Art Knowledge News - Keeping You in Touch with the World of Art...

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• The Weatherspoon Art Museum features Narrative Art From the 1930's
• Curator's Office opens "Dawn Black ~ The Magic Foxhole"
• Sotheby's to offer Roy Lichtenstein's iconic masterpiece 'Sleeping Girl' in New York
• LAUNCH LA Shows Works by Gifted Draftsman ~ Antonio Pelayo
• The Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz Showcases Works by "The Peredvizhniki"
• The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum shows Watercolour Views of Coventry and Warwickshire
• Exhibition of new work by Urs Fischer opens at Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills
• The Miller Gallery shows Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary Impressionism
• La Lanta Fine Art opens Pop-Inspired Artists Brett Neal and Christian Develter
• The National Museum of Women in Arts features Women Artists from French National Collections
• ReDot Fine Art Gallery Hosts Paddy Japaljarri Stewart's First Solo Show
• The Oceanside Museum of Art Presents "John Taylor's Ghost Fleet"
• The Boise Art Museum Shows "The Perfect Fit: Shoes Tell Stories"
• Chateau de Versailles Presents Court Pomp and Royal Ceremonies/1650-1800
• Exhibition by The Singh Twins Announced at the National Portrait Gallery
• Turner Contemporary Exhibits Poetic Artworks by Katie Paterson
• Wadsworth Atheneum Reopens Morgan Great Hall Reinstalled with Contemporary Art
• Dutch Artist Lily van der Stokker To Exhibit at Tate St. Ives
• The Corcoran Displays Contemporary African American Art in "30 Americans"
• This Week in Review in Art Knowledge News

The Weatherspoon Art Museum features Narrative Art From the 1930's Posted: 24 Feb 2012 10:54 PM PST Greensboro, North Carolina.- The Weatherspoon Art Museum at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro is pleased to present "Telling Tales: Narratives from the 1930s" on view from February 25th through May 13th. Artists of all periods have used narrative imagery to teach, enlighten, and/or inspire viewers. Derived in the past from literature, Biblical scripture, mythology, or history, narrative art created during the 1930s continued to record these themes as well as the dramatic economic, social, and political changes that were taking place across the nation. Artists who advocated both representational and abstract styles attempted to capture the spirit of their age—a time marked by the bleak reality of the Great Depression as well as the uplifting optimism linked with the machine age and its promise of progress. While works by Social Realist and Regionalist artists—the art market's dominant styles at the time—abound, images by other artists whose concerns were more psychologically penetrating are also included. Many of the works in this exhibition were created or inspired by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Public Works of Art Project, which lasted only six months from mid-December 1933 to June 1934. The purpose of the program was to alleviate the distress of professional, unemployed American artists by paying them to produce artwork that could be used to embellish public buildings. The program was administered under the Treasury Department by art professionals in 16 different regions of the country. Artists from across the United States who participated in the program were encouraged to depict "the American Scene," but they were allowed to interpret this idea freely. They painted regional, recognizable subjects ranging from portraits to cityscapes and images of city life to landscapes and depictions of rural life that reminded the public of quintessential American values such as hard work, community, and optimism. These artworks, which were displayed in schools, libraries, post offices, museums, and government buildings, vividly capture the realities and ideals of Depression-era America. The Public Works of Art Project employed artists from across the country including Ilya Bolotowsky , Lily Furedi, and Max Arthur Cohn in New York City; Harry Gottlieb and Douglass Crockwell in upstate New York; Herman Maril in Maryland; Gale Stockwell in Missouri; E. Dewey Albinson in Minnesota; E. Martin Hennings in New Mexico; and Millard Sheets in California. The program was open to artists who were denied other opportunities, such as African Americans and Asian Americans. African American artists like Earle Richardson , who painted Employment of Negroes in Agriculture (1934), were welcomed, but only about 10 such artists were employed by the project. Richardson, who was a native New Yorker, chose to set his painting of quietly dignified workers in the South to make a broad statement about race. In the Seattle area, where Kenjiro Nomura lived, many Japanese Americans made a living as farmers, but they were subject to laws that prevented foreigners from owning land and other prejudices. Nomura's painting The Farm (1934) depicts a darker view of rural life with threatening clouds on the horizon. Founded in 1941 by Gregory Ivy, first head of the Art Department at Woman's College (now UNCG), the Weatherspoon Art Museum has grown from a university teaching gallery to a fully professional museum that is nationally recognized for its excellent collections and dynamic exhibition program. The Museum serves a broad audience of over 32,000 visitors annually, including UNCG students, faculty and staff; the Triad communities; and visitors from across the state, region, and nation; and an additional 24,000 students who take art history classes in the building. In addition to a schedule of more than fifteen exhibitions each year, the Museum maintains a full roster of educational activities, publications, and outreach efforts as integral components of its overall program. The Weatherspoon was accredited by the American Association of Museums in 1995 and earned reaccreditation status in 2005. From its inception, the museum has focused on building a permanent collection of modern and contemporary American art that is now considered one of the best in the Southeast. Numbering close to 6,000 works, the collection represents all major art movements from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Willem de Kooning ,Louise Bourgeois , Robert Rauschenberg , John Marin , Alexander Calder , Robert Henri , Cindy Sherman , Sol Le Witt , Louise Nevelson , Eva Hesse, and Andy Warhol are just a few of the major artists represented. Other highlights include the Dillard Collection of Art on Paper; the Etta and Claribel Cone Collection, which includes prints and bronzes by Henri Matisse ; and the Lenoir C. Wright Collection of Japanese Prints. The Weatherspoon's exhibition calendar offers visitors the opportunity to see and learn directly from significant examples of modern and contemporary art. The schedule includes work by outstanding artists of national and international reputation; thematic exhibitions on timely aesthetic, cultural, and social issues; small focused exhibitions of emerging artists; selections from the permanent collection; UNCG MFA thesis shows and faculty biennials; and Falk Visiting Artist exhibitions, a collaborative program with the UNCG Department of Art. The Museum's educational offerings include docent-led tours; gallery talks, lectures, and panel discussions; film and video series; after-hour social events; hands-on workshops; and Community Days. The Museum has enjoyed strong regional and national reviews, including those in Art Papers, Artforum, Art on Paper, and Art in America. Visit the museum's website at ... http://weatherspoon.uncg.ed

