We have an exciting announcement for those of us who love the Granville Historical Society. Marilyn Jung, a longtime volunteer and supporter, has generously donated a group of sixty works by her late husband Michael to be auctioned for the benefit of the Society’s endowment fund.
We are pleased to share with you that these works are being auctioned online through June 4 and in person on June 4 at 6:00 p.m. A selection of the works are currently on view at the Historical Society’s Museum at 115 E. Broadway, where admission is always free.
The museum will have extended opening hours during Denison’s Reunion Weekend so you can come see Michael’s art: Friday, May 31: 12pm - 7pm; Saturday, June 1: 10am - 7pm; and Sunday, June 2: 12pm - 6pm.
The online auction is open now!
You can find more information about the live auction here or go straight to the auction here.
Both a live and online auction will be held on June 4th at 6:00 p.m., at Apple Tree Auction Center! For those of us who can attend in person, there will be a pre-auction reception at 5:00 p.m.
The works have been carefully selected to represent the full range of Michael’s artistic talent. Michael was a highly regarded artist and beloved professor of art at Denison for nearly 35 years. He and Marilyn made their life in Granville, raising their three children here.
We hope you are as excited as we are by this special opportunity to own a wonderful work of art and support the future of the Granville Historical Society.
Spotlight on the Artist: Michael Jung:
Michael Jung
Wisconsin native, Michael Jung graduated from Denison University in 1958, and earned two Master’s Degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He served three years as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy touring the Pacific. Following his service, he married his wife Marilyn, who had been a fellow classmate at Denison, and by 1962, they had three children. He returned to Granville in 1967 as an artist-in-residence, eventually becoming a full professor in the Denison Art Department for more than three decades. Mike and Marilyn made their home in Granville where they raised their family. He was a beloved professor whose teaching inspired generations of Denison students. Michael traveled widely, visiting 58 countries in his lifetime; the imagery of his travel experiences often influenced his painting. He continued to work daily at his studio on River Road in Granville after retiring in 2001 as Emeritus Studio Art Professor. He died in September of 2022 at the age of 86.
Like many artists of his generation, Michael was inspired by the many artistic movements of the 20th century. Surrealism exerted a particularly profound influence on his development as an artist, providing him with the visual language to explore beneath the surface of what he saw. Michael’s sensitivity to the unseen world can be disorienting or even challenging. A familiar response to anyone who asked him about the meaning of his work was the evasive but provocative, “What does it mean to you?” He left no roadmap and no instructions, only the work itself. Take his challenge as an invitation to see with your own eyes and emotions.
