Chunghi Choo and an intern, too

Week of June 26, 2017

Leopold Masterson, Chunghi Choo and Samuel Gassman during the June 17 unveiling.

THE GIFT OF CHUNGHI CHOO

WHEN AN ARTIST INSPIRES AN ARTIST

In 2015, University Museums was preparing for its 40 th anniversary, which was to include an exhibition called 40/40. The exhibition was to be a celebration of the Iowa Artists Collection - a collection which had originated in the early years of the Brunnier Art Museum and had grown significantly during the forty years that followed. Director Lynette Pohlman and Assistant Curator Adrienne Gennett came together with other Iowa arts specialists to identify the Iowa artists which University Museums wanted to add to the permanent collection.

Chunghi Choo was one of those exceptional Iowa artists. Her metalwork was internationally recognized and held in many important museum collections, but she was also an extraordinary teacher - one who continues to support her most talented students long after they graduate. Choo graciously gifted University Museums Treasure Basket to add to the Iowa Artists Collection for the 40/40 exhibition. This was just the beginning of what has grown to be a lovely relationship between University Museums and Choo. University Museums has benefitted greatly from this relationship with Chunghi Choo. Not only by her gifts of art, but also through her artistic insight and warmth of character.

In 2016, Choo's former students and invaluable friends, Samuel Gassman and Leopold Masterson, had the idea to gift to University Museums, a unique portrait of their mentor, Chunghi Choo. This portrait was created by Masterson on his iPad and digitally printed in large format. Not only does this portrait capture the whimsy and joy that is obvious in Choo, it was also created in a digital medium - a continually evolving area of art which is appropriate for the collection at a museum housed within a science and technology university.

Along with her own artwork, Choo has also gifted several works of art made by some of her most talented students. Masterson is included among those ranks and the affection and gratitude he feels for this artist and woman is obvious through his portrait.

On Sunday, June 18 in a private ceremony held at the Christian Petersen Art Museum , Choo, Gassman, Masterson and several adoring friends and fans gathered for the surprise unveiling.

Photos courtesy of Luke Johnson .

Mackenzie Boileau, Curatorial and Administrative Intern

Included in the mission statement of University Museums is our existance to foster understanding and delight in the visual arts with a focus on the creative interactions in arts, sciences and technology. We are honored to have students work alongside us to deliver on this mission and couldn't be more thankful for their time, talents and service devoted to University Museums, Iowa State University and the arts community.

Would you share a little bit about your background?

I am a native of White Bear Lake, Minnesota and came to Iowa State University to study Marketing and Management. I quickly discovered that my true passion was in studying art history and sharing that knowledge through museums.

How did your education evolve during your time at ISU?

Iowa State University has a beautiful campus with amazing artwork everywhere you look. When I finally took the leap and changed my major to art history, I was able to focus my studies on subjects that interested me, like Japanese Edo Period Woodblock Prints. I was given the opportunity to take all sorts of art history courses, from the history of comics to photography. I graduated May of 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Art and Design.

When did you start working for University Museums?

I started working as an intern in January 2017, focusing on an exhibition highlighting the artwork of artist Manuel Neri. I was offered another internship as the Curatorial and Administrative intern this summer, and it has been one of the most educational and rewarding experiences I've had!

What has been the most interesting experience you've had at University Museums?

The Manuel Neri exhibition is currently being shown at the Clarinda Carnegie Art Museum in Clarinda, Iowa. It's been fulfilling to see so much of my what my focus has been come to life for others to experience.

What will you miss most?

I'm going to really miss being able to work in the very museums that inspired me to pursue a career in the arts. Iowa State University is my home, and the people I've connected with are my family. Really, I'm going to miss having the opportunity to walk onto campus, sit down, and read a book by Christian Petersen's Panthers.

Where do you see yourself in the future? Where do you hope to see your career flourish?

I can see future me continuing to work with a museum or in the arts. I'm still looking towards the next step in my journey, but someday I would love to continue curating or working with artwork. It's going to take a lot of work but I love what I do, and I am so excited to continue to see great things and meet awesome people.

What value do you think the arts provide your generation?

People my age are generally anxious - we work so hard and care about the future. I think that studying the history of art gives offers important lessons from the past, which in turn, gives us an even better insight into our own future and the possibilities it may hold.

Campus Beautiful: Shaping the Aesthetic Identity of Iowa State University is an exquisitely produced hard-cover, 10-x-12-inch book with over 480 pages and 400 images highlighting the origins and development of Iowa State's campus landscape, architecture, and public art collection from 1858 to present. Order your copy today.

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