The Walter Anderson Museum of Art opened its first juried exhibition of contemporary art, "CrossCurrents", on September 13, 1997 (Through October 20, 1997). CrossCurrents features the art of 71 artists from throughout the nation, representing a wide variety of works including paintings, sculpture, drawings, pottery, mixed media, photography, fiber and jewelry. Also on display will be a new exhibit from the Museum's collection of art by Walter Anderson in the Permanent Collection Gallery. When CrossCurrents first premiered it was a biennial exhibition. Now, it is triennial with the next CrossCurrents planned for 2000.

Here are some samples of the art work from CrossCurrents

Chinese Writing - Jewelry by Henry Iliescu of Scarsdale, NY

Delta Kit (open view)-Mixed Media by Sylvia Scena of Olympia, WA

Black Drawing with 9 Moons - Handmade Paper & Mixed Media by Pat L. Brown of Clevland, MS

Memory Dog Betty - Ceramic Mixed Media by Mary Engel of Athens, GA

Noon - Oil on Canvas by Tingbo Guang of Chicago, IL

Vase #4 - Pewter & Copper by Thomas S. Madden of Bowling Green, OH

Dr. McDaniel is interim director of Spelman's Museum of Fine Art. She served as a consultant to the Corporation for Olympic Development for the Atlanta University Promenade Sculpture Program and was the visual arts consultant and chief curator for the National Black Arts Festival. She is the author of more than a dozen publications on African-American art.

Mr. Funderburk has taught at the university level for more than 17 years and is a widely-exhibited practicing artist in painting. Among his other honors is the John Grisham Faculty Excellence Award which he received in 1994. He has taught "Encounters," a studio art course examining the multi-faceted creative vision of Walter Inglis Anderson, since 1985.

CrossCurrents : A Biennial Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Art So strange - so incredible is the relationship of matter to spirit. In these words of Walter Anderson we find an artist seeking to express and understand the connections that link two dimensions, two worlds. These relationships and the space between air and wing, sky and earth, heart and soul have provided inspiration and subject matter for Walter Anderson and other artists throughout the ages. Humankind's unceasing desire to create images has served myriad purposes in past and present societies, whether illustrating the unseen world of spirit, evoking the majestic forces of nature, exploring the innermost realms of imagination or raising our awareness of social injustice. In all of these ways and many more the arts are a reflection of a society, a pulse that defines the boundaries of a culture, explores the places in between and reveals what lies beyond. The exhibition CrossCurrents : A Biennial Juried of Contemporary Art provides both a rich overview and innerview, a snapshot of our nation's culture as we face the transition of a century in crescendo. In these works we simultaneously experience the artist's vision of us as a people while, through processes of technique and discipline, traits of the artist's inner realm are likewise revealed. From our perspective in the information age, where potency and effectiveness are often measured in gigabytes and modem speed, it is reassuring and inspirational to witness the results of the connection of head and heart to hands in these artworks. It is fitting that the breadth of CrossCurrents’ content and geographic range was facilitated through the seemingly infinite possibilities of the Internet, with requests for prospectus information coming from 49 states. Another new tool has been added to humankind's range of options. Not only does CrossCurrents bring together an extraordinary pool of 72 diverse talents originating from all across the United States, this first juried exhibition at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art also affirms a commitment to exhibiting the works of important emerging artists and the rich educational possibilities that are created by such a collaboration. Hopefully this first CrossCurrents will provide the foundation for the development of the next exhibition in 1999, and further explorations of the relationship of matter to spirit. Stay tuned. Clayton Bass Executive Director Walter Anderson Museum of Art CrossCurrents is made possible by the generous support of the following donors: Jo Love Little Jeanne & Alwyn Luckey Gulley & Associates an Anonymous Friend of the Museum The Walter Anderson Museum of Art is supported in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency

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