Sources: Martha Scott, 785-532-7718, marthas@k-state.edu;
and Heather McCrea, 785-532-0625, hmccrea@k-state.edu
Photo available. Download at http://www.k-state.edu/media/images/sept11/9-22amy-young.jpg
News release prepared by: Rosie Hoefling, 785-532-2535, media@k-state.edu
Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011
FROM THE MUSEUM TO THE STREETS: ARTIST AMY YOUNG PRESENTS STREET ART LECTURE
MANHATTAN -- A current art phenomenon found in several cities across the country will be the focus of an upcoming lecture at Kansas State University's Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art.
New York artist Amy Young will present a lecture on her "See Me Tell Me" street art collection at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Beach Museum of Art.
Young's presentation will focus on street art development and the use of social media to engage artwork recipients. The event, co-sponsored by the department of history, the College of Education and the women's studies department, is free and open to the public.
After 17 years focused on an upscale art career, Young recently shifted her concentration to street art: small bags of art containing collage type materials found in urban environments. Using low-end materials, Young creates each piece of her street art in less than five minutes, attaching her website address to elicit viewer responses upon distribution.
Since summer 2010, Young has created and placed hundreds of these street art objects throughout New York, London, Louisville, Pittsburg and Seattle. Her artwork ranges in subject matter, including historical contexts, reflections of her travels, political leanings and portraits of people from New York.
Young's artwork was also the source of inspiration for History in a Bag, a project developed by K-State's Heather McCrea, associate professor of history, as a teaching tool for her spring 2011 history course.
"The idea behind History in a Bag is similar to the philosophy employed by Amy Young with her 'See Me Tell Me' street art. Young wants to bring art to the public, take it out of the gallery and museum and make it accessible to everyone, every day," McCrea said.
"I wanted to make history accessible in the same way: a quick story, joke or compelling little saying as you grab a cup of coffee. The key here is access and for the artist or historian saying something that is meaningful to them," she said.
Young received her bachelor's in fine art photography and fine art from Western Michigan University and her master's in museum studies and art history from the City College of New York. Her upcoming exhibitions include "Monsters, Saints and Cool Summer Dresses" at the Kedar Studio of Art and Index Gallery in Newark, N.J., and "14th Street Saints" at Art in Odd Places in New York.
The Beach Museum of Art is on the southeast corner of the K-State campus at 14th Street and Anderson Avenue. Free visitor parking is available next to the building. Normal museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The museum is closed Mondays. For more information, call 785-532-7718.
