The art of the print

'Art under Pressure' opens at University of Montana

MISSOULA – The printed art is celebrated in a new collection at the University of Montana.

The Montana Museum of Art and Culture at the University of Montana presents a student-curated art exhibition, “Art Under Pressure: Function and Form in Prints from the MMAC Collection” on Thursday, June 18.
The exhibit previously opened in March, but closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Curated by UM students in UM adjunct assistant art professor Reilly Shwab’s art history class, the exhibit features multiple types of prints from the MMAC.

Shwab said the show examines European and American prints from the 17th to early 20th Centuries.
“Focusing on the myriad historical functions of the printed arts along with the diverse techniques used to create them, student-curators selected and researched the works on paper and wrote the discursive wall labels,” Shwab said. “This show begins to bridge the gap between ephemeral visual culture, including newspaper cartoons, playing cards and fashion plates, and the fine arts prints of old masters and avant-garde artists.”

MMAC Director Rafael Chacón said the museum is proud to host the experimental exhibition curated by UM’s own art history students.
“They had the unique experience of confronting works of art and important documents to history and sharing their discoveries, while also highlighting a particularly rich part of our permanent collection,” he said.
The exhibition will be on view in the south lounge on the third floor of the University Center.