Students in Sculpture I discuss their work in the Atrium Gallery of Ophelia Parrish Hall. Professor Danielle Yakle (lower right in green shirt with black apron) teaches Sculpture, Fibers, and 3D Foundations courses.
Danielle Yakle
Batik Workshop
Professor Danielle Yakle demonstrates the process of batik to Truman students
In conjunction with the “Wandering Sprit: African Wax Prints” exhibition currently up in the gallery, we hosted a small batik workshop in the fibers studio. Indonesian batik textiles severed as the inspiration for the nineteenth-century industrial Dutch imitations that became what we call African wax print fabric today. Fibers professor Daniel Yakle and Fibers club students walked students through how to apply layers of wax resist to create patterns on dyed cotton. The results were stunning!
Chetanae Ellison waves to the camera, enjoying her experimentation in wax painting on cloth.
Stephen Poindexter paints in wax on a scarf.
Lee Gardunia shows off a completed batik project.
Last Week to See
The fall faculty show, “New Work by Truman State Art Faculty,” in the University Gallery and the Charlyn Gallery (formerly known as the Side Gallery) will be up through Friday of this week (10/5). If you haven’t caught the photographs and installation by Priya Kambli in the main gallery and “Grown-Up Games” by Danielle Yakle in the Charlyn Gallery, you are in for a treat.
Above and below, work by Priya Kambli, professor of art.
And below, students Josh Fackler and Josh Fish enjoy Instructor Danielle Yakle’s “Grown-Up Games.”
Second Annual Blow Stuff Up on the Quad Exhibition!
September 14th, 2018, was a bright sunny day with relatively little wind — the perfect day to showcase the work of Advanced Sculpture, as taught by Professor Danielle Yakle. As they did last year, students outdid themselves with playful over-life-sized toys taking over the great lawn between Ophelia Parrish and Baldwin Halls.
Spring Semester Begins
We hope you are finally warming up from bitter cold winter break (in Kirksville New Year’s day saw a high of 4 and a low of -17 degrees!). As we are now one week into the spring semester of 2018, we begin the Art Blog by wrapping up some of Fall 2017’s news.
The first thing we want to do is to encourage you to investigate the new art installation to be found in front of the McKinney Health Center (between that building and the Kirk Building).
Professor Danielle Yakle (in the middle of the picture above, wearing a turquoise beret) wrote, in her proposal asking to install the sculpture in its current location:
Their (her Introduction to Visual Arts students) idea was to create an installation of enlarged human organs and systems. The various parts (a brain, heart, stomach, rib cage, etc.) will be assembled in the space much like an anatomical study. While being somewhat educational, the main concept is to recreate objects, which are normally soft and temporary, as something that is solid and long-lasting. The class was interested in the contrast between the ephemeral nature of the body compared to the hard and durable qualities of the concrete we are using for the sculpture. They hope to treat viewers to a surreal experience by positioning the interior of the body in an outdoor space.
These photographs (courtesy of Atticus Bailey) show the installation of the sculpture at the beginning of December. The pieces are made of concrete and many are attached to the ground with large metal spikes, which will help to keep them in place as they are climbed upon. Human body parts displayed include:
A brain – approximately 5’ long by 3’ high by 2.5’ wide
Two sets of ribs – 6’ by 4’ by 1’, connected with a bracket
A heart – 3’ by 3’ by 2.5’
A stomach – 5.5’ by 5’ by 2’
Two kidneys – 2.5’ by 1.5’ by 1.5’ each
Three lengths of large intestine – the largest is 7.5’ by 2.5’ by 2’
If you want to go by on a sunny day, the grassy space between Kirk and the Health Center seems to be a nice place to take in the view.
Sculpture Roaming the Halls
Danielle Yakle’s sculpture classes are always up to something. Recently the atrium of Ophelia Parrish was filled with some rather entertaining animals.
Hey! There’s an Aquarium in the OP Lobby!
Students in the Advanced Sculpture classes are at it again! For this Homecoming week, the lobby of Ophelia Parrish Hall is featuring blow-up animals, this time inside a fiber aquarium. The sculpture is made to walk through, and the animals are far larger than life-sized.
The art installation should be up throughout the week.
Art Blows Up!
Professor Danielle Yakle continues to provide Truman’s campus with art entertainment. On September 5th, posters started to appear that advertised a pop up “Blow Up” art exhibition. Fortunately the morning of September 7th dawned bright and clear and not too windy, and the Advanced Fibers/Sculpture classes trekked their plastic sculptures and air blowers out to the Quad and got ready to stop passersby in their tracks.
The assignment was to create a sculpture that was a very large version of a small stuffed animal. And as the elephant, floppy dog, unicorn, crab. and other creatures suddenly appeared, people certainly paid attention. The new art contrasted well with the art that seems more “normal” for a university campus.
Stay tuned for the next of the Professor Yakle’s public art projects. And keep an eye on the Quad, and around campus generally. You never know what you might see!
New Public Art on Campus
Danielle Yakle’s Introduction to the Visual Arts class was at it again this spring. As you walk around campus over the summer, see how many benches you can find that were not there at the beginning of April.* 
These benches were completely fabricated by Professor Yakle’s class, with her assistance, and they are sturdy enough to last through midwestern weather. The body of the benches is metal, and they are almost completely covered with concrete with the decoration added at the end of the process. Each bench is differently-shaped and covered with glass tiles of different colors. They are placed around the central part of campus. It is time for a treasure hunt!
*There are six benches.
Painting professor Lindsey Dunnagan on one of the benches newly installed on campus.
Welcome Back
Tuesday, January 16th, marks our first day back from the holidays.
To celebrate your return, you can now go octopus hunting on the quad! 
When you walk around campus on your way between classes be sure to check out the latest installation from Danielle Yakle’s Introduction to the Visual Arts class.
Students in Danielle Yakle’s Fall 2016 Intro to the Visual Arts class with their installation outside the library.
All photos courtesy of Atticus Bailey.