Anderson Ranch Arts Center celebrates 40 years of its visiting artist program

Anderson Ranch Arts Center’s new gallery exhibition, Mark/Image/Object runs through April 10, celebrating 40 years of its visiting artist program. A series of free lectures complements the anniversary year (see related info box).

The Ranch began in 1966 as a destination for both aspiring and renowned artists to create art and engage in critical dialogue, and it started welcoming visiting artists in 1980. The visiting artists program annually attracts approximately 20 artists of various disciplines, providing them time and space to explore new work and complete projects within their area of expertise. Most visiting artists stay for two weeks and contribute to the community by giving free lectures, which are open to the public and available in-person or via livestream.

Mark/Image/Object features one to three pieces of some of the top — and emerging — visiting artists who recently have spent time at the Ranch and who often have acted as faculty at one time or another. Artists include: Sama Alshaibi, Paul Anthony-Smith, Jess T. Dugan, Andrea Gill, John Gill, Brad Kahlhamer, Brad Miller, Abe Morell, Catherine Opie, Yana Payusova, Calida Rawles, Paul Sepuya, Leslie Stefanson, and Melanie Yazzie.

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Anthony-Smith came to the Ranch as a resident, then returned to teach, and ultimately came back through the visiting artist program. Born in Jamaica, the New York-based artist explores themes of post-diasporic identity, community, and cultural memory through paintings and photography.

“For so many of these artists, there’s a lot of multiple touch points for the Ranch,” said Andrea Jenkins Wallace, the Ranch’s vice president of artistic affairs.

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The retrospective exhibition honors the diversity, innovation, and enduring impact the artists have had on the community.

For instance, Brad Kahlhamer, an indigenous artist, has taught painting and returns again this summer to instruct. His art includes sculpture, drawing, painting, performance and music, in order to explore the “third place,” a meeting point of two opposing personal histories.

“He’s someone who is really pretty groundbreaking,” she said. “His work navigates Native American heritage, and that’s something that we thought should be represented in the show.”

Jess T. Dugan, who has been a visiting artist, critic, and faculty member at the Ranch — and returns this summer to teach — explores photography through intimate portraits focused on relationships, issues of desire, and the LGBTQ community.

Sama Alshaibi, a professor at the University of Arizona and Guggenheim fellow, was born in Iraq; her photographs and videos speak to being Muslim and being displaced. She underscores the social and gender impacts of war and migration.

“Her sculptural installations evoke the disappearance of the body and act as counter-memorials to war and forced exile,” according to her bio.

The largest piece on display in the Patton-Malott Gallery is Leslie Stefanson’s “La Bestia,” an iron and bronze sculpture measuring 102 x 4 x 6 ½ inches.

“People often refer to the Ranch as a makers’ paradise.” Wallace said. “A lot of artists are interested in potentially expanding the breadth of their work or just experimenting with a new media, and they count on Anderson Ranch’s expert artistic coordinator and technicians in our studios to support that.”

The curated show reflects upon how the visiting artists have found time to explore, question, and evolve their artistic practice.

In conjunction with the 40-year celebration, the upcoming free lecture series includes visiting artist Nacho Carbonell Feb. 20; visiting critic Jasmine Wahi Feb. 26; visiting artists Masako Miki, Noelle Choy, and Bari Ziperstein March 13, March 20, and March 27, respectively; visiting critic Lisa Kereszi April 2, and visiting artist Hugo McCloud April 17. All lectures start at 4:30 p.m.

On Feb. 20, Carbonell talks about the breadth of his work, and afterward, guests can stay to see the ice sculptures he plans to have completed — weather dependent — outside.

“Nacho Carbonell is from Spain, and his work really plays with sculpture. He does a lot of experimental techniques with natural materials. He’s known for these sculptural cocoon lamps. They’re these tree-like sculptures that are held together by steel branches, adorned with mesh-like cocoons,” Wallace said.

Meanwhile, Wahi visits for three days to provide critiques to the Ranch’s artists in residence, who are there for five weeks.

In addition to its free lectures, the Ranch offers workshops in seven disciplines, including photography and new media, ceramics, painting and drawing, furniture design and woodworking, sculpture, printmaking, and digital fabrication.