Sheldon an educational asset
SHELDON from page 16
Sheldon, who increased his sister’s
gift with 40 percent of his own estate.
The family stipulated the muse
um be designed by an architect of
international repute. Johnson was
chosen. Ground was broken Jan. 12,
1961, and the gallery was dedicated
on May 16,1963.
The building stands as a classic
work. Siedell said because of its self
sufficiency, it poses challenges.
“The emphasis of the building is
on high modem art in the 1960s,” he
said. “The history of the collection
runs parallel to the building. If you
look at the late ’50s and ’60s, the
gallery was coming into its own.
“It was collecting work from that
period, and you can kind of count the
building as a work it collected - an
acquisition that has been very impor
tant to the gallery for the next 35
years of history,” he continued. “It
set the emphasis for the collection.”
Artistic Challenge
, The Sheldon is different from'
other galleries in that it is separate
from the school of art and art history.
Siedell said that separation some
times makes interaction difficult.
Christin Mamiya, an art history
professor at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, said the separa
tion doesn’t exist because of the
physical distance of the buildings.
“The real limitation is the
resources,” she said, “in that the staff
and budget (at the Sheldon) is so lim
ited they can only do so much.”
She added that the limited scope
of the works also causes separation.
“The collection has been focused
on American modern art, and that
means that professors who teach
other realms of art don’t have any
resources there to use,” she said
Mamiya has organized exhibi
tions to coincide with her classes in
tfie past, but she said that is also hard
to do, as the museum has a small staff
that is ultimately very busy.
“To have all the works pulled
takes a lot of time, and they just don’t
have the people to do it.”
Although the resources are limit
ed, Siedell has striven to bridge the
gap between academics and art.
Artistic Endeavors
Siedell graduated from UNL in
1989 with a bachelor’s degree in art
history.
He completed two internships
while a student at the university -
66
I want to bring the gallery back to the
classroom, not make it a field trip”
Dan Siedell
curator of the Sheldon
one at the Sheldon - and knew he
was interested in museum work.
He then went to the State
University New York-Stony Brook
and got his master’s degree in art his
tory, criticism and theory. It was then
that his focus changed.
“I became interested in the acad
emic side of art,” he said. “My focus
moved from research to scholarship.
I wanted to teach.”
This switch in direction was one
of the things that changed his future
and framed his goals for the Sheldon.
He got his doctorate degree at the
University of Iowa in 1995, writing a
dissertation on how art historians
have shaped the history of Abstract
Expressionism.
After returning to Nebraska in
1991 to teach three summer classes,
Siedell returned permanently after
graduation in 1995 and applied for a
teaching position at UNL.
As soon as Siedell returned,
whether coincidence or fate, the
curator of the Sheldon resigned.
George Neubert, the former
director of the Sheldon, encouraged
Siedell to apply. He did, and he has
been the curator since July 1996.
“It was clear to me (the gallery)
wanted to develop an academic rela
tionship with the surrounding cam
pus,” he said. “I took the job with
clear goals to try and reinvigorate the
collection in an academic way.
Having tours wasn’t enough. I knew
there was more there.”
Art Scholarship
Siedell’s main goal for the
gallery is to make it a place where
scholarship is possible - a place
where scholars can learn in an acces
sible and welcoming atmosphere.
But turning the gallery into a
“research collection,” as Siedell calls
it, is much easier said than done.
“There are days I think it has
worked and days I think it hasn’t,”
Siedell said, laughing. “It’s one of
those things you have to pursue - you
can’t just say you want to do it. You
have to do it. The rhetoric alone
doesn’t do the job.”
During the four years Siedell has
been curator, he has worked to devel
op a culture in the museum that fos
ters a climate for his academic goals.
He has placed his educational
goals at the forefront, working to
make them a reality through the use
of in-depth study and by arranging
classes that utilize the gallery spaces,
such as Mamiya’s class.
He is developing workshops and
spreading information about the
gallery, as well as continuing to bring
in pertinent and meaningful exhibits.
“The challenge is in how to use
the gallery in (an educational) way,”
he said. “It’s not a challenge to pro
gram it but a challenge to bring (stu
dents) into the space. I want to bring
the gallery back to the classroom, not
make it a field trip.”