Curator's Office opens "Dawn Black ~ The Magic Foxhole" Posted: 24 Feb 2012 10:08 PM PST Washington, D.C.- Curator's Office is delighted to present "Dawn Black: The Magic Foxhole", on view at the gallery from February 25th through March 24th. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, February 25th from 6:30 - 8:30pm. "The Magic Foxhole" is Dawn Black's second solo exhibition at the gallery and presents works inspired by an unpublished J.D. Salinger short story, the exhibition touches upon cycles  of death and folly, especially as expressed by soldiers and couture-clad women. These mysterious ink, gouache, and watercolor works on paper convey unusual narratives that have a suppressed  eroticism entwined with ambiguous meditations on death and cycles of human behavior. Dawn Black sources her numerous characters from media sources such as the internet, newspapers, and fashion magazines. Drawing from an ongoing visual archive she calls "Conceal Project", the artist deliberately plays with scale and negative space to weave open-ended and elliptical visual tales.

Sotheby's to offer Roy Lichtenstein's iconic masterpiece 'Sleeping Girl' in New York Posted: 24 Feb 2012 09:40 PM PST NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby's Evening Sale of Contemporary Art on the 9th of May will feature Roy Lichtenstein's Sleeping Girl from 1964 (36 x 36 in., 91.5 x 91.5 cm) – one of the high-points of the artist's comic book inspired paintings and an icon of Post-War American art. The sexy blonde women of the comic book series are not only one of the most instantly recognizable icons of the Pop Art movement but continue the long, rich tradition of artists' celebrations of the sleeping female form. Paintings from this series are featured in the collections of major institutions throughout the world such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York and this work has remained in private hands for the past 48 years. Sleeping Girl is estimated to sell for $30/40 million and will be shown in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, London and New York prior to the auction on 9 May. "Sleeping Girl is one of the great masterpieces of the 20th century, counting iconic depictions of women by Pablo Picasso, Constantin Brancusi and Amedeo Modigliani among its peers," commented Tobias Meyer, Sotheby's Worldwide Head of Contemporary Art. "Lichtenstein's 'girls' are arguably his most desirable works today and Sleeping Girl has been coveted since it was acquired in 1964, the year it was painted. It is astonishingly fresh and vibrant, as if it were painted yesterday."

