Art in the Libraries Exhibits for Fall 2024 include:

Hidden No More: The Enduring Impact of Native American and Enslaved People on the Evansdale Neighborhood and WVU Campus
Downtown Library Floor 6  - May 2024 - 2025

This exhibit highlights people and circumstances comprising the many stories that are woven into 360 acres of land. Home to Native Americans for thousands of years, this land was claimed by 1700s Colonial settler John Evans, worked by the people he and his family enslaved over generations, then parceled as a family neighborhood and later purchased by a growing university. Hear the authors discuss the origins of the project, the details they found, and how you might launch a similar project in your own neighborhood, contributing to truth and justice in our community.

Exhibit produced by: 

• Amy J. Hirshman, PhD., Associate Professor of Anthropology, WVU Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology
• Madison McCormick, WVU Public History Graduate Student
• Riley Bowers, WVU History Graduate Student
• Bonnie M. Brown, MA, Coordinator and Instructor, WVU Native American Studies Program

Trout in the Classroom: A Journey Through Art and Science

Curated by Jennifer Ripley Stueckle, WVU Teaching Professor, Biology
2024 WVU Art in the Libraries Faculty Exhibit Awardee

The beauty and vitality of the United States' ecosystems come to life in "Trout in the Classroom," an exhibition celebrating the wonder of native species and the educational impact of experiential learning. This exhibition showcases the collaborative efforts of local schools, community volunteers, and university students in exploring the life cycle of rainbow trout through quilts, paintings, prints, and photographic documentation of the project process.

Paintings

Created by North Elementary School’s fourth-grade class in Morgantown, students embarked on a colorful journey through the world of trout and aquatic ecosystems. Guided by university students from WVU's General Biology program, participating schools delved into the intricate web of life within freshwater ecosystems. Through field trips, read-aloud events, and hands-on tank maintenance, students gained a deeper appreciation for the delicate balance of nature and their role in its preservation. With a palette of primary colors and imagination, these young artists explored themes ranging from the intricate food web to the profound impact of human activities on the environment. Their vibrant paintings, originally displayed in the halls of the Life Sciences Building since 2020, offer a visual narrative of ecological interconnectedness and the importance of conservation efforts.

Quilts

 First grade students from Mountainview Elementary created quilt patches. Under the guidance of dedicated teachers and community volunteers, each student contributed a unique square, illustrating various stages of the rainbow trout's life cycle. From eggs to fingerlings, these quilts weave together a tapestry of discovery and creativity. Funded by the Women of WVU Enrichment Fund grant, these quilts serve as a testament to the power of hands-on education and community collaboration. 

Prints

Complementing the tactile warmth of quilts and the visual splendor of paintings, prints provide a snapshot of scientific inquiry and environmental stewardship. In partnership with the Art Museum of WVU and the School of Art and Design’s printmaking program, students at North, Mountainview and Mason Dixon Elementary schools participated in observational drawing workshops, in which they used artistic strategies to document the trout in their classroom. Each student made an individual drawing that was then scanned and transferred to a printing screen. During the Monongalia County-wide release event in May, students learned the technique of screen printing by making their class print.

Paintings by Max Hayslette

Downtown Campus Library (6th floor)

Included in this exhibit are 18 recent paintings that show two sides of Max Hayslette— the romantic landscape painter, and the abstract expressionist. While the two styles may seem disparate, for Hayslette they are essentially the same, both resulting from the same intellectual process. Max Hayslette's generous gift of these paintings to the West Virginia Regional History Center and WVU students, faculty and staff makes this exhibit possible.

Photography by Betty Rivard

The West Virginia University Libraries purchased 69 of Rivard's photographs in 2015. Most of the photographs hang in a corridor leading to staff work areas in the Wise Library, a part of the Downtown Campus Library. Some of the photos grace work spaces at all three of the WVU Libraries: Downtown, Evansdale, and Health Sciences. While Rivard's subjects include landscapes, streetscapes, architecture, and community life, most of those in the University Libraries are landscapes.