Siedell said he is serious about
his educational agenda, and if he
were to leave a legacy when his time
at the Sheldon ends, it would be a
strong tie with the community and an
instilled educational agenda.
l am very much committed to
education,” he said. “It’s my service
to the university - it’s part of what
education is about. That is my tether,
I guess.
“I am constantly trying to be able
to think of ways this project can be
geared to the academic community.
It’s part of the challenge. There are
no easy answers.”
Although the building within
which he works will continue to pose
challenges, Siedell said he doesn’t
blame the museum for making his
job tough.
“Whenever I go there, I am just
overwhelmed by what a beautiful
place it is,” he said. “When I have a
rough day, I walk out into the gallery
and see some work, and it’s quiet and
reflective.
“It takes me away from the hustle
and bustle of campus life,” he said.
“It’s completely yours - you can sit
there for however long and be com
pletely open. There aren’t very many
places like that, where you can be in
complete control.”
Siedell continued with a smile.
“I guess that’s what makes art
art.”
‘Sweeney Todd’ brings
dark comedy to theater
SWEENEY from page 12
In 1846, the story was rewritten
by Thomas Prest and serialized in a
London newspaper. This version
inspired many plays in the late 19th
and early 20th centuries.
A film came out in 1936, and a
ballet based on the legend was per
formed in 1959.
A play by Christopher Bond
opened in 1973 and inspired
Sondheim to use the basic plot for a
musical comedy.
The 2,/2-hour play is humorous,
but the dark subject matter is not
meant for small children, Shomos
said.
However, the elaborate set,
strong story and strength of the cast
should make it enjoyable for every
one else, Shomos said.
“At times it’s very humorous,
and at times it’s very poignant.”
■ Lincoln’s First Class ^ JQ*
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I 399 Sun Valley Blvd.
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All Day Monday |
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This presentation, which includes actual
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October 13th
Nebraska Union Auditorium
7:30 p.m.
For more information contact V*1C*
the University Program Council at 472-8146.
402-472-2588
402-472-1761 (FAX)
dn@unl.edu
20 Nebraska Union
P.O. Box 880448
Lincoln, NE 68588-0448
Classifieds
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$0.15 each additional word
$0.75 billing charge
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Deadline: 3 p.m. weekday prior
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Retired DJ selling CDs. Over 500 CDs for sale, $7
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Husker Alum needs 2 tickets to the Texas A&M game.
Please page me at (877) 237-6609.__
Husker Alumni needs 2-4 tickets for Texas A&M game.
Call Kelly (800)442-9841(days) 972-902-9027 (evening
pager).___
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Auto Accidents & DWI
Other criminal matters, call Sanford Pollack 476-7474.
Cycle Works
Prime riding is among us, so don’t put your bike away
just yet. Give your bike some love with a tune up or
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Bikes from Trek, Specialized, Klein, and Bontrager, on
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27th and Vine. Or call 475-2453
For all your insurance needs: auto, home, health, life
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Insurance, 1340 L St., Lincoln, NE 68508 or call
402-474-5077.
Free
Pregnancy Test
Birthright is a confidential helping hand. Please call for
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Big house, very nice, dean, all utilities paid, with W/D.
Close to campus. Males only, $280/month. 477-0227.
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One M/F roommate to share large 2 bedroom, 2 bath,
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3 bedroom house, close to campus. $645.432-2288.
3204 Holdrege, 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath, garage, parkinq,
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dust built— 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage, lawn
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Nice 2 bedroom and 1 bedroom. W/D hook ups. AC,
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Nice 4 bedroom, 2 baths, close to campus, available
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Walk to campus, off street parking, remodeled 2 bed
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!! CLEAN & ATTRACTIVE!!
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2 Bedroom 1505 S. 19th, New carpet $410
No Smokers or Pets 440-3000
[12618 Q, new 2 bedroom, all appliances, double garage
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475-7262
Relax in our free-lined neighborhood. Efficiency- $299;
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Lincoln Rentals Online
www.lincolnrentals.org
Search for rentals online based on location, price,
number of bedrooms, and type. Property owners list
rental ad for free.__
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School Year Leases Available
1.2 and 3 bedroom apartments, 3 year rent freeze.
Can for locations and prices, 477-2600 or
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