LAUNCH LA Shows Works by Gifted Draftsman ~ Antonio Pelayo Posted: 24 Feb 2012 09:24 PM PST Los Angeles, California.- LAUNCH is proud to present "Antonio Pelayo: Mi Familia and other pencil drawings on paper", on view from February 25th through March 17th. This will be Antonio Pelayo's first solo exhibition of his professional fine art career. A gifted draftsman of the highest regard, Antonio has been honing his craft his entire life. He recorded his earliest memories and observations, always keeping himself occupied with pencil and sketchbook in hand. there will be an opening reception of this solo show on Saturday, February 25th, 6 - 10 pm. This exhibition includes work from three different series. Icons pays homage to heroes and villains that have shaped Antonio's consciousness from an early age. The La Lucha series takes us deeper into thoughts and dreams of a young man searching for his identity.

The Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz Showcases Works by "The Peredvizhniki" Posted: 24 Feb 2012 08:58 PM PST Chemnitz, Germany.- The Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz is proud to present "The Peredvizhniki - Russian Realist Painters" on view at the museum from February 26th through May 28th. The exhibition consists of 90 works on loan from the State Tretjakov Gallery, Moscow, and the State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg. The Peredvizhniki were an important and highly influential Russian secession movement in the second half of the 19th century. In their realist portrait, landscape and genre paintings the Peredvizhniki artists opposed the traditional Academy painting, which they regarded as too rigid, both in form and content. The paintings on show in the exhibition have never, or only rarely, been seen to date in Germany. The Peredvizhniki (which in Russian means Society for the Promotion of Touring Exhibitions) were an artists`group founded in Saint Petersburg in 1870, and including Ivan Kramskoy, Grigory Myasoyedov, Nikolai Ge and Vasily Perov. The aim of the group was to further artistic freedom and autonomy. The movement was initiated by a group of students who got together in 1863 to form the Saint Petersburg Artists` Artel, or cooperative, and by a group of artists in Moscow. Between 1871 and 1922 the Peredvizhniki organized 48 touring exhibitions to numerous cities in their attempts to familiarize people outside of Moscow and Saint Petersburg with their art. Patrons such as, for example, Pavel Tretjakov, who started collecting their work, and contemporary critics like Vladimir Stassov became avid supporters of these artists. Contrary to the more traditional, darker palette, the Peredvizhniki opted for a freer mode of painting in brighter colours. They also intended their portrayals to be more natural and show people in relation to their immediate surroundings. The group was determined to depict contemporary Russian society; they painted poor agricultural labourers, political activists and prisoners with the same dedication as the intellectual elite and mythological or folkloric themes, to say nothing of the idyllic expanses and beauties of the Russian landscape. The Peredvizhniki soon became a driving force in Russian art. The group was finally disbanded in 1923. The works of the Peredvizhniki have enjoyed great popularity in Russia since the late 19th century, whereas they are little known in the western European context. Another striking fact is that very little attention has been paid to this most important 19th century Russian secession movement by German art historians. Although impressive thematic or monographic presentations of Russian art from the era of Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky have already been mounted, this comprehensive exhibition on the Peredvizhniki is really quite unique. The exhibition presents one of the most important Russian artists` movements in the full diversity of the new artistic `handwritings` it incorporated. Of the 41 artists represented, mention should be made of Ivan Shishkin, Ilya Repin, Vladimir Makovsky, Ivan Kramskoy and Isaak Levitan. The works date mainly from 1870 to 1910, when the influence of the Peredvizhniki on Russian art was at its strongest. The exhibition highlights several of the focal points of Peredvizhniki art, including the major social, intellectual and political issues influencing Russian art at the time and reflected in the works of these artists. Examples are rural and urban life; many of the works on show indicate the artists` courage in treating themes which at the time were often controversial, such as poverty and the consequences of serfdom. Humanity and empathy are prominent features characterizing the artists` approach to their subjects. One example of this is The Volga Barge Haulers (1870-73) by Ilya Repin. The exhibition also draws particular attention to the stylistic diversity exhibited by the Peredvizhniki when celebrating the beauty of their country. The landscape paintings signify a strong sense of homeland and national consciousness. Isaak Levitan and Ivan Shishkin were important landscape painters among the Peredvizhniki. The artists made use of their artistic freedom to draw attention to economic inequality and abuses of power. The countless portraits in which they captured the cultural and intellectual elite of the Russia of their time for posterity constitute an unsurpassed legacy of the Peredvizhniki. Famous examples of these are the portraits of Leo Tolstoy, whose ideas on politics, religion and morality inspired people the world over. Ilya Repin`s painting Leo Tolstoy Barefoot (1901) shows the writer outdoors, barefoot, and dressed in simple clothing. It embodies Tolstoy`s ideal of the simple, autochthonous life. The historical, mythical or religious motifs in some of the paintings are indicative of other themes which preoccupied the Peredvizhniki. Notwithstanding the fact that important presentations of 19th century Russian art have already taken place, this is the first exhibition in Germany to be devoted exclusively to the works of the Peredvizhniki artists` group. The Chemnitz Art Collections are located in a museum building designed by Richard Möbius. Opened in 1909, the  King Albert Museum on the Theatre Square is home to over 60,000 exhibits. In 1993, the museum was completely renovated to meet modern standards. In 2010, the Chemnitz Art Collections were awarded "Museum of the Year" by the German section of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA). The Chemnitz Art Collections include a large selection of paintings from the 19th and 20th Centuries, including works by Caspar David Friedrich, Johan Christian Dahl, Max Liebermann, Georg Baselitz and Carsten Nicolai. Furthermore, the Chemnitz Art Collections include about 300 works (the second largest collection of works anywhere) by the expressionist Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. The sculpture collection includes works by, among others, Edgar Degas, Aristide Maillol, Constantin Meunier, Wilhelm Lehmbruck, Georg Kolbe, Richard Scheibe, Gustav Seitz and Anthony Cragg. The Cabinet has 25,000 graphic works on paper by Albrecht Durer and AR Penck, Markus Lüpertz, Joerg Immendorff and Richard Serra. Visit the museum's website at ... http://kunstsammlungen-chemnitz.justexpertise.de

