Thornhill Art Gallery opens at Avila

A former garage where nuns used to park their vehicles and maintenance men stored equipment shows little signs of the former structure at Avila University.

“It is the same floor. It is such an incredible transformation,” Dorothy Hamilton, dean of the School of Visual Arts and Communication, said about the new Thornhill Art Gallery completed this summer at Avila University, 11901 Wornall Road.

The gallery opens Friday as part of the student fall kick off, “Avila’s Gold Rush.” The gallery received funding to move and expand from its former location below the campus library into a space Hamilton said is one-third larger and connects with the School of Communication and Visual Arts.

“This is integrating the gallery space with the academic space,” she said.

Hamilton said in addition to more square footage, the gallery has track lighting, speakers and a projector for new media art, a movable wall, and longer hours for community and student viewing.

“It allows us to expand into all the arts,” she said.  “We have outside space for permanent sculptures.”

The outside space, the S. Margaret Reinhart Courtyard, serves as an entrance to the gallery and includes sculptures, gardens and pedestals for future sculptures.

“It’s a really welcoming space,” she said.

Hamilton said the Thornhill family provided funding for the gallery’s interior space and the Stueve family funded the courtyard.

The courtyard features one permanent sculpture, “Untitled Signal,” a kinetic piece by Jim Woodfill, and several on loan, including “Falling Open,” a metal sculpture by Asheer Akram, “Just Passing Through,” a suitcase by Mark Cowardin, and several animal pieces by TJ Tangpuz.

“We’re indebted to the forward thinking of the Thornhill and Stueve families,” she said. “They understand the importance of art and educating people.”

Marci Aylward, gallery curator and art professor, said the outdoor art brings life to the campus.

“It’s great for the students on campus to see it,” she said. ”I want it to be a public draw and for students, as well.”

Aylward said the Thornhill Art Gallery will open as the third contemporary art gallery in the southern Kansas City area, following the Nerman Gallery of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, and the Epsten Gallery at Village Shalom, 5500 W. 123 St., Overland Park.

“We need to have wonderful art out here,” she said.

Aylward said the gallery will feature contemporary works, but she aims for diversity and will include local, national and international artists at Thornhill. She has scheduled artists two years in advance, opening this month with “The Unusual Dreams of Juniper and TJ Tangpuz.”

“It will be a great opening event,” she said. “I want to bring the community to Avila.”

Daydreams and nightmares inspire Tangpuz’s artwork.

“I’m honored to be the inaugural show,” he said.

Tangpuz’s paintings will be featured in the gallery and his animal sculptures will be in the adjoining courtyard.

“Animals represent the daydreams, things I imagine in the day,” Tangpuz said. “The paintings are based off these strange dreams I have at night when I sleep.”

Tangpuz’s animal sculptures, made from colorful corrugated plastic, combine elements of creatures and nature. His lion, “Dan D. Lion,” is half dandelion, half lion and his zebra, “Jackson,” is half zebra, half xylophone.

“They’re little fragments of my persona,” Tangpuz said. “It’s fun.”

Tangpuz’s watercolors take on frightening themes, such as an image of his ear, bitten by a dog-like creature resembling his own face.

“They’re surreal. There’s no linear story,” Tangpuz said. “They’re a composition of images.”

Tangpuz said he keeps a dream journal for recording images he later uses for compositions in his paintings. He will display the journals as part of the exhibit.

Tangpuz also created costumes for the Kacico Dancers, who will perform at the opening reception. Admission is free.

The gallery opening is from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. Regular hours are noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. For information, visit www.avila.edu/juniper.asp.

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