Athens, Ga. – The Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia will present the exhibition “Art Hazelwood and Ronnie Goodman: Speaking to the Issues” from June 13 through Sept. 13. Organized by William U. Eiland, director of the museum, it focuses on issues including homelessness, poverty, war, corruption and violence and speaks to contemporary headlines with prints titled “Black Lives Matter” and “Parade of Global Warming Deniers.”
The exhibition of works by the two Bay Area contemporary artists is complementary to the exhibition of Mexican printmakers and artists, “El Taller de Gráfica Popular: Vida y Arte,” on display in the museum’s temporary galleries. “With Hazelwood and Goodman, the tradition of socially conscious printmaking continues: yes, in 2015, cultural activism lives!” Eiland said.
Goodman, born and raised in San Francisco, had a troubled youth and lived on the streets before being convicted of burglary. During his sentence, he attended the San Quentin Art in Correction Program taught by Hazelwood. Since serving his time, he has remained homeless but continues to make art, obtaining his materials through Hospitality House, a San Francisco homeless resource center, and working in a friend’s studio space. Goodman is also a distance runner and credits that practice with helping him stay sober.
Hazelwood studied at the University of California at Santa Cruz and traveled to Asia after graduation. He lived in Vienna to focus on his art and eventually settled in San Francisco. Although his art was already overtly political, it became even more so as he made screen prints for Street Sheet, a San Francisco newspaper focused on homelessness. Hazelwood has also created work for the Western Regional Advocacy Program, which distributes it under a Creative Commons license.
Both artists draw on the tradition of the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project in their creation of striking black-and-white prints, conveying strong political messages through their art.
Associated museum events include 90 Carlton: Summer, the museum’s quarterly celebration of its exhibitions ($5, or free for members of the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art), on July 17; and a public tour on Aug. 19 at 2 p.m. led by Eiland.
Museum Information
Partial support for the exhibition and programs at the Georgia Museum of Art is provided by the Georgia Council for the Arts through appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. The council is a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Individuals, foundations and corporations provide additional museum support through their gifts to the University of Georgia Foundation. The Georgia Museum of Art is located in the Performing and Visual Arts Complex on UGA’s East Campus. The address is 90 Carlton St., Athens, GA, 30602-1502. For more information, including hours, see georgiamuseum.org or call 706-542-4662.