Art Box
Art Box Cover by Wade Guyton
Limited Edition Prints
Art Box is a limited edition created by three distinguished alumni of the UT School of Art: Wade Guyton (’95), Meredyth Sparks (’94), and Josh Smith (’98) to support the Artist-in-Residence Painting and Drawing Program.
Guyton, Sparks, and Smith each selected nine artists from the School of Art’s alumni and former Artists-in-Residence (AiR) to create an edition of 100 individualized boxes of prints. The three artists contributed a print of their own work and designed custom boxes for their individual editions. The suite of three boxes, created with archival materials, includes 31 signed 19” x 13” digital prints.
Founded in 1982, the AiR program supports two semester-long residencies each academic year. Invited artists teach undergraduate and graduate courses in painting and drawing. Since its inception, over 80 artists have taught more than 3,000 students in the School of Art. The program is one of the oldest of its kind in the country. The AiR program connects art students with professionals in the field engaged in contemporary artistic dialogue. It also enriches the students’ experience by connecting them with artists outside the university who are active in galleries and museums across the country.
If you are interested in acquiring an edition of Art Box, please contact School of Art Director Christopher McNulty or Michael Webb, Director of Advancement. All proceeds support the Artist-in-Residence (AiR) Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Materials and Production
The Limited Edition Art Box prints were made with an Epson Stylus Pro R3880 large-format printer with Epson UltraChrome K3 ink. These inks are pigment-based; smudge, fade, and water-resistant; and archival. The paper is Epson Bright Smooth Matte, 100% cotton, hot-press rag that is acid-free. The presentation boxes are also archival, as are the glassine sheets used for interleaving. The glassine sheets provide a protective barrier between the prints in each box and should not be removed. In addition, each box is wrapped in a protective, white archival paper. Use of these archival materials safeguards these works of art from deterioration, provided they are properly maintained.
Handling and Preservation
Each set of boxes includes a pair of cotton gloves that should be worn when handling the prints to protect the papers and inks from the dirt and oil on one’s hands and fingers. A set of three ribbons, one for each box, is also provided. The ribbons, once properly installed, will facilitate removing the prints from the box for viewing. One ribbon needs to be installed in each box. To install, carefully remove all prints from a box; place the ribbon along the inside bottom of the box at the midpoint along the length of the box, bisecting the length; then place the stack of prints back in the box over the ribbon. The ribbon should lap over the stack of prints and the dangling ends should be placed inside the box when the lid is replaced. When viewing the prints in this way, place the top glassine on a clean surface and be careful always to handle the prints by the edges of the paper. In this way each print can be viewed outside of the box. Place the first print face down on the sheet of glassine that has already been removed before removing the next image in the box. By following this procedure, each image can be viewed both on its own and appreciated as part of the suite of prints in each box. This system also allows the prints to remain in order (alphabetical by the artist’s last name). Once all have been viewed, the entire stack can be returned to the box with care.
Standard procedures for the preservation of all works on paper should be followed in caring for your Limited Edition Art Boxes. Avoid exposing the prints to direct natural light for long periods of time, whether or not the print is framed. If you choose to frame one or more of these prints, we recommend using a professional framer; be sure to ask that acid-free materials be used along with spacer bars and UV-filtering Plexiglas. Be aware of the importance of securing the prints and the boxes in a clean and dust-free environment. The boxes will be best preserved by using the acid-free paper in which they were wrapped for delivery.
Curators
Meredyth Sparks (BFA ’94)
Josh Smith (BFA ’98)
Wade Guyton (BFA ’95)
Artists
Cheryl Donegan (AiR ’95), Richard Phillips (AiR ’94), Carrie Moyer (AiR ’01), Suzanne Joelson (AiR ’87), Michael St. John (AiR ’97), Kelly White (BFA ’94), Mira Schor (AiR ’91), Richard Aldrich (AiR ’06), Marlo Pascual (BFA ’94), Melissa Gordon (AiR ’10), Ezra Johnson (AIR ’11), Ashley Nason (MFA ’99), Judith Eisler (AiR ’04), Pam Jorden (BFA ’92), Jon Boles (MFA ’98), Pinkney Herbert (AiR ’92), Amy Green (BFA ’95), Jackie Gendel (AiR ’08), Alisha Kerlin (BFA ’05), Sam Gordon (AiR ’02), Ann Craven (AiR ’98), Keltie Ferris (AiR ’11), Wallace Whitney (AiR ’07), Gary Stephan (AiR ’87), Virginia Overton (studied at UT), Josephine Halvorson (AiR ’12), Guyton/Walker (BFA ’95)
Box 1, Curated by Meredyth Sparks (BFA ’94)
Artbox cover by Meredyth Sparks.
Below: Art by Ann Craven, Pinkney Herbert, Melissa Gordon, Jackie Gendel, Mira Schor, Marlo Pascual, Carrie Moyer, Ezra Johnson, Meredyth Sparks, and Kelly White.
Box 2, Curated by Josh Smith (BFA ’98)
Artbox cover by Josh Smith.
Below: Art by Michael St. John, Josh Smith, Gary Stephan, Richard Aldrich, Suzanne Joelson, Josephine Halvorson, Wallace Whitney, Ashley Nason, Jon Boles, and Virginia Overton.
Box 3, Wade Guyton (BFA ’95)
Artbox cover by Wade Guyton.
Below: Art by Alisha Kerlin, Richard Phillips, Sam Gordon, Keltie Ferris, Cheryl Donegan, Unsigned print by Wade Guyton in memory of Michael Brakke, Judith Eisler, Amy Green, Wade Guyton, Pamela Jorden, and Guyton/Walker.
If you are interested in acquiring an edition of Art Box, please contact School of Art Director Christopher McNulty or Michael Webb, Director of Advancement. All proceeds support the Artist-in-Residence (AiR) Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.