The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum shows Watercolour Views of Coventry and Warwickshire Posted: 24 Feb 2012 08:27 PM PST Coventry, England.- The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum is proud to present "Wonderful Watercolours: Views of Coventry and Warwickshire" on view from February 25th through July 22nd. This new exhibition puts on show rare scenes of region's past, with two hundred years of the region's picturesque views on display.The exhibition showcases the Herbert's fine collection of watercolours usually kept in the museum's stores. Featuring well known artists including Paul Sandby, David Cox and Thomas Girtin, and local favourites HE Cox and Sydney Bunney, the paintings range in date from the 1770s to today.

Exhibition of new work by Urs Fischer opens at Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills Posted: 24 Feb 2012 08:12 PM PST BEVERLY HILLS, CA.- Gagosian Gallery announces a major exhibition of new work by Urs Fischer, his first exhibition with the gallery. Fischer's uncanny ability to envisage and produce objects on the brink of falling apart or undergoing psychic transformation has resulted in sculptures in a bewildering variety of materials, including unstable substances such as melting wax and rotting vegetables. Continuously searching for new sculptural solutions, he has built houses out of bread; enlivened empty space with mechanistic jokes; deconstructed objects and then replicated them; and transferred others from three dimensions to two and back again via photographic processes. He combines daring formal adventures in space, scale, and material with a mordant sense of humor. Fischer lives and works in New York City.

The Miller Gallery shows Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary Impressionism Posted: 24 Feb 2012 07:37 PM PST Cincinatti, Ohio.- The Miller Gallery is proud to present an exhibition of Contemporary Impressionism by 12 of the finest painters in the United States, artists currently represented by Miller Gallery as well as others they greatly admire. "Contemporary Impressionism, Invitational" is on view at the gallery from February 24th through March 9th 2012, with an opening reception on Friday, February 24th from 6 to 8 pm. Originating in France in the mid-1800s through the end of the 19th century, Impressionism was, and remains, more an attitude, one of personal expression with a focus on the qualities of changing light, everyday subject matter, and a simplification and softening of detail. Figurative, landscape and still-life works are included in this group show, featuring the work of Pang Jen, Tom Bluemlein, Hugh O'Neill, Ellen Diamond, John Michael Carter, Greg Harris, Ron Hicks, C.W. Mundy, Steve W. Seltzer, and Kathy Anderson.

