Chazen Museum of Art presents ‘Metalsmiths’ exhibit

The Chazen Museum of Art will present the exhibition “Metalsmiths and Mentors: Fred Fenster and Eleanor Moty” at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Saturday, April 29-Sunday, July 23, in Brittingham Galleries VI and VII.

This exhibition will focus on the 28 years (1972-2001) that Fenster and Moty led the UW–Madison art metals program. It will feature a retrospective selection of their work alongside pieces by approximately half of the more than 50 UW–Madison master of fine arts graduates since 1972. Lisa Gralnick, who joined the faculty after Moty’s retirement in 2001, and Kim Cridler, who was hired in 2005, will also be represented as harbingers of the program’s future.

The history of contemporary American metalsmithing is inextricably linked with the academy. Since the 1950s, nearly every significant artist working in metals has trained at a university or art school; hence, academic programs have become the most fertile ground for innovation and exploration in metalsmithing and jewelry making. UW–Madison’s metals program is among the best in the nation. Its reputation is founded on the teaching legacy of Fenster and Moty, who have instilled in their students a profound respect for craftsmanship, technical innovation, formal integrity and thoughtful design. Organized for the Chazen Museum of Art by guest curator Jody Clowes, the exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated scholarly catalogue and educational programs.

Both Moty and Fenster are revered as educators and strong mentors, yet their work and their approaches to metalsmithing are poles apart. Perhaps the strongest endorsement of Fenster and Moty’s teaching, however, is that there is no “Wisconsin look.” Foremost, both have emphasized an unalloyed foundation in technique for their students. The work in this show encompasses holloware and jewelry, wearable sculpture, poetic and narrative objects, and conceptual installations.

Fenster trained at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, where he forged a blend of European modernism and the Arts and Crafts style that shines through in his clean, elegant lines and devotion to functional forms. Known for his holloware in pewter as well as silver and gold, Fenster combines innovative bending and folding techniques with traditional raising. As a recipient of the American Craft Council gold medal award for consummate craftsmanship in 2005, Fenster is an undisputed master of his craft. Virtually everyone who is working in pewter today has been influenced by Fenster’s work.

Moty studied with Stanley Lechtzin at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and her early work was on the field’s cutting edge in the 1970s. She incorporated industrial techniques such as photo-etching and electroplating alongside nontraditional materials, with an emphasis on personal iconography that had a strong influence on many graduates. During the 1980s, Moty honed her style to focus on elegant settings for cut crystals, but she continued to introduce new techniques for her students. Her exploration of Japanese high-relief chasing, for example, inspired many of her graduates. Moty’s numerous accolades include her induction as a fellow on the American Craft Council in 1998 and several fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts Craftsmanship and UW–Madison.

Funding for this project has been provided by the Chazen Museum of Art Council; Hilldale Fund; Brittingham Fund; Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission with additional funds from the Endres Mfg. Co. Foundation and the Overture Foundation; UW–Madison School of Education; the Madison Arts Commission; Don Bednarek and Jan Marshall Fox; and the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the state of Wisconsin.