The Legacy of Alexey von Schlippe: Contemporary Art in Groton

Alexey von Schlippe, a former professor of art history and painting at the University of Connecticut, was a closet workhorse.

“I was asked, 19 years ago, to come look at some paintings that were in the old administration building,” said Julia Pavone, Director of the Alexey von Schlippe gallery. “I went in and was horrified to see all these Alexey von Schlippe’s rolled up the wrong way, folded, [and] put into boxes. Some of them were still in panels of wood, shoved.”

Nearly 500 of Schlippe’s paintings were discovered hidden away in the administration closet. Another 2,000 paintings were uncovered at his home in Germany at the time of his death. Schlippe’s widow, loath to take in an additional 500 pieces, donated the stock back to the university. Pavone and UConn physics professor David Madacsi were charged with finding a solution.

“We spread the art all over the [Branford House] mansion to assess the situation,” Pavone recounted. “No one was in the mansion yet—they hadn’t renovated it.”

“There were raccoons, however,” she added, laughing.

Pavone and Madacsi started the von Schlippe gallery on the basis of that permanent collection.

“That was what precipitated it, but we had also felt a great need as art lovers for a place to show work that was not being show,” said Pavone. “That really was what inspired us.”

The gallery now stands as one of only two art centers in Groton and the only space that specializes in contemporary art. The gallery is comprised of four contiguous spaces and runs six exhibitions each year of regional, national, and international artists. Although housed at the UConn Avery Point campus, the gallery does not receive an operating budget from the university to support its endeavors. Instead, it is heavily supported by donations of dedicated members.

“It’s remained a really great place for people all over to show their work, especially artists that do innovative work in every medium and every style,” said Pavone, who is finalizing plans on the gallery’s 2015 exhibitions. “From representational and realistic work to nonrepresentational installations including photography, as well as print making, painting, sculpture, and mixed media.”

“We kind of got a reputation for showing things that other galleries wouldn’t show,” she continued, “as far as mediums and work that was not as conventional.”

Pavone is an accomplished artist in her own right and admits that curation was not her first calling.

“When I got my bachelor of fine arts, I thought I would walk out those doors with my degree and be Picasso the next year,” Pavone said. “It was never any question as far as I was concerned. But then I got out and realized I had to make a living.”

Pavone moved to Boston and earned a master's degree in arts education. She later taught studio art to elementary and high school students.

As an art studio teacher, Pavone was afforded time during the summer to pursue her own artistic endeavors—including participation in arts residency programs in Bulgaria.

She moved to UConn on the urging of a friend, teaching art studio, art appreciation, and, later, art history as an adjunct professor. Pavone continues to teach art appreciation today as a way of keeping in contact with the student body.

“When I can, I still sneak into my studio and paint,” she said. “I paint now more than ever. I do large mixed media pieces. I do some encaustic [wax art]. My latest body of work is with found objects.”

Next year, Pavone continues work on addressing the challenges of her unique gallery space and pushing forward an agenda for contemporary arts to draw people in from across the region.

The Alexey von Schlippe gallery debuts a new summer exhibition of photography, mixed media sculpture, and painting on July 22. The exhibition showcases work by photojournalist Marcel Dufresne, Rhonda Gushee, and Ariel Mitchell. An opening night gala will be held from 6-8 p.m. that night and promises cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and live music by blues artist Dan Stephens.  

“For me, the joy of this job is dealing with the artists,” said Pavone. “It’s the joy of having artists walk into the room and say, ‘Oh my God, I never knew my art could look this good.’”

The Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art is open to the public July 22-September 4, 2011 Wednesday through Sundays from 12-4 p.m. Admission is free to students with a suggested $3 donation for non-members. For more information visit www.averypointarts.uconn.edu or call 860-405-9052.