Tony May painting. Photo by Martins Bluzma.

In the Artist’s Studio: Featuring Tony May opens in the Michael and Alyce Parsons reception area on February 5th. The exhibition offers a glimpse of May’s interior world, and his highly interactive creative process. The visitor follows May on his journey of creating the site-specific installation for the San Jose Museum of Art, Variable Book Construction (Bookmobile), (1991-1995). With behind-the-scenes photos of May's T. House, workspace, and drafting table, as well as a few select tools that help May get the job done, visitors will learn about the artistry in the time and the care that May dedicates to his tasks.

To further engage visitors and illuminate the process behind the creative concept, May’s Bookmobile Maquette, recently donated to NUMU’s permanent collection, will also be on view. This maquette is a component in the process of creating Variable Book Construction: Bookmobile, which is in the collection of the San Jose Museum of Art. The exhibition runs through May 9, 2021

Tony May began his career as an artist in his native Wisconsin, and earned an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1966, and learned the craftsmanship of carpentry and other practical skills from his father on their family farm. In 1967, May moved to San Jose, CA, where he lives and taught art at San Jose State University for over 30 years. Tony May has exhibited his meticulous paintings and conceptual, whimsical structures to international acclaim.

NUMU’s In the Artist’s Studio exhibition series, introduced in 2018, supports the museum’s mission to share stories in new ways. Most people do not have the opportunity to visit an artist’s studio and learn firsthand how artwork is made, and more importantly why it is made. Through this program, NUMU offers insight into the practice of artmaking and shares with the community the ingenuity, intelligence and empathy that goes into the creative process.

In the Artist's Studio is generously supported by the Borgenicht Foundation.

The Borgenicht Foundation works to promote the understanding of secularism as the way and hope for establishing peace in the world. In addition, the Foundation supports social justice, conservation and historic preservation, the arts, health, and education.

Visit the virtual exhibition for In the Artist’s Studio: Featuring Tony May.