SUBJECT TO CHANGE - UPDATED - MAY 17, 2010
John Storrs: Machine-Age Modernist
October 2, 2010 – January 2, 2011
Organized by the Boston Athenæum
above left: John Storrs (1885-1956), The Abbott, 1920. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966. Photograph by Ricardo Blanc
above center: John Storrs (1885-1956), Forms in Space, Number 1, 1927. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, Image copyright © The Metropolitan Museum of Art / Art Resource, NY
above right: John Storrs (1885-1956), Ceres, 1930. Museum Purchase, Friends of the Wichita Museum, Inc., Volunteers of the Sales/Rental Gallery, Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, Kansas
The first exhibition of Storrs’s work in over 20 years, Machine-Age Modernist will highlight his sculptures, drawings, and paintings drawn from various national collections, including those of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and the Corcoran Museum of Art, among other leading institutions and private lenders. One of America’s foremost modernists, John Storrs (1885–1956) produced a remarkable body of sculpture and was at the forefront of both European and American avant-garde movements. Storrs became part of a vibrant, early 20th-century culture enthralled with invention and stretching the visual parameters of art.
Nick Cave: Meet Me at the Center of the Earth
October 9, 2010 – January 9, 2011
Organized by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
above left: Soundsuit, 2009, Mixed media 89” h x 46” w x 34” d. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery
above center: Soundsuit, 2009, Human hair, metal armature 99” h x 31” w x 27” d. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery
above right: Soundsuit, 2009, Mixed media 89” h x 46” w x 34” d. Courtesy of the artist and JackShainman Gallery
This exhibition will feature approximately forty of Nick Cave’s Soundsuits: multi-layered, mixed media, wearable sculptures designed to captivate visitors of all ages and bring together visual and performing arts for a unique museum experience. As reminiscent of African, Mardi Gras and religious ceremonial costumes as they are of haute couture, the Soundsuits explore ceremony, ritual, myth and identity through a subtle layering of references expressed through highly skilled techniques, varied traditions and an array of ordinary, scavenged yet seductive materials. By transforming discarded objects into works of art, he encourages the viewer to connect with the pre-history of the objects as well as the potent imagery of the Soundsuits themselves. Inviting viewers to join him at the ―Center of the Earth, Nick Cave offers a vision of a world turned upside down and inside out.
Want to see Nick Cave's Soundsuits in motion? The Palm Beach Atlantic Dance Ensemble will showcase the Soundsuits November 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Borland Center, Palm Beach Gardens. Call 561.803.2970 for tickets or visit www.pba.edu/performances
Celebrating 70: The Qianlong Emperor and Exchanges of Buddhist Gifts
December 4, 2010–March 20, 2011
Organized by the Norton Museum of Art
above left: Bowl with Seven Buddhas China, Qianlong, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, dated 1777 Green jade, traces of gold 5 7/8 x diam. 9 1/2 in. (14.9 x 24.1 cm) Gift of R.H. Norton, 42.66
above right: Seated Figure of the Buddha Amitayus China, Qing dynasty, Qianlong, dated1761 Gilt bronze, traces of polychrome decoration 8 1/2 x 4 5/8 x 3 3/4 in. (21.6 x 11.7 x 9.5 cm) Purchase, the R.H. Norton Trust in Honor of the Elizabeth Norton Society and our Volunteers who serve in Education, the Library, Membership, Museum Store, Office Support, Special Events and Visitor Services, 2000.3
In 1777, the Panchen Lama, a Tibetan religious leader second only to the Dalai Lama, presented a set of paintings illustrating the historical Buddha Shakyamuni and the six Buddhas that preceded him to the Qianlong Emperor (reigned 1736 – 1795). This sparked elaborate exchanges of gifts between the Chinese court and the lamas of Tibet, culminating with the Panchen Lama attending the celebration of the emperor’s 70th birthday in 1780. This installation explores how the art and traditions of Tibet influenced the creation of Buddhist art in court of this Chinese emperor.
