Stetson’s Museum and Curatorial Studies program continues to demonstrate the power of experiential learning with Bum Painter or “so-called” Architect?: Oscar Bluemner’s Transition to Painting, an exhibition curated by Amarige Champion — a senior in the program — on view from Oct. 14 to Dec. 6 at the Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center.

Drawing from the Hand Art Center’s Vera Bluemner Kouba Collection, Champion’s exhibition explores a pivotal period in Bluemner’s life, the legal dispute that led him to abandon his career in architecture and fully commit to painting.

Champion has already established herself as one of Stetson’s most accomplished emerging curators. She presented her research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) and received both the SURE Grant and the LaValle Experiential Learning Fund, which supported her curatorial research and exhibition development. This project represents the culmination of her undergraduate studies and embodies the Museum and Curatorial Studies program’s emphasis on learning through direct, professional experience.

“This exhibition is a perfect example of what our program stands for,” said Katya Kudryavtseva, PhD, associate professor of Art History and curator of the Vera Bluemner Kouba Collection. “Amarige has applied her academic training to every stage of the curatorial process: research, design, interpretation and publication. It is a model of the kind of engaged, professional work our students are capable of producing before they even graduate.”

The Exhibition

The exhibition traces the artist’s dramatic shift from architecture to painting, sparked by a contentious court case with his former partner over the design of the Bronx Courthouse. The show features Bluemner’s early architectural sketches, materials from the Bronx Courthouse court case, drawings from his European travels and paintings in his signature Modernist style.

“Bluemner’s determination to choose painting over a more stable career in architecture reveals his belief in artistic freedom,” Champion said. “It also reveals his willingness to take risks to fulfill his vision.”

Champion also credits her peers in the Museum and Curatorial Studies program for contributing to the project’s success.

“My classmates were an incredible source of feedback and support throughout the process,” she added. “They helped me think through interpretive strategies, design possibilities and the visitor’s experience in the gallery. It really felt like a collective effort, and that collaboration highlights what makes this program so special.”

The Hand Art Center played a key role in supporting the realization of Champion’s curatorial vision. Through its financial backing, the HAC made it possible for her to implement an ambitious design plan. The exhibition exemplifies how the HAC and the Museum and Curatorial Studies program work together to provide students with the resources and mentorship they need to execute professional-quality exhibitions.

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue, the inaugural publication of Vera Editions, a publishing initiative co-founded by Natalia Marques da Silva, PhD, director of the Hand Art Center, and Kudryavtseva.

“The real benefit of Vera Editions is that by translating physical installations into print media, exhibits live on in perpetuity,” da Silva said. “The visitor becomes the reader, except that unlike on-site events, there is no time or location limit to fully take in the curator’s scholarly or artistic contributions.”

For Champion, the experience has affirmed her commitment to curatorial work and deepened her appreciation for the power of art to tell complex human stories. She collaborated on the catalogue design with Hayden Collins ’24, who graduated Stetson with a bachelor’s degree in Digital Arts.

“Working on this exhibition has been transformative,” Champion said. “It taught me that curating is not just about displaying art but about creating connections between the artist and the audience.”

Additional Information

• Thursday, Oct. 16, 5 p.m., Amarige Champion’s talk and catalogue launch.
• Saturday, Oct. 25, from 6 to 8 p.m., an opening reception.

Partial funding for this exhibition, an accompanying catalogue, and its associated research was provided by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts, the LaValle Experiential Learning Fund, Stetson Undergraduate Research Experience Grant, and Volusia Echo Grant.

–  Charlotte Holley ’26
Museum and Curatorial Studies