Apply for summer program in archeology and art conservation

What if you could spend your summer restoring ancient art and architecture in Italy—while enjoying the country’s beautiful scenery and fantastic cuisine?

That is the opportunity available through the Archaeological Conservation Institute (ACI), a unique month-long program offered by Randolph College’s classics department. For the past two summers, Randolph students interested in archaeology, art history, and classics have had hands-on experience with projects such as resetting ancient Roman mosaics.

This year’s program, from May 14 to June 12, will include the opportunity to excavate Sant’Imbenia, an ancient Phoenician port village on the Italian island of Sardinia. Applications are due Feb. 1, and you can download an application here.

Claire Sumner ’15 is excited to attend ACI for the second year in a row. “I think that if students have any interest in conservation or archaeology it is a great introduction to both fields. Plus, you get to explore Italy. What could be better?”

Randolph launched ACI in partnership with the Centro di Conservazione Archeologica (Center for Archaeological Conservation) and the renowned conservationist Roberto Nardi in 2011. Sumner, an art history and museum studies major from Bainbridge Island, Washington, decided to participate in ACI last summer after hearing a speech by Nardi.

Sumner said last year’s program included lectures as well as “lab work” that included excavation and restoration efforts. “From the lab work, I learned some of the more simple techniques for the conservation and restoration of art works,” Sumner said. “From the lectures, I learned Dottore Nardi’s philosophy on conservation and what a new generation of conservators could do to improve the field.”

The experience caused Sumner to consider making a career out of conservation and art restoration. She decided to apply to ACI again so she can talk more with Nardi and his staff about what how to reach that goal.

Susan Stevens, a classics professor at Randolph, said the program will allow students to gain experience with a wide variety of conservation principles, ranging from broadly applicable practices, such as video documentation, to techniques for specific restoration projects. “With the top-notch team of Italian conservators, archaeologists, trainees and their lab and field projects, ACI students participate in a fascinating profession,” she said.

Student Center Renovation Update: January 16, 2013

Randolph's new Student Center is rapidly approaching the finish line. Major progress is now being made daily. Check out the latest slideshow here http://web.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter/slideshow/jan16/index.html

For comprehensive coverage of the renovation project, please see www.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter

Student Center Renovation Update: January 15, 2013

The $6 million Student Center renovation is progressing rapidly. Major progress is being made daily.

Check out the latest photos here:
http://web.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter/slideshow/jan15/index.html

For comprehensive coverage of the renovation project, please see www.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter.

Some furniture has been delivered.

The dining area for the Skeller features a new modern fireplace.

Foosball anyone?

A look at the new Skeller.

Exhibition highlights art from Arthur B. Davies, dance from Isadora Duncan

A new exhibition at the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College combines never-before-exhibited artwork with internationally-renowned dance.

Lori Belilove, artistic director of the Isadora Duncan Dance Company,
explains the dance-centered artwork of Arthur B. Davies.

On Friday, the Maier will open Modern Movement: Arthur Bowen Davies Figurative Works on Paper from the Randolph College and Mac Cosgrove-Davies Collections. The Isadora Duncan Dance Company will be on hand to explain and demonstrate the dance poses depicted in many of Davies’ works.

“The art would be great alone, but introducing the dance aspect makes it more meaningful,” said Martha Johnson, director of the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College. “This is interdisciplinary programming in action. That is always at the core of the liberal arts experience.”

Modern Movement

Exhibition Opening
When: Friday, Jan. 18, 6–8 p.m.
Where: Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College
Featuring art and dance interpretation by the Isadora Duncan Dance Company.
Free and open to the public

The Art of Isadora

Lecture and dance performance by the Isadora Duncan Dance Company
When: Saturday, Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Smith Hall Theatre
Tickets: $5 (free for students)

Davies was an American who is best known for his role in The Armory Show, an avant-garde exhibition that broke ground for modern art in America in 1913. Davies was the primary curator of the show, officially titled  the International Exhibition of Modern Art, and organized it with other American artists who wanted to see something new in American art.

“The academic training for artists had just gotten to be very predictable, so they were trying to breathe new life into the art scene in this country,” Johnson said. “People were tired of the tried and true, and they were looking for something new, something that was unique and creative, and about ideas.”

The exhibition shocked and scandalized many viewers because of the non-traditional nature of the art, which included cubist, surrealist, styles. But it also had its intended effect, ushering in a period of modernism in American art.

