February 7, 2002

Contact: Kerri Conan, School of Fine Arts, (785) 864-5567.

Disney artist highlights KU's Hallmark Symposium series in February

LAWRENCE -- Jack Lew, senior manager of artist and professional development at Disney Feature Animation, and Anne Currier, ceramic sculptor, visit the University of Kansas this month as part of the Hallmark Symposium series. Lew speaks on Monday, Feb. 11, and Currier gives her presentation on Feb. 25. Both free, public events begin at 6 p.m. at the Spencer Museum of Art.

Jack Lew oversees the animation training and ongoing educational programs for the Disney studio in Orlando, Fla. Before working in the animation industry, he spent 24 years as an educator and administrator. He taught at the Kansas City Art Institute and worked as an illustrator and graphic designer.

Anne Currier uses ceramics to express her curiosity about the physical and visual exchange of masses and voids in space. Currier is a professor of ceramic arts at Alfred University in New York, and her work is part of the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Renwich Museum; the Musee des Arts Decoratifs de Montreal; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Kyung-ju, South Korea; and the American Crafts Museum in New York.

Now in its 19th year, the Hallmark Symposium is a course offered by the KU Department of Design and sponsored by an endowment from Hallmark Cards Inc. Each semester, seven creative and articulate designers, writers, artists and educators are invited to speak at the Spencer Museum of Art. Enrolled students, faculty and interested community members attend the lectures.

The presentations range from 60 to 90 minutes in length. Visuals in the form of slides, video, or other digital media support and enhance the presentation content. Typically, presenters also provide opportunities for audience questions following their prepared remarks.

All lectures are free and open to the public. The Spencer Museum of Art is located on the University of Kansas Campus on Mississippi Street, just south of Memorial Stadium.