Oakland, CA - Jessica Hough, the new director of the Mills College Art Museum, will debut two edgy exhibitions by nationally and internationally recognized emerging and mid-career women artists from September 19–December 9, 2007. Representing the first shows she will curate as the Museum director, the exhibits are “Don’t Let the Boys Win” featuring Kinke Kooi, Carrie Moyer, and Lara Schnitger, and “Laleh Khorramian: Surface to Air.”

According to Hough, “Don’t Let the Boys Win” is an “earthy, girl power show addressing issues related to the female body in surprising ways.” A Los Angeles-based sculptor, Schnitger creates erotic fabric forms to explore topics in the forefront of feminist art. With artwork described in Artforum as “invigorating” and “thrilling,” New York-based painter Moyer carries on the history of abstraction using shapes derived from the female body and seductive glossy surfaces. Drawings on paper by Kooi, an Arnhem, Netherlands artist, feature flowers, hands, or ordinary objects surrounded by a dense line pattern for an evocative, atmospheric effect.

“Laleh Khorramian: Surface to Air” is the West Coast debut of the New York-based painter and video artist. “Featuring pregnant women protagonists, Khorramian’s video works are derived from footage taken from the surfaces of her paintings,” said Hough, who describes her work as “lyrical at some moments, and darkly moody at others. The loosely narrative work shifts between the real world and an internal one.”

The following art lectures will take place in the Danforth Lecture Hall adjacent to the Museum:

• Kinke Kooi, Wednesday, September 19, 7:30 pm
• Laleh Khorramian, Sunday, September 23, 3:30 pm
• Carrie Moyer, Wednesday, October 17, 7:30 pm

Upcoming Exhibits at the Mills College Art Museum:

• “We Interrupt Your Program” (January 16–March 16, 2008) a group show of video and new media by 14 emerging and mid-career female artists, curated by Marcia Tanner.
• “Divine Visions and Worldly Lovers” (June 18–August 3, 2008), Indian miniature paintings from the Barbara Janeff collection, curated by Bob Del Bonta.
• “Charlotte Schulz: An Insufficiency in Our Screens” (June 18–August 3, 2008), charcoal drawings of composite architectural spaces, curated by Thomas Trummer
• “The Offering Table: Activist Women Artists from Korea” (August–December 2008), eight artists from Seoul-based group Ipgim participate in the rediscovery of women’s traditions and history, curated by Inson Choy.
• “Painting the Glass House: Artists Revisit Modern Architecture” (January–March 2009), 15 artists create paintings, collages and videos to explore the potential of utopian ideas and passing idealism embodied by modern architecture, curated by Jessica Hough.

Hough came to Mills in January from the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT, where she achieved distinction for more than nine years, most recently as the curatorial director. 

She oversees the Mills College Art Museum program of contemporary art exhibitions and a collection of more than 8,000 objects. During her tenure, Hough will facilitate the development of a planned new wing of the Mills College Art Museum.

Hough is known for her outstanding interpretive vision in creating exhibitions of contemporary American and international art. She was responsible for organizing the highly acclaimed show of the photography of Catherine Opie, “In and Around Home.” She also collaborated on organizing “Karkhana,” an exhibition of six contemporary Pakistani artists recently featured at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. She brings to Mills particular expertise in identifying and working with emerging and mid-career artists to develop innovative projects and successful exhibitions of their work.

Museum Hours:

Tuesday—Sunday 11–4 pm; Wednesday 11–7:30 pm; closed Monday.

The Mills College Art Museum, founded in 1925, is a dynamic center for art that focuses on the creative work of women as artists and curators. The Museum strives to engage and inspire the diverse and distinctive cultures of the Bay Area by presenting innovative exhibitions by emerging and established national and international artists. Exhibitions are designed to challenge and invite reflection upon the profound complexities of contemporary culture.

Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering innovative degree programs to approximately 900 undergraduate women and 500 graduate women and men. Ranked one of the top colleges in the West by U.S. News & World Report and one of the Best 366 Colleges by The Princeton Review, Mills provides a dynamic liberal arts education fostering women's leadership, social responsibility, and creativity. Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California, on 135 lush acres, Mills was recently selected by the New York Times as one of three outstanding California colleges for students to consider.

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