Made in Hollywood: Photographs from the John Kobal Foundation
December 12, 2010 – March 6, 2011
Organized by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art
above left: Robert Coburn (1900-1990) Rita Hayworth for “Gilda,” Columbia Pictures, 1946 Gelatin silver print
above center: Clarence Sinclair Bull (1895-1979) Alfred Hitchcock with the MGM Lion, MGM, 1958 Gelatin silver print
above right: Scotty Welbourne (1907-1979) Humphrey Bogart for “High Sierra,” Warner Brothers, 1940 Gelatin silver print
Made in Hollywood: Photographs from the John Kobal Foundation, is comprised of 94 photographs by over 50 photographers, drawn from the London-based archive of the late author and collector John Kobal. This exhibition reveals the importance of photography in manufacturing the myth of Hollywood as a magical place, inhabited by glamorous stars, where dreams came true. Though the skill and invention of these still-camera artists, the faces of the Hollywood greats were memorialized in silver, delighting movie-goers generation after generation. Dramatic lighting, unique camera angles, and deft retouching created icons of glamour—Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn —and gorgeous, yet manly heroes— Marlon Brando, Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, and Rock Hudson. They were ―Made in Hollywood‖ into gods and goddesses, worshipped by adoring fans throughout the world.
Fabulous Fakes: The Jewelry of Kenneth Jay Lane
February 3, 2011 – May 1, 2011
above left: Mermaid Necklace
above right: Flamingo Pin
Catch a rare glimpse of the work of Kenneth Jay Lane, the major American maker and designer of costume jewelry who continues to lead the industry. Lane, a stalwart of the fashion world, is widely credited with making costume jewelry as glamorous as million-dollar baubles. Hundreds of his creations – the likes of which have been worn by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Nancy Reagan, Diana Vreeland, Britney Spears and countless other women from every walk of life – are featured. A compelling figure and master of the bon mot, Lane is not only a long-established presence in society circles but a charming and wildly popular showman on QVC. He has outfitted First Ladies and Hollywood royalty in his fakes, and his early pieces now fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction.
To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum
February 12 – May 8, 2011
Organized by the Brooklyn Museum of Art
above left: The Mummy of Demetri[o]s Roman Period, 50-100 C.E. Painted cloth, gold, human remains, wood, encaustic, gilding 13 3/8 x 15 3/8 x 74 13/16 in., 130 lb. (34 x 39 x 190 cm, 59kg) b: portrait: 14 11/16 x 8 1/16 x 1/16 in. (37.3 x 20.5 x 0.2 cm) Other (Display): 19 x 28 x 86 1/4 in., 197.5 lb. (48.3 x 71.1 x 219.1 cm, 89.6kg) place found: Hawara, Egypt Charles Edwin Wlbour Fund
above center: Mummy Cartonnage of a Woman Roman Period, 1st century C.E. Linen, gilded gesso, glass and faience 22 11/16 x 14 5/8 x 7 1/2 in. (57.6 x 37.2 x 19 cm) possible place collected: Hawara, Egypt, Africa Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
above right: Block Statue of Nesthoth Ptolemaic Period, 305-30 B.C.E. Diorite 15 3/8 x 6 9/16 x 7 7/8 in., 30 lb. (39 x 16.7 x 20 cm, 13.6kg) possible place made: Thebes (Karnak), Egypt, Africa Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Encompassing more than 100 objects drawn from the Brooklyn Museum’s world-renowned holdings of ancient Egyptian art, this exhibition explores the Egyptians’ beliefs about life, death, and the afterlife; the process of mummification; the conduct of a funeral; and the different types of tombs—answering questions at the core of the public’s fascination with ancient Egypt. Two of the primary cultural tenets, through thousands of years of ancient Egyptian civilization, were a belief in the afterlife and the view that death was an enemy that could be vanquished. To Live Forever features objects that illustrate a range of strategies the ancient Egyptians developed to defeat death, including mummification and various rituals performed in the tomb. The exhibition reveals what the Egyptians believed they would find in the next world and contrasts how the rich and the poor prepared for the hereafter.
Eternal China: Tales from the Crypt
March 26 – July 17, 2011
Organized by the Norton Museum of Art
left: Covered tripod ritual wine vessel (jia) China, Shang dynasty, Anyang period, ca. 13th-12th century BCE Bronze 13 x 7 3/4 x 8 1/8 in. Gift of R.H. Norton, 52.4
Designed to complement the special exhibition of Egyptian treasures from the Brooklyn Museum, the Norton highlights works of art from another great ancient culture, China. This installation explores important discoveries of mummies and renowned tombs.
