Art gallery exhibits feature ‘Metal from Clay’ and ‘Curious Drawings’

Two new exhibitions will be showcased at the University Art Gallery for the fall semester: “The Curious Drawings of Doctor Clapp” and “Metal from Clay: Pittsburgh’s Aluminum Stories.”

“St. Michael Defeating Lucifer” by George Hubbard ClappBoth exhibitions are set to open with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Frick Fine Arts Building and run until Dec. 6, according to a news release. They will both be free of charge.

The Clapp exhibition, which is curated by undergraduate Museum Studies students, will include a more than 300 drawings from a notebook George Hubbard Clapp donated to Pitt in 1941. Some drawings are sketches, while others copy classic Renaissance art, the release said. This is the first time these drawings have been displayed in 30 years.

“As always, we are thrilled to invite the public to see the exceptional work of our Museum Studies student researchers and curators on display,” said Sylvia Rhor, art gallery director. “ ‘The Curious Drawings of Doctor Clapp’ bridges the gap between art and natural history, offering a fascinating glimpse into the enigmatic world of a renowned collector and important figure in university and local history.”

It also will include rare objects from Clapp’s collection, which are on loan from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

The “Aluminum Stories” exhibit will showcase history found in aluminum in objects from other Pittsburgh collections, according to the release. These objects include early production aluminum on Smallman Street, a new art installation from sculptor Atticus Adams and more.

The exhibit will feature objects on loan from the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, the Heinz History Center, Rivers of Steel and more.

“Pittsburgh’s designation as the ‘steel city’ is entirely too restrictive,” said Alex Taylor, academic curator and assistant professor in the Department of History of Art and Architecture. “The city’s leading cultural institutions have all been shaped by the history of aluminum, and we are grateful to have drawn on their rich collections for this display.”

The University Art Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and until 7 p.m. Thursdays.