
As fall gets underway, the Department of Fine Arts鈥 Hite Art Institute gears up for a new season of exhibitions and programs with a new director at the helm.
Chris Reitz will preside over the Cressman Center and Schneider galleries, the city鈥檚 leading teaching galleries. He will also direct the Critical and Curatorial Studies academic program and its related activities, develop curriculum, engage in interdisciplinary teaching and facilitate research opportunities.
Ying Kit Chan, chair of the Fine Arts Department, praised Reitz鈥檚 background, saying he had strong experience in art theory and criticism, project management and curation.
鈥淒r. Reitz studied with Hal Foster and Molly Nesbit, two of the world鈥檚 most important art critics and curators. His credentials, intelligence and abilities are top-notch. I have no doubt that he will be able to provide strong leadership and vision for our teaching galleries, and elevate the critical and curatorial program to the highest level,鈥 Chan said.
Originally from Reading, Pennsylvania, Reitz just finished his dissertation at Princeton University. Before that, he was a project manager at Public Art Fund in New York, a non-profit arts organization that produces large-scale public art projects and exhibitions. He also spent a number of years working as an independent curator, curating shows in New York and Paris. A grant allowed him to do research on contemporary art in Kosovo and Albania. He writes art criticism and has been published in the German arts journal Texte zur Kunst.
Reitz said the job appealed to him for many reasons, especially for how much potential the Hite spaces hold. On campus, Schneider Hall houses three galleries, while the downtown Cressman Center for Visual Arts boasts an exceptional 2,000-foot, storefront gallery space.
鈥淲e can have an international artist with a solo exhibition at the Cressman, a juried exhibition in one of the Schneider galleries, and a curatorial student show in Gallery X. The capacity to offer such a range of programing is really exciting鈥 Reitz said.听 鈥淥ur gallery resources here have an educational mission, but education can be conceived broadly. It鈥檚 a laboratory space that engages other creative producers and collaborators and allows us to be one of the leaders of the contemporary arts conversation in the region.鈥
Reitz said Hite鈥檚 upcoming season offers a number of unique opportunities for the public to enjoy, especially for a regional photography conference held in Louisville and , which is a partnership with Hite and the Louisville Visual Art Association.
UofL Hite Art Institute 2015-16 Gallery Exhibition Schedule
Cressman Center for Visual Art
October 1 鈥 31
Throwing Light/ Catching Shadows
Midwest Society of Photographic 成人直播 Invitational
November 6 鈥 15
Open Studio Exhibition
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Saturday, November 14 at 11 am听– 5 pm
Open Studio Weekend is a partnership of the University of Louisville Hite Art Institute & LVA
November 6: Kick off for Open Studio Weekend
November 14-15: Open Studio Weekend
November 6-15: Exhibition at Cressman/Public
November 20 鈥 January 8
Joshua Watts: Resonant Disclosures
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Schneider Hall Galleries
October 1 鈥 31
We the People: Photographs by Milton Rogovin
October 1 鈥 31
On Fruited Plains
Midwest Society of Photographic 成人直播 Multi-Caucus Exhibition
November 20 鈥 December 18
MA and BFA Thesis Exhibitions






















