LAND OF MORNING CALM: CONTEMPORARY KOREAN ARTWORK DISPLAYED AT UNIVERSITY MUSEUM

A simple, silver teapot contrasts with yet compliments a brightly-colored, wall-sized felt collage in the "Land of Morning Calm" exhibit of Korean art on display at the University Museum at Southeast Missouri State University.

The works of 45 of the best contemporary Korean metal and fabric artists will be on display from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays until June 22.

Korea means "Land of Morning Calm," said Museum Director Pat Reagan-Woodard. "In the morning, there is something magical about the place," said Woodard. "The country is surrounded by water on three sides. Each night the country is enveloped in fog. Korea emerges from the clouds each morning."

The "Land of Morning Calm" exhibition consists of recent pieces chosen specifically for the touring show. This exhibition contains over 50 works, including small jewelry of precious metals and large, fabric wall hangings.

The exhibit reflects a combination of traditional and contemporary influences as well as a blend of Eastern and Western culture. Some of the artists received their training in the United States and returned to Korea to practice their art and to teach.

A variety of techniques and materials such as felt, cotton, copper, silver, stone, gold leather and silk have been used to create the pieces. Some of the works are sculptural in form and some are two-dimensional weavings. Color, texture and strong design are important elements of the show, said Woodard.

"The exhibit is so material-intensive, so tactile," Woodard said. "The textiles and metals provide not just visual images but texture and surfaces that are wonderful."

She said: "The level of training of all the artists makes this show very special. All the artists are highly-trained and most of them are teaching at the university level.

"What is really wonderful is the balance of traditional methods of making objects and the very modern looks."

She said the art represents the tradition of craftsmanship in Korea and also the technologically-advanced Korea of today.

The decision to bring the works here was made just three weeks ago.

"We were offered the show a year ago, but the rental fee was quite high," she said. "Also, I was very new."

She said art department Chairman Bill Chamberlain and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Martin M. Jones were very interested in bringing the exhibit to campus.

With help from some community leaders, funds were raised to bring the exhibit in.

"Usually with an exhibit like this, you would have a month to manage it, to get it ready for a show," Woodard said. "We had a day and a half before we started installing it."

She said five volunteers worked 20 hours each over two and a half days to install the exhibit.

"I think the fact that the exhibit is here is a testament to the desire on the part of many people to bring this kind of quality to Cape Girardeau," she said.

The show has traveled through the United States for the past two years.

Woodard said Cape Girardeau is the second to last stop for the exhibit before it is returned to Korea.

From here it will go to St. Louis.

"The backing for the exhibit there is tremendous. They are bringing in 50 Korean businessmen and 10 of the artists for the opening. They are planning a banquet featuring Korean food, and the St. Louis Art Museum will conduct a seminar on Korean art."

When the exhibition tour has been concluded, the "Land of Morning Calm" will be returned to the National Museum of Modern Art in Seoul, Korea, for a concluding exhibition.

She said the works are for sale, but the show will return to Korea before any of the works are sold.

The exhibit was organized by Joel S. Eide, director of the Northern Arizona University Art Museum and Galleries, in cooperation with Paulette Myers, associate professor of art at Southern Illinois University, and with assistance from the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul. Myers formerly taught at Southeast Missouri State.

Artists participating in the exhibit were selected by Michael Monroe, curator of the Renwick Gallery National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Local support of the exhibition comes from the University Museum and the College of Liberal Arts at Southeast. A number of local businesses and community members have made donations to support the exhibit.