SC State’s I. P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium Presents spring exhibit through July 1

(Orangeburg, S.C.) -  SC State’s I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium (The Stanback) is excited to present Twentieth Century Masters from the Cochran Collection, an exhibition of the works of some of the most interesting and exciting artists of the Twentieth Century.  The exhibit will be on display through Thursday, July 1, 2010.
This amazing collection includes works on paper by internationally renowned artists, to include Jacob Lawrence, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Romare Bearden, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, James Rosenquist, Alexander Calder, Elizabeth Catlett, Jim Dine, Jasper Johns, Joan Miro, Willem De Kooning, George Segal, Helen Frankenthaler, Louise Nevelson, Robert Rauchenberg, Camille Billops, John Biggers, Mildred Thompson and many others. 
This is the first time that the Twentieth Century Masters from the Cochran Collection is being exhibited in all of its diversity, without ethnic differentiation.  
The collection is the brain child of Wes and Missy Cochran. Wes will serve on the I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium’s Advisory Board.  They are devoted art collectors with a passion for art rivaling artists and collectors. Wes learned about art from his avid art collector uncle, William May, referred to by Wes as “Sir William.” Wes is a stone mason by trade, and Missy is a retired school teacher. They reside in La Grange, Ga., where they opened an art gallery to assist with the La Grange Museum, located in La Grange, Ga., in an effort to continue to purchase art with all of their resources.
“Their friendship and support has enabled The Stanback to produce an exhibition of rare and extraordinary quality, usually seen only in major museums in large cities,” said Ellen Zisholtz, director and curator of The Stanback.
The accompanying planetarium show will be introduced by Wes Cochran who will share his experiences as an art collector. The planetarium show, In the Mind’s Eye: Illusion and Art, will highlight select works of art from Twentieth Century Masters from the Cochran Collection presented by Dr. Elizabeth Mayo, the Stanback’s planetarium manager. In the Mind’s Eye: Illusion and Art, will explore the use of illusion in artistic expression and imagery, and showcases artists who employ this amazing technique in their works. 
On Friday, Feb. 19, 2010, the Stanback also opened the accompanying exhibition, Remembering the Rosenwald Schools,  celebrating two additional Twentieth Century Masters - Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish immigrant from Germany, and Booker T. Washington, a former enslaved American.  This exhibition is located in the Educators Resource Center and features images and artifacts from former Rosenwald schools in South Carolina.
For additional information about the I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium’s Spring Exhibition Opening, contact Ellen Zisholtz at (803)536-7174, or Ingrid Owens, program manager, at (803)536-8329.