USD Magazine Summer 2007

[ a e s t h e t i c s ]

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN Hoehn Gallery opening celebrates not just famous faces, but beauty itself

A rt aficionados gathered in Founders Hall in early March for an evening cele- brating a new space on campus that’s dedicated to appreciation of the life aesthetic. The Robert and Karen Hoehn Family Galleries will exhibit prints on campus in collaboration with local institutions such as the San Diego Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. USD board of trustees president Robert Hoehn is a long-time patron of the arts; this gift funded both the galleries’renovation and the creation of an endowment to support future exhibitions. When introducing Hoehn, university Pres- ident Mary E. Lyons pointed out that the school’s history is based on an appreciation of beauty. Numerous members of the university community have

collaborated to bring the project to fruition, including former President Alice B. Hayes, professor emerita ThereseWhitcomb and university designer Mary Whelan. The opening exhibition, The Famous Face: Portraiture in Prints from Dürer to Warhol , features 57 prints by artists such asWarhol, Cezanne, Toulouse-Lautrec and Pablo Picasso. In his remarks, Hoehn dedicat- ed the exhibit to USD alumnus and former director of the Timken Museum John Petersen, who passed away in late 2006. “John was a great friend to the University of San Diego,” Hoehn said. “His wise counsel and pas- sion for the university will be greatly missed.” The exhibit runs through May 27. Admission is free. For information, call (619) 260-4261.

MARK HAYES

[ p e t p r o j e c t ] FURRY FRIENDS USD students campaign for four- legged victims of domestic violence by Kelly Knufken

I f a bill winding its way through the California Legislature makes it to law, domestic vio- lence victims will have some USD students to thank for their advoca- cy of a provision adding another layer of protection for pets. Senate Bill 353 would provide space on a restraining order to prevent abusers from harming or threatening animals as they try to control a partner or child. “It makes a lot of sense,” says Sarah Speed, a third-year law stu- dent. “It makes it easier for the vic- tim to get away from her abuser.” Speed had been working on such a bill with the national Humane Society and the ASPCA when she hooked up with a group of students from a School of Leadership and Education Sciences nonprofit advocacy class who were coincidentally working on the same issue. One of those students, Carolyn Smyth, comes to the issue as an advocate for domestic violence victims who responds to cases where police are called in. “I had noticed that a lot of my victims had pets and were afraid

to leave the situation, or had delayed calling, because they were worried about what to do with their pets,” says Smyth, who has fostered the pet of a domes- tic violence victim. Studies bear out their fear. One survey by the Humane Society of the United States found that 85 percent of women and 63 percent of children entering shelters talked about incidents of pet abuse. Speed, along with Smyth and fellow SOLES students Gretchen Pelletier, Darla Trapp and Renee Scherr, researched the issue, built a coalition of domestic violence providers and animal rights groups, and found a sponsor in Sen. Sheila Keuhl. Speed testified before a state Senate committee in March. The bill passed that committee vote 3-0. It was expected to reach the full Senate for discussion soon. “I definitely understand the ability to connect so closely with your animal that you would fear for their safety,” says Smyth. “It’s very complex, and it’s a very dan- gerous time for victims.”

ANDY WARHOL

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