Lawton Gallery to present exhibition of Afghan War rugs beginning Sept. 11

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Lawton Gallery will present its first exhibition of the academic year, “Afghan War Rugs: The Modern Art of Central Asia,” from Sept. 11-Oct. 2 at the gallery in Theatre Hall on campus, 2420 Nicolet Drive. An opening reception will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, with a talk from guest curator Annemarie Sawkins taking place at 5 p.m.

Curated by Milwaukee-based Sawkins and Enrico Mascelloni, author of the book “War Rugs: The Nightmare of Modernism,” the exhibition showcases a selection of Afghan war rugs created between the 1970s and early 2000s. Made mostly by women, the rugs reflect the larger history of Afghanistan and respond to both the Soviet- and American-led invasions of the country. Dispensing with the long tradition of nonfigurative styles, these artists began creating pictorial rugs that incorporate references to the matériel of the occupying armies, subsequently reinvigorating this ancient art.

Located in Room 230 of Theatre Hall, the Lawton Gallery is open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday during fall and spring semesters. All gallery events are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Curator of Art Stephen Perkins at (920) 465-2916 or via email at perkinss@uwgb.edu, or visit the Lawton Gallery website, www.uwgb.edu/lawton. You can also find “Lawton Gallery” on Facebook.

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