Muzeo reopens Carnegie Galleries with two new exhibits

Although Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center’s Main Gallery opened in June, its Carnegie Galleries opened last week with the two new exhibits — “CSUF MFA @Muzeo” and “Passing Through Life with Brushes, Chisels & Clays.”

The Cal State Fullerton exhibit showcases a mix of paintings, illustrations, sculptures and installations of graduating students in the master’s visual arts programs.

When the university announced classes would remain virtual throughout the 2020-21 academic year, it meant the students would not have a chance to exhibit their thesis projects on campus at the Begovich Gallery in the spring. However, nine out of 15 students responded to a call for their work to be exhibited at Muzeo during the summer.

“The works in the show interrogate the idea of the hero. Some address concern and optimism and escape while demonstrating resilience and the desire to create during the most challenging time of their college career,” said Katie Farrell Adams, Muzeo’s executive director.

At the center, drawings by Yara Almouradi capture refugees and in the background paintings by Matt Key looks at the way we prioritize language and images in the “CSUF MFA @Muzeo” exhibit at Carnegie Galleries.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Frias)

The students’ educational experiences changed without access to resources or studio space to create their capstone project, but the common thread in their artwork addresses the human condition.

Jennifer Frias, director and curator of the Begovich Gallery, noted a few examples — Yara Almouradi captures refugee lives through her drawings while aiding them; Negin Heyadat’s paintings recall her parents’ separation and her migration to the United States; Matt Key looks at the way we prioritize language and images; Amanda Carrigan’s shows her visual diary during the pandemic; Hadley Mattwig explores masculinity as depicted in Western films and its correlation to women; and Allison Holland’s woven sculptures that materialized as part of a performance address isolation and anxiety.

Calligraphy, including abstract works, and ceramics by Sung Yong Tark, Wonho featured in the Carnegie Galleries at Muzeo.

(Courtesy of Clark Silva)

“Passing Through Life with Brushes, Chisels & Clays” serves as a retrospective of artist Sung Tark’s practice spanning over 35 years.

Tark, who was born to Korean parents in Andong, Manchuria in Northeastern China but grew up in South Korea, was never formally educated as an artist. He studied polymer science at University of Akron and went into a research and development career.

When he moved to California around 1976, he joined Mook Hyang Calligraphy Society and became a member of the Korean Calligraphy Assn. in Los Angeles. He studied with Master Hanong and was featured in his first group show in 1986. Since then his works have been featured in 26 exhibitions.

The Muzeo exhibit includes his traditional calligraphy scrolls written in both Chinese characters and Korean language as well as his modern calligraphy, which is an abstract take that appears to be illegible to most viewers. Some of his ceramic pieces, shaped by hand, are also on view.

If you go
What/When: “CSUF MFA @Muzeo” July 10 to Aug. 29 and “Passing Through Life with Brushes, Chisels & Clays” July 10 to Sept. 5
Where: Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center, 241 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim
Cost: Free
Info: muzeo.org

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