Artful Conversations highlights Joan Mitchell’s “Close” for National Women’s History Month | Variety

Even non-art majors can gain something from a trip to a local art gallery.

Each month, Carissa DiCindio, the education curator at the Georgia Museum of Art, leads a discussion of a particular piece of artwork. During this upcoming event, attendees will analyze “Close,” a painting created by Joan Mitchell in 1973.

“The idea is that we all have experiences and knowledge that can contribute to an interpretation of the work of art and all of us coming together and interpreting the work is going to be a more powerful interpretation than any individual interpretation,” DiCindio said.

Among the younger abstract expressionist painters in the United States, Mitchell was one of the most renowned artists in the middle of the 20th century, according to the Joan Mitchell Foundation’s website. DiCindio said this gives students an opportunity to get to know an artist they may not already.

“Not everyone necessarily knows a lot about her work and it’s a really powerful work, so this gives us a chance to learn more about the artist and, you know, some of her other work as well as concentrating on this one very large abstract painting in the museum.”

DiCindio also chose to highlight Mitchell’s work in honor of National Women’s History Month.

Hillary Brown, the museum’s director of communications, attended an Artful Conversation discussion last June when DiCindio talked about the painting, “Hurricane Season,” by Art Rosenbaum.

The event lasted for almost an hour and not all of the individuals present were from the University. The participants spent a lot of time examining the work of art and drew various conclusions.

“Just being made to look at something for a long period of time, it uncovers a lot more than you might even think,” Brown said.

DiCindio said she values discussing art with University of Georgia students who visit the museum for the first time because Artful Conversations are set up in a way that allow anyone to appreciate art.

Brown pointed out that even students pursuing careers in the medical field can benefit from being able to interpret different images.

“People who are studying the sciences or pre-med or medical students can really gain a lot from learning how to think visually, which is not something they’re generally taught how to do in their degree program,” she said. “When you’re dealing with patients or you’re dealing with clients, it helps to develop your observational skills, and this is a great way to do that, although not one that people might think about.”

Ashley Lorenzo, a senior painting major and art history minor from Charlotte, N.C., said students who are not art majors should visit galleries because art represents an artist’s response to people’s daily experiences and chronicles the process of how past events came to be.

“Being able to look deeper into the history of the time period that a certain art piece is being made and how people are responding visually to the world around them, I think that’s what makes art,” Lorenzo said. “I think that’s why it’s important for students to go, to make sure they go to museums and see what’s around because they’re also seeing, you know, how history is formed.”

DiCindio said that the participants at each Artful Conversation event provide an original evaluation of the museum’s artwork.

“I always learn a lot so I’m really looking forward to seeing the work of art in a new way,” she said. “It’s amazing that every single experience is different. Every time, you know, I see something a little bit differently or learn something new. It’s great for me too.”

ARTFUL CONVERSATION: JOAN MITCHELL’S “CLOSE”

WHEN: March 20, 2 p.m.

WHERE: Georgia Museum of Art

PRICE: Free