New Exhibitions Open June 15 at the American University Museum
American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center presents four new exhibitions opening June 15. A fifth exhibit mounted last spring remains on view through summer: mixed-media art installation, The Human Flood, on climate change-induced migration. The four new summer shows feature art by Indigenous American artists participating in the traveling exhibit GROUNDED; paintings by Jack Boul; Washington Color School-inspired artist Renee Butler; and the whimsical artwork of sculptor-architect Dickson Carroll. Opening reception: 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, June. 15. Exhibits are on display through Aug. 11.
The artist Jack Boul, born in Brooklyn in 1927 to Russian and Romanian parents, is best known for his etchings and monoprints. Jack Boul: Perceptual Painting takes a different view of the artist’s life and work by focusing in on Boul’s accomplishments as a painter and influence as a teacher. After military service in Italy, Boul used the G.I. Bill to attend the Cornish School of Art in Seattle. He graduated in 1951 and moved to Washington to continue his studies at American University. In 1969 he became part of a tight-knit group of AU faculty that had taught together at The Phillips Gallery School during World War II. AU Museum Curator and Director Jack Rasmussen notes that the faculty “then moved back to the American University campus to create one of the very first graduate programs in painting. Inspired by the Post-Impressionists to be found so close at hand in The Phillips Collection, AU’s faculty, joined by Jack Boul, brought the values of perceptual painting forward to another generation.”
Jack Boul, C&O Canal II, 1972. Oil on canvas, 14.25 x 11.25 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
The traveling exhibit GROUNDED: Restoring our world through a Sacred Harmony with the earth and each other, curated by CARAVAN, an international arts nongovernmental organization, showcases the work of 15 premier contemporary artists from Indigenous American tribes traditionally based in and around the Great Plains region. The exhibit includes paintings, objects and other mixed-media art forms. The artists’ practice reveals a unique blend of heritage and creative expression, and the exhibit title takes its name from the need to be “grounded” in a relationship with all of creation. An exhibition catalog is available for viewing. Participating artists: Ben Pease; Brent Learned; Carlin Bear Don’t Walk; Donald Montileaux; Henry Payer; Hillary Kempenich; Jackie Larson Bread; Jackie Sevier; Jim Yellowhawk; Joanne Brings Thunder; John Pepion; Louis Still Smoking; Robert Martinez; Talissa Abeyta; and Wade Patton. Organizing curator is Paul-Gordon Chandler, president of CARAVAN, and artistic curator is Robert Martinez. 
Ben Pease (Apsáalooke-Crow), “A Man’s Worth” Apsáalooke Scout White-Man-Runs-Him, 2022. Oil, acrylic, India ink, Inkjet print on paper, antique ledger paper on canvas 24 x 36 inches.
John Isaiah Pepion (Blackfeet), Backbone, 2022. Ink on antique Montana map 28.5 x 22.5 inches (framed).
An architect and sculptor, Dickson Carroll combines these disciplines in Dickson Carroll Retrospective, 1973 to 2023. On view are various types of sculptural works Carroll created over the last half-century. The exhibit brings Carroll’s unique, vibrant and whimsical three-dimensional world to life. Included are abstract pieces representing visionary building projects, many based on D.C. landmarks such as Metro. Curated by Christopher Addison. Presented by the Alper Initiative for Washington Art.
Dickson Carroll, Beach Week, 2021. Poplar, birch plywood, acrylic paint, 27 inches x 26 inches x 2 inches. Courtesy of Louisa and Bill Newlin
Renee Butler: Travelin’ Light showcases the artistic approach of Renee Butler, who draws inspiration from the Washington Color School, the abstract expressionism movement from the 1950s through 1970s. What sets Butler apart is her use of unconventional materials, often found at home. One of the materials used in her artwork is the Ziploc® bag, which is suspended in grids and allows for a transparent display of elements such as Butler’s photos, theater gels, and textiles. A Project Space exhibition curated by Jack Rasmussen.
The Human Flood is a mixed-media, immersive installation that puts the human consequences of climate change on display. Focusing on climate change-related occurrences such as wildfire, rising sea levels, and extreme heat, the combination of Ellyn Weiss’s two- and three-dimensional works alongside Sondra N. Arkin’s abstract two- and three-dimensional works create viewpoints on both a personal and global scale. The exhibition evokes a sense of urgency and is accompanied by a catalog and website where visitors can learn more about climate change. Laura Roulet, Curator.
Ellyn Weiss and Sondra N. Arkin, installation photograph from the exhibition The Human Flood, American University Museum, 2023.