By Joshua Le Suer

A painting shows a large-headed sheep – some may confuse it for a bull terrier - with tiny coal eyes and a glossy button nose. The animal, on its hind legs and clasping a violin beneath its chin, seems, with its ungainly head and shrimpy body, to possess an innocence as poignant as the fantastic nature of the piece.

The above paragraph is a description of a panel that will be featured in “The Wild, Wild World of Agnes Robertson.” The exhibition, along with “Smart Growth and Choices For Change,” are coming soon to The Burchfield-Penney Art Center.

According to the Burchfield-Penney newsletter, "Smart Growth" will hold its opening members' preview reception April 4, from 6 to 8 p.m., the show will run from until June 29. "

Agnes Robertson" will hold its members' preview reception on April 4, from 5:30 to 7:50 p.m. and run until June 1.

"Smart Growth," according to the newsletter, is designed to demonstrate how to encourage positive growth economically, culturally and architecturally in the community through visuals and text. The exhibition is divided into three parts: a defining of sprawl and "Smart Growth" and the tools available to help "Smart Growth" development; a short history of what factors have shaped America's growth; and a look at various suburban, urban and regional "Smart Growth" projects.

Don Metz, the associate director for the art center, says "Smart Growth” concerns how the region may be improved economically, architecturally, socially. Instead of allowing the region to progress arbitrarily, “Smart Growth” proposes a specific plan to encourage the financial and social well-being of its citizens and eliminate the downward spiral of the region.

Robertson

According to an essay written by Nancy Weekly, the head of collections and the Charles Cary Rumsey curator, Robertson, who died in 2001, populated her art with
animals wearing suits, playing instruments and engaging in all manner of human activity. Characters in her panels are globby, unformed, childlike drawings modeled on historical and literary themes, as well as human experiences universally shared.

Weekly remarks that Robertson’s work, due to its simple form and lack of sophisticated detail, is often considered to be very primitive. But quoting a colleague, Weekly points out that Robertson uses these unformed creations to remark on the failings and lies characteristic of our time.

The "Smart Growth" exhibition will be featured in the North Gallery and North Gallery One, while "Agnes Robertson" will be shown in the Central Gallery. For more information about these and other exhibitions, go to
www.burchfield-penney.org