At the same time, Isadora Duncan was working to restore ballet from mere entertainment to an art form focused on beauty and natural movement. Occasionally, Davies drew inspiration from Duncan, attending her performances and sketching the dancers. Dancers were the subject of many of his works.

Many of Davies’ figure drawings featuring dancers were purchased by an art collector named Lillie P. Bliss. Her family donated much of her artwork to the College in 1949 after her death, making the College the custodian of one of the largest Davies collections in the country.

For decades, the Davies pieces from that gift remained in the College’s archives. Ten years ago, several pieces underwent conservation treatments to preserve them and allow them to be used in an exhibition. Several years later, the artist’s great-grandson Mac Cosgrove-Davies and Maier staff members began planning an exhibition to mark the centennial of the Armory Show.

The exhibition includes more than 70 works by Davies from the College’s collection and from Cosgrove-Davies’ private collection.

In addition to providing demonstrations at Friday’s exhibition opening, the Isadora Duncan Dance Company will present a concert in Smith Hall Theatre on Saturday. During the week, the dance company members are participating in a residency to teach techniques to Randolph dance students.

Recycle more with Randolph's new recycling program

Recycling at Randolph just got easier.

The printed rough draft of your last English paper, the plastic drink bottle you emptied while writing it, and the cardboard box from the frozen dinner you ate while writing that night all can go in the same recycling bin.

A few weeks ago, Randolph switched to a “single-stream” recycling program. That means that the blue recycling bins around campus now accept nearly any type of recyclable material, and the College’s recycling partner sorts the materials, said Ludovic Lemaitre ’11, sustainability coordinator.

“It’s a huge improvement,” said Lemaitre. “Recycling becomes a no-brainer.”

This simplified system makes it easier to distribute recycling bins, since each location only needs one bin. More than 200 recycling bins can be found in residence halls, bathrooms, offices, and hallways around campus.

The new arrangement also allows the College to recycle glass, cans, and juice boxes, which were not allowed before.

The new program could save the College money; prior to the single-stream arrangement, the College had to pay landfill fees when recyclables were placed in the wrong container and had to be thrown away rather than recycled. Since every bin can accept most kinds of recycling, that is in the past.

“We can recycle more, and we save money too,” Lemaitre said.

Each recycling bin has instructions for what it accepts, but here is a quick guide:

Each blue recycling bin can accept:

• Glass
• Plastic
• Soda cans and tins
• Paper
• Cardboard
• Aerosol Cans
• Juice Boxes

They can NOT accept:

• Plastic Bags
• Styrofoam
• Lightbulbs
• Food-soiled items (like pizza boxes with grease and cheese)

Additionally, there is a recycling center on the fifth floor of the Leggett Building that can accept:

• Plastic Bags
• Small Electronics
• Batteries
• DVDs and CDs

Note: Lemaitre said the bins are provided to collect recyclables that are used on campus, so people should not bring in their old bottles and cans from home. He suggested that people in the Lynchburg area consider RecycleEasy, which provides a similar single-stream recycling solution with curbside pickup.

Student Center Renovation Update: January 14, 2013

Equipment has been installed in the two-level cardio center.

"The Street"

The new Skeller

A view of the main floor of the Student Center.

 

Check out the latest progress on the $6 million Student Center renovation! The project is in its final weeks.

http://web.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter/slideshow/jan14/index.html

To see all of the coverage of the renovation, please see www.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter

Student Center Renovation Update: January 8, 2013

Randolph's $6 million Student Center renovation project is in its last leg. Much work was completed over the winter break, and crews are rapidly putting the finishing touches on the building. Check out the latest progress here: http://web.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter/slideshow/jan8/index.html

To see comprehensive coverage of the renovation project, please go to www.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter.

A view of the construction of Michels Plaza from the top floor of the Student Center.

Finishing work has begun on the main floor of the Student Center.

The new dining area for the Skeller will feature ample seating, large windows, and a modern design.

The mezzanine level of the cardio center is also nearing completion.

Randolph's $6 million Student Center renovation project is in its last leg. Much work was completed over the winter break, and crews are rapidly putting the finishing touches on the building. Check out the latest progress here: http://web.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter/slideshow/jan8/index.html

To see comprehensive coverage of the renovation project, please go to www.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter.