"Reynolda House Museum of American Art" Archive

Interdisciplinary dance performance inspired by Reynolda House exhibition

This is a guest post from the Reynolda House Museum of American Art.

The Reynolda House Museum of American Art recently partnered with Janice Lancaster, Teacher-Scholar Postgraduate Fellow in the Wake Forest Department of Theatre and Dance, to develop “The Last Plant,” an interdisciplinary dance performance inspired by Reynolda’s historic gardens and the 2021 Reynolda exhibition, “Cross Pollination.” Photo of a diverse group of plants in the main greenhouse at Reynolda Gardens

Cross Pollination” explored the concept of pollination in nature and ecology, cultural and artistic influence and exchange, and the interconnection between art and science, through influential paintings by Martin Johnson Heade, Thomas Cole, Frederic Church and more.

“The Last Plant” emphasizes the biodiversity and beauty of the plants in Reynolda’s greenhouse and conservatory, as well as our collective responsibility to preserve their native habitats. Dancers open their senses to patterns of plant intelligence, coloration and communication in this human-plant collaborative endeavor.

University partners hope the creative, interdisciplinary performance will foster future site-based learning opportunities and performances at Reynolda.

View “The Last Plant” on Reynolda’s YouTube channel.

Categories: Guest PostInside WFU

“The Voyage of Life” opens to campus community July 16

The following is a guest post from Reynolda House Museum of American Art.

“The Voyage of Life: Art, Allegory, and Community Response” opens at Reynolda House Museum of American Art on Friday, July 16, as part of the museum’s “Weekend of Gratitude” for members, first responders and WFU faculty, staff and students. “Voyage of Life” will debut to the public on July 20.

Detail showing the engraving "Voyage of Life: Youth" (1854-55) by James Smillie after Thomas Cole

Detail. Thomas Cole, engraved by James Smillie, “Voyage of Life: Youth” (1854-55), engraving. Reynolda House Museum of American Art. Gift of Barbara B. Millhouse.

In this exhibition, a collaboration between Wake Forest University and Reynolda House, three centuries of American art come together alongside community stories to illuminate life’s most defining moments.

Discover works by artists including Lee Krasner, Alice Neel, Robert Colescott, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Romare Bearden and Grant Wood.

Community members of all ages make connections between the art and their own experience, and their stories accompany curatorial descriptions throughout the exhibition. Read more

Categories: Guest PostInside WFU

Updates from HR: COVID-19, University Policy Library, student hiring and events

COVID-19 update

On Monday, the campus community received a message with key COVID-19 updates, including the lifting of some restrictions, a consolidated COVID-19 policy and a faculty and staff vaccine survey. Here are some key takeaways:

Lifting restrictions: All social distancing requirements and limitations on gathering sizes are lifted. Masks are optional for fully vaccinated individuals (except in specific settings). Those who are not vaccinated are expected to continue to wear masks indoors while in the presence of others. Photo of the sun rising over Poteat Field during the summer. A woman is running is the foreground, and a soccer goal and score board are visible behind large trees that line the field.People may continue to wear masks for many reasons, and individual choices should be respected as we navigate this period of transition.

COVID-19 policy: Wake Forest has created a consolidated COVID-19 policy to replace the numerous policies governing University operations. Both the Sick and Care Leave and Vulnerable Employee policies will expire June 30, 2021. Eligible employees may request a medical accommodation using the ADAA Medical Accommodations Form.

Vaccine survey: Earlier today, Human Resources emailed all full- and part-time active faculty and staff with instructions for completing a vaccine survey to indicate their vaccination status, verify vaccination records and/or register their intent to receive a vaccination. Colleagues should complete this survey as soon as possible and before August 2. Read more

WFU Humanities Institute celebrates 10 years

The Humanities Institute is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year by gathering stories from faculty about their collaborations with the Institute over the past decade.

Photo of the founding faculty leadership of the Wake Forest Humanities Institute, from left, Mary Foskett, David Phillips, Sally Barbour and Dean Franco standing in Carswell Hall

Founding faculty leadership for the Wake Forest Humanities Institute, from left, Mary Foskett, David Phillips, Sally Barbour and Dean Franco.

Building on its liberal arts tradition, Wake Forest established the Humanities Institute to support innovative scholarship and collaboration in October 2010. The Humanities Institute publicly celebrated its launch in March 2011.

Mary Foskett, Wake Forest Kahle Professor of Religious Studies; Dean Franco, Winifred W. Palmer Professor in Literature, English; Sally Barbour, professor of Romance Languages; and David Phillips, associate professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities laid the groundwork and secured the funding that made the Institute possible. The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded Wake Forest a five-year, $500,000 challenge grant – the largest NEH grant Wake Forest had ever received. Original programming included faculty seminars, symposia, professional development, and support for collaborative faculty research and teaching.

In February 2013, Wake Forest alumnus Wade Murphy (’00) donated $1 million to support the Institute, extending the reach and impact of humanities and the liberal arts. Murphy was the youngest person in the University’s history to make such a large gift. Read more

Updates from HR: Vaccines, Faculty & Staff Clinic, Reynolda House and Zoom workshop

COVID-19 vaccine update: Group 3

Beginning Feb. 24, those who work in child care and PreK-12 are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Other Group 3 essential workers – including those in higher education – are expected to be eligible beginning March 10. Here is what you can do to prepare: Photo of Reynolda Hall as seen from Hearn Plaza with the sun peeking through the trees

  • If you haven’t already, complete the employee survey. If your work circumstances have changed or you have already been vaccinated, you can let us know by submitting the survey again.
  • If you are unsure of what group you are eligible for, use the NCDHHS Find My Vaccine Group tool.

The University has applied to be a vaccine provider and has plans to implement our own vaccination clinic when approved. The estimated timing of this approval is still unknown. In the interim, we are working with Wake Forest Baptist Health (WFBH) to identify opportunities for University faculty, staff and affiliate colleagues to get vaccinated.

Colleagues should take advantage of any opportunity to get vaccinated through their health care provider and may search for a vaccine provider once eligible.

If you have questions related to COVID-19 vaccine distribution and planning, please review these Frequently Asked Questions or submit your question(s) to Human Resources using this form.

Policy update: Administrative leave and release time

This policy has been updated to grant employees release time to receive immunizations offered on campus and/or those that are recommended or required for all employees whether they are offered on or off campus.

View the policy update on the HR website.

Faculty & Staff Clinic

The Faculty & Staff Clinic, operated by WFBH, is available to support those with COVID-19-related questions or concerns. The clinic nurse is available to:

  • Help determine if you should go to work, based on your symptoms
  • Help connect you to care when needed
  • Answer your COVID-19 questions
  • Help you if you aren’t feeling well while at work

Visit Our Way Forward to learn more about the clinic and how to get it touch. Read more

Archives