Seeing Ourselves at the ASU Art Museum this summer

TEMPE, Ariz. - Valley residents can barely muster the energy to keep cool in the summer, let alone take on a major self-improvement project. Now folks can do both by heading to the cool underground of the ASU Art Museum for the exhibition Seeing Ourselves, July 1 - Sept. 23. The exhibition is a lesson in self-awareness and personal identity through portraiture, and coincides with the highly-anticipated annual event, Family Fun Day, July 15, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.  

Seeing Ourselves includes more than 50 artworks in several mediums that show the different ways artists depict themselves and their subjects. Overarching themes of self-esteem, self-awareness and personal identity are presented in text displays that accompany the work, which is from museum's permanent collection.       

"The exhibition explains what comprises a portrait, such as physical characteristics, social status identifiers, psychological or emotional elements and personal effects," says curator Jean Makin. "It also encourages critical and creative thinking in terms of how we might interpret possible meanings for artworks today."

Activities in the gallery such as computer kiosks with image-morphing software, costume and graffiti walls and a life-sized interactive portrait also drive home the self-image experiment.

The free Family Fun Day event includes thematic art projects such as scrap-booking, face-painting and self-portrait activities. Musicians and dancers also will perform in several spaces at the museum. "Arthur" from the PBS children's show will appear courtesy of Eight/KAET which also will present a bi-lingual activity based on the "Berenstain Bears."

The ASU Art Museum is part of the Herberger College of Fine Arts at Arizona State University and is located on the southeast corner of Mill Avenue and 10th Street in Tempe.   Hours are 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and admission is free.   For more information, call (480) 965-2787 or visit the museum online athttp://asuartmuseum.asu.edu .

Media Contact:
Denise Tanguay 
480.965.7144
denise.tanguay@asu.edu