the opening reception on Jan. 31 to discuss his artwork from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., with a gallery talk at 7:00 p.m..
The museum will be open from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Tuesday – Friday and 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. All exhibitions and events are free and open to the public. So I suggest you put on your best viewing eyes and prepare to get a little political with McGlumphy’s latest works of art.