La Lanta Fine Art opens Pop-Inspired Artists Brett Neal and Christian Develter Posted: 24 Feb 2012 07:17 PM PST Bangkok, Thailand.- La Lanta Fine Arts is pleased to present "Pop Culture: Brett Neal & Christian Develter", on view at the gallery from February 25th through April 6th. Both artists take the visual cues; either literally or conceptually from the post modern movement of the beginning of the 20th century. Two different forms of media are on view in "Pop Culture". Brett Neal juxtaposes familiar images by the great masters like Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Roy Lichtenstein on a series of whimsical animal sculptures. Christian Develter's artwork reminisces the famous body of work by Andy Warhol, with strong flat colors and the subject matters that pay tribute to the popular culture of the current time.

The National Museum of Women in Arts features Women Artists from French National Collections Posted: 24 Feb 2012 06:58 PM PST Washington, DC.- In keeping with its mission to rediscover and celebrate women artists of the past and demonstrate their continued relevance, the National Museum of Women in Arts presents "Royalists to Romantics: Women Artists from the Louvre, Versailles, and Other French National Collections" on view through July 29th. The exhibition features 77 paintings, prints, and sculptural works from 1750 to 1850—many of which have never been seen outside of France. To develop the exhibition, NMWA spent months scouring the collections of dozens of French museums and libraries to cull rarely-seen works by women artists. Royalists to Romantics showcases these exceptional works and reveals how the tumultuous period that saw the flowering of the court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the terrors of the French revolution, the rise and fall of Napoleon, and the restoration of the monarchy affected the lives and careers of women artists. Featuring 35 artists, including Marguerite Gérard, Antoine Cecile Haudebourt-Lescot, Adélaïde Labille-Guillard, Sophie Rude, Anne Vallayer-Coster, and Élisabeth Louise Vigée-Lebrun, the exhibition explores the political and social dynamics that shaped their world and influenced their work. Some of these artists flourished with support of such aristocratic patrons as Marie Antoinette, who not only appointed her favorite female artists Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun and Anne Vallayer-Coster to court, but advocated their acceptance into the Académie Royale de peinture et de sculpture. The political upheavals of the French Revolution and the following decades brought a new set of challenges for women artists. Royalists to Romantics explores the complex ways that women negotiated their cultural positions and marketed their reputations in France's shifting social, political and artistic environment. "Royalists to Romantics is the first exhibition to focus on women artists of this time period in France and demonstrate how they navigated a highly gendered world that presented different opportunities for education and patronage than for their male counterparts," said NMWA Chief Curator Dr. Jordana Pomeroy. "The exhibition will illuminate a burgeoning area of art history that describes a rich, active, and compelling art world as complex and layered as our art world today." "In celebration of the National Museum of Women in the Arts' 25th anniversary, we are delighted to present Royalists to Romantics, an exhibition dedicated to a group of extraordinary 18th-century women artists that inspired our founder Wilhelmina Cole Holladay," said Museum Director, Dr. Susan Fisher Sterling. "Like other important historical surveys NMWA has organized, including An Imperial Collection: Women Artists from the State Hermitage Museum and Italian Women Artists: From Renaissance to Baroque, bringing this great art to the U.S. from the Louvre, Versailles and other French National Collections demonstrates our continued commitment to new scholarship about exceptional women artists over the centuries." Among the themes explored in the exhibition are, how women, largely banned from formal academic training and exhibiting venues, relied on personal connections and informal networks of patronage, support, and training, the ways in which women adapted as the system of patronage evaporated during the revolution and they were forced to work in an increasingly competitive and public marketplace; and the power structure that made the mere act of women being artists scandalous, often subjecting them to accusations of sexual immorality and professional impropriety. The National Museum of Women in the Arts brings recognition to the achievements of women artists of all periods and nationalities by exhibiting, preserving, acquiring, and researching art by women and by teaching the public about their accomplishments.  To fulfill its mission, the museum cares for and displays a permanent collection, presents special exhibitions, conducts education programs, maintains a Library and Research Center, publishes a quarterly magazine and books on women artists, and supports a network of state and international committees.  NMWA also serves as a center for the performing and literary arts and other creative disciplines. NMWA was incorporated in 1981 as a private, non-profit museum.  Its inspiration came from the personal collection of Wilhelmina Cole Holladay and Wallace F. Holladay, who began collecting art in the 1960s, just as scholars and art historians were beginning to discuss the under-representation of women and various racial and ethnic groups in museum collections and major art exhibitions.  Mrs. Holladay devoted her energies and resources to creating a museum that would showcase women artists and the Holladay collection became the core of the institution's permanent collection. The permanent collection comprised of more than 3,000 works provides a comprehensive survey of art by women from the 16th century to the present, with new acquisitions added regularly. The work in the collection represents a wide range of styles and media — from the Renaissance paintings of Elisabetta Sirani to modern photographs by Barbara Morgan to Louise Nevelson's contemporary sculptures. NMWA also has several important special collections, including silver by 18th and 19th-century Irish and English women silversmiths. Visit the museum's website at ... www.nmwa.org

