For the 2015-2016 academic year, Clough-Hanson Gallery served as a hub for research, conversation and programming concerning art and its relationship to place. A sustained, year-long slate of programming that incorporated students and faculty from all over the campus, as well as community partners and thought leaders and practitioners from across the country, culminated in the Memphis Center Conference in Spring of 2016.

The gallery hosted one networked exhibition in sites across Memphis, three exhibitions on campus (one of which housed a reading and resource room curated by Mellon Student Fellows), and partnered with other campus groups to present five related lectures throughout the year, as well as the Memphis Center Conference for which internationally renowned artist Mel Chin gave the keynote lecture. Additionally, Karen Harper, curator of the Kohler Arts Center in Wisconsin and a specialist in vernacular art environments, served as a curatorial collaborator with the gallery, making several visits to campus and working directly with students on research that supported the final on-campus exhibition in the series, which was scheduled to coincide with the 2016 Art and Place Conference. In all, 12 local artists, 6 international artists, and 8 arts professionals engaged directly with students in various ways. Students working with the Art and Art History Department’s Visual Resource Center and the Memphis Art Project were engaged to document, archive, and create digital platforms for the program in ways that opened the conversation to more parties.

The project ended at the close of the academic year, but its impact continues to be felt. For example, as a result of the Mellon Fellowship relationships were forged with Prof. Elizabeth Pettinaroli and the Department of Modern Languages that led to a collaborative exhibition in 2017.

Joel Parsons
Director, Clough Hanson Gallery

Joel Parsons is an artist, writer, and curator in Memphis. He directs the Clough Hanson Gallery at Rhodes College.