Austin's Umlauf Sculpture Garden is currently hosting the exhibit Mentoring a Muse: Charles Umlauf & Farrah Fawcett. The show focuses on the long-standing relationship between the two artists; while a student at the University of Texas, Fawcett studied under Umlauf and the two continued a friendship throughout Umlauf's life.
"It's split about 50/50 between artworks by Charles Umlauf and those of his most famous student from the University of Texas, Farrah Fawcett," says curator Katie Robinson Edwards. "And it's revelatory. And it's especially wonderful because people get to see how good Farrah Fawcett was as an artist."
Because Fawcett studied with Umlauf and served as his model, Mentoring a Muse looks at her as subject, artist, and collector (in addition to works by Umlauf and Fawcett, there are also artworks from her private collection on display).
Gray Hawn, who was a longtime friend of Fawcett, thinks she'd be thrilled by the exhibit at the Umlauf. "She would be so happy," Hawn says. "I'm very touched by it, and moved. And it's kind of an unveiling ... a lot of people have never seen this side of Farrah, which was so much a part of her."
Mentoring a Muse will be on display during the Umlauf's upcoming Garden Party fundraiser. "It's our primary annual fundraiser," says Umlauf executive director Nina Seely. In addition to access to the current exhibit, there will also be food and drink from twenty-five local restaurants, live music by the Nash Hernandez Orchestra, and a live and silent auction.
"It's going to be pretty amazing," Seely says.
"Mentoring a Muse: Charles Umlauf & Farrah Fawcett" is on display through Aug. 20.