ReDot Fine Art Gallery Hosts Paddy Japaljarri Stewart's First Solo Show Posted: 24 Feb 2012 06:43 PM PST Singapore.- ReDot Fine Art Gallery is proud to present "Paddy Japaljarri Stewart: Panu" on view through March 31st. This is the first ever Solo Exhibition of Stewart's works, titled 'Panu' (meaning "All") and is a fitting climax to the career of a man whose knowledge of the desert and its mystical laws is all-encompassing. This amazing man is a force to be reckoned with and has accomplished so much in his lifetime – from a school bus driver, to a remarkable artist. ReDot Fine Art Gallery are fortunate enough to have the only exhibit of replicas of the Yuendumu door school project along with the artist proof version of the works on paper. Paddy has painted this entire series, recounting and re-telling each of the dreamings depicted on those iconic doors so many years ago. In the early 1970's the people of Yuendumu began transferring their traditional stories, dreamings (tjukurrpa) and ground paintings to western mediums such as canvas boards and plywood; then to the doors of the Yuendumu school.

The Oceanside Museum of Art Presents "John Taylor's Ghost Fleet" Posted: 24 Feb 2012 05:56 PM PST Oceanside, California.- The Oceanside Museum of Art is pleased to present "Ghost Fleet: John Taylor ", on view at the museum from February 25th through April 8th. Meet the Artist John Taylor and learn more about his process on February 25 at 2:00 p.m. The talk is complimentary with museum admission and free for OMA members, students and military. Striking in their detail, John Taylor's miniature reproductions evoke the organic qualities of aging, decay and death.  By combining the spontaneous use of materials, careful research and innovative patina techniques, Taylor's works are at once timeless portals to the real and imagined past and frozen glimpses of some of the most revolutionary yet long-forgotten maritime vessels and airships. In the OMA Lobby, Ghost Fleet will feature a collection of approximately nine mixed media ships created within the last five years.

