Art History Talk

Dr. Brittany Lockard: Look at Her! I Don't Think So. A Narrative Meditation on Power, Beauty Standards, and Sexual Assault

Tuesday, February 7
5:30 p.m. Reception
6 p.m. Program
Beren Gallery

In the past decade, several high-profile accusations of sexual affairs and assaults have been publicly ridiculed based on the conventional attractiveness (or lack thereof) of the accusers. In 2018, then-president Donald Trump scoffed at the idea that he participated in an affair with adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. “Look at her,” he said at a rally in Florida. “Look at her words. I don’t think so.” A particularly egregious case in Italy has drawn public protests, as an appeals court overturned a rape verdict in 2019 by arguing that the woman was “too ugly to be a credible rape victim.”

In this talk, Dr. Brittany Lockard (Associate Professor of Art History) draws on her own lived experiences through reflexive and autoethnographic research methods as a starting point to investigate contemporary attitudes about sexual assault, especially as they relate to the Western world’s increasingly unachievable beauty standards, gender, fatness, queerness, and other marginalized identities. The talk will explore the discourse surrounding sexual assault in the news, popular culture, and even the art history classroom to ask how we can do better in the future. Join us for a reception at 5:30 p.m. with the program starting at 6 p.m.

Please be aware that the talk will include frank discussion of sexual assault. Attendees should prioritize their own mental health and safety

Exhibition
Elemental Bodies Part I
Through February 23
7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday
9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday
1-6 p.m., Sunday
Looking Glass Gallery at Rhatigan Student Center

Visit the Looking Glass Gallery in the Rhatigan Student Center to view the first of two exhibitions curated by ShiftSpace Gallery Assistants Madison McCullough, Macalah Ruff, Olivia Schawe, and Jada Whiterock. Elemental Bodies Part I is on display through February 23, and is a collaborative curatorial exercise that explores depictions of the human form. Included in part one are six works from the Ulrich permanent collection and pieces by Ann Resnick from her personal collection. The second exhibition, Elemental Bodies Part II, is scheduled for March 3-31 at ShiftSpace, located at Groover Labs, 334 N. St. Francis. A public opening event is planned from 3-5 p.m., March 3.

ShiftSpace gallery was established in 2015, and the ShiftSpace Gallery Student Group programs the gallery, prepares exhibitions, and engages in community outreach. With the assistance of Gallery Manager Jefferson Godard, students take on every gallery role, including curator, preparator, community outreach coordinator, social media manager, and more. The group is open to any currently enrolled Wichita State student.

Exhibition schedules will now be staggered

Staff is hard at work preparing our Spring exhibits and programs. Starting this spring, the dates of our exhibits will be staggered, so there will be more open gallery days available for you to explore.

All three exhibits open Jan. 26. Transmissions: the XXIV Faculty Biennial will run through April 22. Tuan Andrew Nguyen: The Boat People, a post-apocalyptic moving image work, is on view through May 6. Nature in the Floating World: Images of Nature in Japanese and Chinese Art is on exhibit until May 10. You'll want to see them all!

Have you shared your Ulrich memories with us yet?

Our 50th anniversary is right around the corner (in 2024) and we're planning lots of great exhibitions and events to celebrate the Museum's excellence. One thing we are working on is collecting memories from folks who have been connected to the Ulrich over the years. Whether you are a present or past employee, a donor, volunteer, student, or general visitor, we'd love to hear your favorite memories of the Ulrich. We've created this webpage, which has a form on it, to help you share your stories. The memories we collect will be shared throughout our 50th anniversary celebrations and might even end up in a book we're putting together. We'd love to hear your stories.