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A selection of work by William J. Thompson, a prolific Georgia sculptor and former University of Georgia art professor, is currently on exhibit at Brenau University’s Presidents Gallery.

A reception celebrating the exhibit Gestures of Faith will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 4. The reception and the exhibit are free and open to the public.

The estate of his wife, Claire Thompson, donated an extensive collection of work by her late husband to Brenau University Galleries in 2022. The Thompson collection consists of 68 works by the sculptor and printmaker that span the artist’s career from the 1950s to his death in 1995.

The sculptures in the collection represent a variety of media, including stone, wood, bronze and polyester resin. Most of his works carry religious and spiritual themes influenced by his Catholic faith.

“Brenau is honored to be the recipient of this significant collection to its permanent collection, the second-largest in the state of Georgia,” Galleries Director Lybi Cucurullo said. “This acquisition fulfills Claire Thompson’s vision for preserving and presenting her husband’s artistic legacy. The collection is an invaluable resource, offering students and art historians unparalleled access to the profound ‘language of vision and volume’ that defined William J. Thompson’s celebrated career.”

Thompson studied art at the Rhode Island School of Design and earned a Master of Fine Arts from the Cranbrook Academy of Arts in Michigan. His influences included Auguste Rodin, Georges Rouault, Ernst Barlach and Jacob Epstein. In 1964, Thompson joined the art staff at the University of Georgia at the invitation of then-professor and director Lamar Dodd. The school’s sculpture studio was later named in Thompson’s honor.

Though Thompson was primarily a sculptor, the collection includes several etchings, lithographs, watercolors and plaster casts. A large number of archival materials of photographic enlargements and architectural commissions depict his artistic process and commissions — a record invaluable to art students and historians.

The collection also includes seven portrait plaster casts used in commissions to commemorate luminaries such as Robert W. Woodruff, Lamar Dodd, Hubert Owen, Eugene Odum, Sam Kauffman, Louis Griffith and Gudmund Vigtel for their contributions to UGA or the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

Several Thompson sculptures are on public display across Georgia and, therefore, not included in the collection acquired by Brenau. The best-known is a nine-foot-tall bronze sculpture at Andersonville National Park dedicated on Memorial Day in 1976.

Ichthyology: Illuminated Figures by Marcus E. Bloch presents 30 works created between 1785 and 1797 from Brenau University’s Graham Arader Art Collection.

Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723–1799) was a German physician and naturalist who is best known for his contribution to ichthyology through his multi-volume catalog of plates illustrating the fishes of the world. Bloch first began cataloging the fishes of Germany in 1782, then explored fishes from abroad until 1795, printing the books with copper plate engravings. The 12-volume publication of beautifully illustrated comprehensive work titled Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische was later translated to Ichthyologie, ou histoire naturelle, générale et particuliére, des poissons. Bloch followed the fish systematics of his predecessors, though he is attributed with adding new systematic characters, including the presence or absence of a fifth gill, gill structure, and bony arches. He described at least 267 new species and 19 genera, and several of his binomial names are still in use. Bloch’s collection of about 800 surviving specimens is preserved at the Museum für Naturkunde of the Humboldt University of Berlin.

This natural history collection on display encompasses artworks from Brenau University’s Graham Arader Art Collection. Established by Graham Arader in collaboration with Brenau Trustee Michael Stubblefield, M.D., the Arader Art Fund at Brenau is dedicated to expanding its collection of natural history artwork and integrating them into its academic curriculum. Since its inception in late 2018, the fund has facilitated the acquisition of more than 700 pieces, enriching Brenau’s campus with a wealth of artistic representations of the natural world. This initiative enables students unparalleled access to an extensive array of natural history art, fostering a meaningful integration of creative expression across various disciplines and immersing and enhancing students’ educational experiences and appreciation of the natural world.

Atlanta artist Alexi Torres will present Unbrainwashable at Brenau University this fall. The solo exhibit features contemporary sculptures, installments and large scale oil paintings that emphasize the importance of thinking for oneself.

Torres was born in Bermeja, Cuba, a small village about 70 miles southeast of Havana. He came to the United States in 2003 and maintains a studio in Atlanta. Much of his work is political in nature, and reflections of life under communism and political unrest in Cuba.

“My art seeks to initiate a dialogue on the effects and power of human thought and behavior on our everyday reality,” Torres said in his artist statement. “Following universal laws, I find the connection between spirituality and politics, richness and acceptance.”

With an emphasis on collective memory, Torres engages his audience with playful themes and irony that are relevant to what he calls “the contemporary experience.”

“My series subjects range from portraits of ordinary people, culture, and military to a diverse sampling of symbols from popular culture,” Torres said. “These images are then reimagined and reconstructed employing a complex unique multi-layer painting technique, bronze sculptures and objects.”

Brenau Galleries will host an opening night reception from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, at the Leo Castelli Art Gallery on Brenau’s historic Gainesville campus. The artist will discuss his life and work at 6:45 p.m. in Redwine Lobby in the John S. Burd Center for the Performing Arts.

Torres studied at Escuela Provicial de Artes in Mantanzas, Cuba, and at Escuela Nacional de Artes in Havana. He has participated in solo and group exhibitions both in the United States and abroad, including at Unix Gallery in New York City, the Digital Museum of Modern Art in Switzerland, and the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art in Marietta, Georgia. His art can also be found in public and private collections, such as The Rice Collection of Cuban Art, Delta Airlines in Atlanta, and actor Will Smith’s private collection.

In addition to exhibits and collections, his work has been featured in numerous publications, including Hi Fructose, the Huffington Post, and the Daily Mail UK. He has received multiple awards and accolades.

More about Alexi Torres and his work can be found on his website.

AVIAN SONG: Natural History Works from Brenau University’s Permanent Art Collection

The natural history collection on display in Brenau University’s Renaissance Gallery opening April 11th and running through December 5th, encompasses artworks dating from the 1700s to the present, drawing from Brenau University’s Graham Arader Art Collection. These carefully selected original watercolors, lithographs, and engravings vividly capture avian subjects in their natural habitats.

Established by Graham Arader in collaboration with Dr. Michael Stubblefield, the Arader Art Fund at Brenau University is dedicated to expanding its collection of the university’s natural history artwork and integrating them into its academic curriculum. 

Since its inception in late 2018, the Fund has facilitated the acquisition of over 700 pieces, enriching Brenau’s campus with a wealth of artistic representations of the natural world.

This initiative enables Brenau to offer students unparalleled access to an extensive array of natural history art, fostering meaningful integration of artistic expression across various disciplines. With boundless potential for curricular adaptation across departments, this program aims to immerse students in the intersection of art and science, enhancing their educational experience and appreciation for the natural world.

-Gena Brodie Robbins, Director of Galleries and Curator of Permanent Collections

Avian Song will have its opening reception on April 18th during the Historic Gainesville Art Walk from 2-8 PM.

Renaissance Gallery is located on the square at 106 Spring Street, Gainesville, GA 30501