The Boise Art Museum Shows "The Perfect Fit: Shoes Tell Stories" Posted: 24 Feb 2012 05:26 PM PST Boise, ID.- Inspiring, vibrant and fun, "The Perfect Fit: Shoes Tell Stories" explores the meanings of shoes, presenting 120 playful, imaginative and provocative objects.  Shoes speak to style, fashion and individuality, yet they also tell stories, expressing more than just their role as footwear. Shoes reflect the time and place of their creation, providing unique insights into human history and identity. The 100 contemporary artists from the USA, Canada and Israel whose shoe-inspired artworks are presented in "The Perfect Fit " are motivated by these themes, creating objects of wit, whimsy and visual pizzazz. "The Perfect Fit: Shoes Tell Stories" can be seen at the Boise Art Museum in Idaho until July 31st. "The Perfect Fit: Shoes Tell Stories" was organized by the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachussets and curated by Wendy Tarlow Kaplan. There are 120 shoe-related objects created by over 100 artists from across the US, plus Canada and Israel. Artists featured in the exhibition include, Lynne Allen, Michael Boroniec, Ali Cann-Clift, James Ellis Coleman, Patricia Delaney, Marina Dempster, Nina Fletcher, Judy Haberl, Jan Hopkins, Ken Hruby, Sergei Isupov, Silas Kopf, Diane Lamb-Wanucha, David Lang, Marga Lianko, Laurie Miles, Gwen Murphy, Marilyn Pappas, Paula Rasmus-Dede, Beverly Rippel, Marjorie Schick, Diana (Micki) Shampang-Voorhies, Rebecca Siemering, Jessica Straus, M.L. Van Nice, Lois Tarlow, and Nicole Tourangeau. Wendy Tarlow Kaplan, who curated the show, is an independent curator whose family has strong ties to Massachussets' legendary shoe manufacturing industry. This exhibition does not just pay an artistic homage to footwear, many of these works also have a political purpose, speaking as they do to issues of gender, sexuality, race and class. Diana (Micki) Shampang-Voorhies' "Red Steel Hi-heels" appear to be a sporty new spin on the femme-fatale stiletto with their flowers and autopaint red finish, however, with soles made out of scrap steel and drill-bit heels, they could never be worn, and instead make a statement about the aspirations of those who would wear such shoes. "Tolerance" by Jan Hopkins crafted from grapefruit and cantaloupe peels and waxed linen, sports text saying "Judge her when you've walked in her shoes." The artist made the piece to honor a divorced soccer mom who became an exotic dancer to pay the bills. Marjorie Schick's "Chopines and Puddles" pay tribute to a fantastical world of circus-inspired fun, with bright shiny colors and puddle-like bottoms that hug the platform's soles. Constructed from painted wood, plastic, and papier maché, this carnivalesque footwear is actually modeled after a true-to-life platform shoe that was popular in Venice and England in the late 16th century. The exhibition also features installations, paintings and other artwork. The Boise Art Museum (BAM) is the only AAM accredited art museum in the State of Idaho. It began in 1931 as the Boise Art Association when a group of thirty people interested in promoting art in the city of Boise and throughout the state met in the Crystal Lounge of the Hotel Boise. Their purpose was to organize an association whose duties were to acquire and maintain a suitable gallery, hosting traveling exhibitions and promoting fine art in Boise. Their first official exhibition was held at the Hotel Boise. In 1937, the Association's goals were realized through a partnership among the Boise Art Association, the City of Boise and the federal Works Progress Administration. The Boise Gallery of Art was constructed in Julia Davis Park in the heart of downtown Boise. Exclusively managed by volunteers from the Boise Art Association, the 3,000 sq. ft. Art Deco building was composed of two galleries and a small office/lobby space. Although the gallery did not actively collect, it presented local and regional artwork and played an important role in Boise's growing community. In 1961, the Boise Art Association incorporated as a non-profit organization under the name Boise Gallery of Art. In the mid-sixties, the first professional staff was hired and programming became more ambitious. The need for additional space quickly became a priority, and in 1972, the gallery moved to a temporary location as construction began on a year-long expansion program. The 10,000 sq. ft. addition included enlarged galleries, a lobby, sales shop, vault and studio space, allowing the institution to lay the foundation for its current mission, Permanent Collection, exhibition practices and educational programs, including a docent program. In 1986, the institution successfully completed a second renovation, expansion of its galleries, and support of its new facilities. Upon completion of the expansion in 1988, the Museum was awarded its initial accreditation by the American Association of Museums, with subsequent accreditation awarded in 1996. That same year, 1988, the Museum was renamed Boise Art Museum to reflect its focus on developing its Permanent Collection and education program as well as the display of significant traveling exhibitions. In 1997, BAM embarked upon a multi-million dollar campaign, supported by the City of Boise and the community, which enabled BAM to increase its facilities by 13,800 square feet to a total of 34,800 square feet. This most recent expansion reflects the Museum's dedication to its Permanent Collection, display of multiple exhibitions, and educational programming. The Museum added five more galleries devoted to the display of its Permanent Collection, a 2,775 square foot sculpture court; an education wing comprised of three studios and an interactive children's gallery; art storage vault, art prep area, and staff offices. Visit the museum's website at ... http://boiseartmuseum.org

Chateau de Versailles Presents Court Pomp and Royal Ceremonies/1650-1800 Posted: 24 Feb 2012 05:25 PM PST VERSAILLES, FRANCE - The exhibition Court Pomp and Royal Ceremonies – Court Costume in Europe 1650-1800 traces the history of court costume in Europe and thus throws light on the major influence of France in this field from the mid-17th century to the beginning of the 19th century. For the first time, over 200 works (costumes, jewellery, iconography) linked to prestigious European monarchies are assembled here in an exhibition that will be presented only in Versailles. On exhibition 31 March through 28 June, 2009.