A to Z: 26 Great Photographs from the Norton Museum
March 19 – June 19, 2011
Organized by the Norton Museum of Art
above left: GRACIELA ITURBIDE Mexican, 1942 Nuestra Senora de las Iguanas, Juchitan, 1979 Gelatin silver photograph, 24 x 20 in. Purchase, acquired through the generosity of the Photography Committee of the Norton Museum of Art, 2010.1 Courtesy of the artist and ROSEGALLERY
above right: EDWARD WESTON American, 1886–1958 Bertha, Glendale, 1927, printed later by Cole Weston Gelatin silver print, 9 ½ x 6 ½ in. Purchase, with funds from the Photography Auction, 2005.38 © Center for Creative Photography , Arizona Board of Regents
A to Z: 26 Great Photographs from the Norton Museum, is, quite simply, an alphabetically arranged selection of photographs based on the first letter of the artist’s last name. Chosen from nearly 3,000 photographs, the exhibition reveals both the depth and breadth of the Museum’s photography collection. At the same time, the selected images acknowledge the work of some of the most notable photographers of the 20th and 21st centuries, ranging from such seminal figures as Ansel Adams and Edward Weston to a younger generation of photo-based artists including Thomas Demand and Valérie Belin. A to Z conveys the enormous changes and re-thinking of what ―photography‖ is. And while not intended to rewrite the history of photography, the exhibition nonetheless reaffirms the endless possibilities of a medium that continues to make and re-make history itself.
Transformation/Transcendence: The Work of Jose Alvarez * working title
Spring 2011
Organized by the Norton Museum of Art
above left: Jose Alvarez The Progress of Inspiration, 2008 Enamel, gouache, feathers, porcupine quills on mica 72 x 90 inches Courtesy the artist and Gavlak Gallery, Palm Beach
above right: Jose Alvarez The Arrival, 2008 Feathers, porcupine quills, crystals, paint, ink, paper collage, and acetate on paper. 72 x 44 inches Courtesy of the artist and Gavlak Gallery, Palm Beach
The Norton Museum will organize and present an exhibition highlighting the remarkable colorful collages and meditative videos of Florida resident Jose Alvarez, (b. 1968, New York) as well as works by a select group of his contemporaries. Through visually seductive, neo-psychedelic work, this exhibition will consider the transformative power of art, as well as its sensual appeal. Alvarez started to make his collages and videos in 2006 after a two-decade career as a performance artist, acting as a fraudulent mystic who could channel a 2,000-year-old shaman named ―Carlos.‖ Alvarez appeared before millions nationally and internationally to explore the appeal and seduction of belief systems through this fabricated character, and some of these ideas and concepts remain relevant and are translated through his current body of work.
Out of This World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television
June 4 – September 4, 2011
Organized by the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum
above left: Batman & Robin (George Clooney) Batman costume from the motion picture Batman & Robin. Courtesy of the Paul G. Allen Family Collection.
above center: The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) Black leather jacket from the motion picture The Terminator. Courtesy of the Paul G. Allen Family Collection.
above right: Star Trek: Voyager (Jeri Ryan) Seven of Nine costume from the television series Star Trek: Voyager. Courtesy of the Paul G. Allen Family Collection
Out if This World will feature more than 30 costumes and related objects from science fiction films and television programs such as Star Wars, Blade Runner, Terminator, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica and Batman. The exhibition will allow visitors to examine how costume design incorporates color, style, scale, materials, historical traditions and cultural cues to help performers and audiences engage, in new or accepted ways, with the characters being portrayed.
The Norton Museum has been recognized internationally for its travelling exhibitions and expansive collections of over 7,000 works, including European Impressionists and Modern Masters, American art from 1900 to the present, an extensive collection of works on paper and a rich body of sculpture. The Chinese collection offers superb examples of carved jades and bronze vessels and the contemporary collection embraces art from the 1960’s on. Today’s most revered and history’s most innovative photographers are featured in the photography collection. Annually, the Norton Museum presents engaging and exciting collection and exhibition related talks, concerts, and programs for children and adults. The Museum Store offers an eclectic array of gifts and Café 1451 at the Norton offers delicious lunch and tea