On behalf of the Art Education department at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the Exhibitions class of Spring 2013, thank you for taking the time to consider the life’s work of John Crowe. On view in the Arnheim Gallery at Mass Art from April 8th through the 24th John Crowe, The Constant Evolving Present is a retrospective of retiring Mass Art professor and artist John Crowe. A true visionary in arts education, John Crowe has been an educator in Massachusetts for over 40 years, from k-12 to the college level. He is a founder of Teaching for Artistic behavior and a co founder of the Whole Arts Partnership.
A reflection on artistic practice in coordination with educational practice, John Crowe’s identity as an artist has been irrevocably intertwined with modeling artistic behavior and process over product. As a result of this educational mindset, Crowe’s work is constantly in flux. Always evolving, always giving, the work of John Crowe reflects a life long dedication to his students and an artistic practice that spans decades.
Taking cues from artists like Eva Hesse, Richard Tuttle and Howard Hodgkin, Crowe has developed a body of work that allows for constant change, chance encounters and calculated relationships between objects and the viewer. Contemporary yet sentimental, precious and commonplace, the work of John Crowe examines the need to imbue objects with power and ability to evolve from banal to extraordinary. With the aid of your institution we hope to bring with work of Crowe to a wider audience, to inspire and intrigue a new generation of artists. We have enclosed documentation from the retrospective, as well as external links to publications and promotions about the show, implemented gallery education materials, as well as an essay from the catalog.
Again, thank you for taking the time to observe John Crowes work. We look forward to hearing from you, and are happy to answer any questions you may have, as well as supply more images or information.
Respectfully,
Karen Beaty
Representative from the Exhibitions Class, Spring 2013
© 2013 John Crowe: The Constant Evolving Present