Baton Rouge, Louisiana—The LSU Museum of Art (LSU MOA) is pleased to present the exhibition Volterra and Pasqua by Kevin Benham, on view November 17, 2022–February 26, 2023.

Kevin Benham’s photographic series Volterra captures the ecology of mosses, lichens, and other vegetation growing on the calcareous rock formations of an ancient theater built in the Augustan Period during the first century BC. The micro-climate found in this part of Italy includes nutrients and minerals fed by a unique hydrology that allows certain types of fungi and plants to flourish on the structure, coating the Etruscan ruins with a tapestry of colors and textures.

On view alongside Benham’s photographs is a short film entitled Pasqua. Drawing inspiration from the early documentaries by the Italian imaginative realist film director Vittorio de Seta, Pasqua explores a contemporary view of the Transhumanza, an Italian term meaning transhumance, the traditional bi-yearly migration of sheep or cows from the highlands to the lowlands and back. Captured entirely during Holy Week in the Molise region of Italy, the film incorporates the tempo and rhythm of the day to record the relationship between the upland meadow and the herds of sheep, creating an intimate view of the remote agrarian landscape.

Benham is the recipient of the 2020-21 Prince Charitable Trusts/Kate Lancaster Brewster Rome Prize and the Jon Emerson/Wayne Womack Design Professorship at the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture at Louisiana State University. He received a Master of Landscape Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, and a Master of Architecture at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at The University of Michigan. Benham has taught interdisciplinary studios at several academic institutions, including The University of Michigan, Louisiana State University, and Wentworth Institute of Technology. His research and work focus on landscape phenomena and the temporal qualities inherent in the discipline. To that end, Benham produces transient and ephemeral installations that reveal phenomena that require careful observation through space and time.

Gallery Talk with Kevin Benham

Friday, January 27 at 6 PM

Learn more about Volterra during a conversation between Ludovico Geymonat, LSU Assistant Professor of Art History, and featured artist Kevin Benham, Assistant LSU Professor of Landscape Architecture on Friday, January 27 at 6 PM. Free to attend.

Volterra by Kevin Benham will be on view November 17, 2022–February 26, 2023 at the LSU Museum of Art.

Upcoming Programs

Visit LSU Museum of Art’s Facebook and Instagram pages @lsumoa regularly for program announcements and exhibition updates. For more information: www.lsumoa.org

LSU MOA thanks the generous donors to the LSU MOA Annual Exhibition Fund for making this exhibition possible: Louisiana CAT; The Imo N. Brown Memorial Fund in memory of Heidel Brown and Mary Ann Brown; The Alma Lee, H. N., and Cary Saurage Fund; Charles "Chuck" Edward Schwing; Robert and Linda Bowsher; Becky and Warren Gottsegen; LSU College of Art + Design; Mr. and Mrs. Sanford A. Arst; and The Newton B. Thomas Family/Newtron Group Fund.

ABOUT LSU MUSEUM OF ART
LSU Museum of Art seeks to enrich and inspire through collections, exhibitions, conservation, and education, serving as a cultural and intellectual resource for the University, Baton Rouge, and beyond.

LSU Museum of Art is supported in part by a grant from the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, funded by the East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President and Metro Council. Additional support is provided by generous donors to the Annual Exhibition Fund, members, and community partners. Supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council. Funding has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support provided by Art Bridges and Junior League of Baton Rouge. Thank you to the following sponsors of Free Friday Nights and Free First Sundays at LSU MOA: Louisiana Lottery Corporation and IBERIABANK, a division of First Horizon, for sponsoring free admission and Louisiana CAT for sponsoring programming.

VISITOR INFORMATION
The museum is located in downtown Baton Rouge at 100 Lafayette Street on the Fifth Floor of the Shaw Center for the Arts. General admission is $5 each for adults and children age 13 and over. Admission is free to university faculty and students with ID, children age 12 and under, and museum members. Active duty military members, first responders, and their families receive free admission with ID as part of the Blue Star Museums program. Valid during normal operation hours, show your EBT card and photo ID at the admissions desk and receive free admission for up to 4 individuals. Come back anytime, there’s no limit to how often you can visit through Museums for All. Museum Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursday and Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday 1-5 p.m.; and closed on Mondays and major holidays. Free admission occurs on the first Sunday of each month and every Friday night from 5-8 p.m. For more information: visit www.lsumoa.org, call 225-389-7200, and follow the museum on social media @lsumoa for exhibition and program updates.

####