There is a hidden gem at Ursinus College in Collegeville where human connection and fine art meet to influence both students and the community at-large.
The Berman Museum of Art opened an exhibition Tuesday on Mexican photographer Enrique Bostelmann titled “Enrique Bostelmann: Apertures and Borderscapes, and, per The Philadelphia Citizen, human connection is the purpose of the venue and the retrospective.
The Berman Museum opened in 1989 through a generous gift from the late Philip and Muriel Berman, who wanted a place to house their extensive art collection. The Bermans wanted art to be seen and be in the arena of learning.
In the past, the museum has featured exhibitions on Pablo Picasso, Roy Lichtenstein, Andrew Wyeth, and Kara Walker, to name a few.
When Executive Director Lauren McCardel took over two years ago, she worked on expanding the art museum’s mission and today pushes the Bostelmann exhibit as a way to expose local Latino audiences to the museum and art, per the article.
Bostelmann was an expert at showing the life of impoverished Latin Americans and their working conditions through photography and transformed his interpretation of the human experience into other mediums.
“Bostelmann, who died in 2003, was fascinated during his career with the human experience and how we transgress and prevail. His work remains somewhat uncategorizable, ranging from formally composed evocative moments of everyday people, to groovy manipulated photos that look like scenes from an acid trip, to experimental collaborations with sculptors using photos printed on 3D objects,” wrote Sarah Jordan in the article.
However, Bostelmann is relatively unknown in the United States, and thus McCardel and museum creative director Deborah Barkum have put efforts toward enticing visitors to visit the new exhibition, increasing the art aficionados of Mexican art to Ursinus’s art museum, and showing that there is a venue for Latino Americans to show off their art. As part of the effort, per the report, McCardel and Barkum are working on making the new exhibit accessible to Spanish speaking visitors.
The Berman Museum has expanded beyond art and exhibitions for the community. According to the report, they have offered workshops, tours, lectures, yoga classes, and live podcasts. A recent $245,900 grant from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage was a big boost for the museum’s planned activities and community promotion of its location and offerings.
On July 18, the museum will host a panel with Bostelmann’s wife, Yeyette, and daughter, Saskia, and the next day, there will be a Latin-themed block party with music, a dance floor, dance lessons, Latin food trucks, mezcal tasting, and family activities, per the report.
Read more on The Berman Museum here.
