On Saturday, a photography exhibit titled Paris Night & Day: Photography Between the Wars is set to open at the McMullen Museum of Art in Devlin Hall, where it will run through June 8. The installation will focus on Paris-based photographers working between 1918 and 1939, and will feature the work of Man Ray, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Jacques-Henri Lartigue, Ilse Bing, Andre Kertesz, Bill Brandt, Lisette Model, Dora Maar, and Brassai. Paris Night & Day was curated by Boston College art history professor Asher Anderson, and much of the research for the exhibit was done by students in Anderson’s “Photography in Paris: 1900-1945” class.
The efforts of Anderson and the art department to include undergraduate students in the planning of the exhibit is commendable and will likely increase undergraduate interest. Hopefully, the contributions of Anderson’s class mark the start of a trend, and the McMullen Museum will continue offering opportunities for students to get involved with the museum’s nationally recognized exhibits in the future.
With the strong focus on international studies and study abroad at BC, Paris Night & Day is a particularly relevant exhibit to undergraduates at the University. Several of the featured artists are among the most recognizable names in photography, and the space itself is one of the more impressive art venues in the Boston area. The installation’s focus on photography makes the content very accessible to most students, and is something the museum hasn’t featured in recent years. The museum has been very successful by bringing in a mix of art styles with its last few installations, and hopefully will continue this open spirit going forward.
The McMullen Museum has a history of showing internationally recognized work-students and professors should take advantage of the museum’s accessibility and celebrate the University’s continued dedication to bringing world-class cultural opportunities to BC.
