ART MUSEUM CRITIQUE

Use the following format for your museum critique; answers must be typed below the
questions and all questions must appear in full on your final copy. You can use this
document as your template. Pay careful attention to the required number of words for those
questions that have them. Failure to follow the instructions here and on your syllabus will
result in a substantially low grade. Minimal answers poorly written are a D grade or less.
Elaboration of points, excellent arguments, and good writing garner higher grades.
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Name: Elias Veroni

Class period/section: Humanities 1100-031______

1) Which museum did you visit? (check one) ___ Univ. of Utah _X_ BYU
2) Describe at least one of the permanent collection exhibits on a theme, period,
geographic region, or topic) within the museum. {150 words}
The BYU museum of art had two permanent exhibits but the one that I like the most
revolved around multiple time periods of art as well as a number of subjects. The tile
of the exhibit was Shaping America. In the exhibit you walk into a room full of
diversity but it all leads to the America we are now and what has happened to get us
here. The first part of the exhibit has multiple self-portraits of important royalty. They
include paintings of Lady C, and Henriette Luard as well as many others. The
second part touches more to home soil. Art of the Nation was the tittle given to this
section. It consisted of native American clothing and paintings of landscapes as well
as a few civil war general paintings. The next section in the exhibit showed what
beautiful things made America. This part showed lots more of the beautiful
landscapes that we have and images of beautiful ladys as well as clothing worn by
natives and lastly to end the section a bit of religion was tossed. For the last part of
the exhibit it showed how America has influenced nations. A multitude of artworks
were gathered many form different countrys that showed a significant influence from
the united states. Also this section had photographs of jazz singers who influence
the nation.
3) Give a brief, one paragraph description of a special, temporary exhibit (for help, ask
museum staff what these are; they are usually in one of the first rooms). {100 words}
During the time that I attended the BYU museum of arts, there was an exhibit That
was only going to be there until the mid-month of March, the exhibits name was,
Branding the American West. This was the museum biggest temporary exhibit and in
the exhibit you are walked through a multitude of artwork starting from the early
colonial and native American area to some of the mid-19th century exploration of the
west deserts of America artwork. The first thing you walk into when you are going
into the exhibit is many pictures of native American people, these people are just
shown as waiting for wagon trains and portraying what life like a native American
looks like. Next you have paintings of landscape of the wild west. Mountains, Cliffs,
Canyons, Vegetation. The last part of the exhibit is what the white man did with his
life in the west. Paintings of horses and cowboys as well as films and a last bronze
statue of a cowboy trying to tame a horse.

4) What do you think the museum administration and/or exhibit curators want you to learn
or gain from the exhibits you viewed? {100 word minimum}
What I consider the museum administration was trying to do the exhibits that were
shown was the true notion of being American and they wanted to not just portray the
good things but the bad things that have gone on in the nation. The exhibit of how
America got where it was today is a great example of what Im stating. Having you
walk through a whole exhibit of were the nation has started and where we find
ourselves know is the best way to get someone to understand that it wasnt easy
and having that exhibit connect to the Americas West exhibit makes it more of a
resemblance.
5) What kind of information is provided about the works? Where might you look for further
information if you were interested? (Name three possibilities)
When I was at the museum the sort of information that was available to the view
were as fallows. An Information board next to the painting, mainly explaining who the
artist was a brief background in their lifes and were they got the inspiration to create
the art piece. Second the person in the museum doing a walk through. You can stop
and ask them questions and they might have an answer to it. Last reassures I would
use if I needed to find more information about the artist or the art piece would be the
internet.
6) Choose several works that particularly appealed to you. Explain why you were drawn to
these works. Comment on the subject, style, medium, time period, etc. Who were the
artists? What message do you think the artists were trying to convey in the works you
chose to discuss? This question must be answered in its entirety. {This should be at
least 500 words}
Council Call of Crows Montana by Joseph Henry Sharp
This is the first piece of artwork that caught my attention. I was rapidly draw to it no
just because of my love for painting of native American culture but because of the
way the artist made the tepees look. In the painting there is a fire that has been
kindled inside the tepee and the artist made it look like the light was coming right
through the tepees hide. This painting has a deep meaning because it mainly points
out that these native American tribes were secluded because they were not
accepting white European idealism. Another attribute that made me like the picture
was that it was painted with oil paints and the way he used multiple shades of
orange to make the fire light seep through was astonishing. With that I think that
artist was trying to show that even with being pushed into corners of the country the
Native Americans were able to continue with their practices not caring for the white
mans believes.
The Canyon by Emil James Bisttram
I chose The Canyon as my second one because of the way it was painted. Walking
into a section in the exhibit of discovering the west there was multiple pieces of art
showing scenery of the American west. Landscapes were one of the biggest parts in
this section but what made The Canyon stand out was the abstract style that was
used. It made the viewer feel like you were somewhere else and that it wasnt just
like all the other pictures of the west deserts. The Canyon that was painted was not

orange and rocky but black and the river that went through it was white. I feel like the
artist painted it in such away so that the view could really get a district view of how
sharp the edges of the canyon really were and that the river gracefully complimented
the rough rocks giving it a smooth tone to the work of art.
Forgotten Man by Maynard Dixon
This painting was by far my favorite. Im not sure even to this moment why I was so
attracted to this image. The way the colors flow it just depicts the era and the
situation the individual is found in during Americas great depression. I think that the
man left on the sidewalk while everyone triumphs by is a great way to depict what
was occurring during this time period. This art work gets its grouping with the section
of American history because it falls with what made the nation what its become. The
best thing about this painting is the way the oil paints flow. The strokes given by the
artist make is seem like there never was a brush in the first place. I feel like the artist
was trying to depict how many people were left without jobs, homeless and hungry.
While others were still somewhat striving and for those individuals that could not get
back to the top they were forgotten since no one could help them unless they
wanted to end up like the man on the curb side.
7) How did the artworks you looked at relate to material we have discussed in class?
(They do relate in many ways; you just need to look for those relationships). {Minimum
of 150 words}
Almost all the paintings I looked at during my museum visit could relate to class one
that I have in mind is the piece of work by Victor Nehlig named Pocahontas and
John Smith in the artwork I looks like John Smith is about to get chopped up by
Native Americas in Pocahontass tribe. How I would tie this to a class subject is race
the main reason John is about to get himself killed is because he is different and he
is with the white men that were and did take over the lands of the Natives. There
was always a problem between European whites men and Natives Americans not
just because of religion issue but also difference in skin town making Native
American lower in the social circle.
8) What was your personal reaction to this experience? Would you enjoy attending this
type of event again? Why or why not? {Minimum 100 words}
I loved attending the BYU art museum even thought they had their whole basement
exhibits closed. What made it even more interesting that instead of just walking
around like I would do before I had to sit down and really look at the paintings to see
if I could get a meaning behind the paintings. Also having a form to fill out made It a
bit more interesting. Having friends accompany me made it also a fun experience, as
well as giving me a reason to go out and leave my routine of Work, School, and
Homework. (even thought this was homework I really enjoyed it.) I would completely
do this again but next time to the University of Utah to see their new exhibits.

As always remember that I want to see reflective thinking on your part. Show me you are
aware of your limitations, your biases, etc. Show me that you are thinking about your own
responses and why you respond the way you do.