Exhibition by The Singh Twins Announced at the National Portrait Gallery Posted: 24 Feb 2012 05:24 PM PST LONDON.- Work by The Singh Twins will be on display at the National Portrait Gallery for the first time in March. The twin sisters are contemporary British artists whose award-winning paintings explore issues of social, political, religious and multicultural debate. The display will offer a contemporary response to the concurrent exhibition, The Indian Portrait 1560-1860, and The Singh Twins have created a new Gallery trail to draw links between their work, The Indian Portrait 1560-1860, and the Gallery's permanent Collection. On view 11 March through 20 June 2010 Using a narrative, decorative, symbolic and witty 'Past Modern' (as opposed to Post Modern) style, The Singh Twins have revived the Indian miniature tradition within modern art practice. They say: 'Our work bridges many worlds, the ancient and the modern; fusing both Western and Eastern aesthetic elements ... using an ancient art form to deal with contemporary issues. Our aim is to introduce wider audiences to the beauty, richness and continuing value of our heritage within contemporary art and society.' Twenty-seven works will be on display including Arts Matters: The Pool of Life (2008) which was commissioned by Liverpool City Council and celebrates the city's status as European Capital of Culture in 2008; Partners in Crime: Deception and Lies (2004), featuring George W. Bush and Tony Blair following the invasion of Iraq in the aftermath of 9/11; and The Greatest (2002) depicting Muhammad Ali in the conventional style used for depicting royalty within the Mughal School of the Indian miniature tradition. Also on display will be the award winning The Making of Liverpool, The Singh Twins' first animated film, which combines the Indian miniature tradition with the latest digital technology to show the history and changing identity of the city. The new Gallery trail by The Singh Twins will link their work with The Indian Portrait 1560-1860, and the Gallery's permanent Collection. The trail will highlight how The Singh Twins are influenced by both Indian and Western portraiture in terms of themes, art practice, technique, pose and gesture, iconography and symbolism. The Singh Twins say: 'one of our main aims as artists to challenge generally accepted notions of heritage and identity. In particular, what we believe to be the generally held but false perceptions of division between east and west, modernity and tradition in art and society'. London born twin sisters Amrit and Rabindra studied Art at University College of Chester (now called University of Chester) and Manchester University. Their work has been the subject of nearly forty solo exhibitions, including those at the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art, Birmingham City Art Gallery, Leeds City Art Gallery, The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool and the National Gallery of Modern Art in both Delhi and Mumbai. The Singh Twins were artists in residence for the Commonwealth Games 2002 and their work has been published in nine books including Twin Perspectives, Worlds A-Part and the Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History. Contemporary Connections: The Singh Twins will offer a contemporary response to the major exhibition The Indian Portrait: 1560-1860 (11 March - 20 June 2010), the first ever exhibition devoted to Indian portraiture which will include 60 outstanding portraits drawn from collections in the UK, USA and Europe. The exhibition sets out to show that Indian portraiture, an area of artistic achievement overlooked in Britain, should be seen alongside other outstanding portraits from around the world. Visit the National Portrait Gallery, London at : http://www.npg.org.uk/

Turner Contemporary Exhibits Poetic Artworks by Katie Paterson Posted: 24 Feb 2012 05:23 PM PST MARGATE, UK - At any one time there are around 6000 lightning storms happening across the world, amounting to some 16 million storms each year. Such dizzying statistics are useful to hold in mind while experiencing Streetlight Storm, a new artwork by Katie Paterson for Deal Pier in Kent in which, for one month, from dusk until dawn, the pier lamps flicker in time with lightning strikes happening live in different parts of the world. Katie Paterson creates poetic artworks exploring landscape, space and time, using technology to bring together the commonplace and the cosmic. Like other recent works by the artist, Streetlight Storm deftly harnesses everyday technology to connect with vast natural phenomena, collapsing the distance between us and remote meteorological events. On view through 30 January, 2010.

Wadsworth Atheneum Reopens Morgan Great Hall Reinstalled with Contemporary Art Posted: 24 Feb 2012 05:22 PM PST HARTFORD, CT.- The Morgan Great Hall at the Wadsworth Atheneum reopened to the public on May 7, 2011 after a year-long closure, marking the completion of the first phase of a comprehensive renovation project across all five of the museum's buildings. In a radical rethinking of the museum's most recognizable space, the Morgan Great Hall—previously home to the Wadsworth's collection of American and European history paintings displayed salon-style— was reinstalled for the first time with large-scale works from the museum's Contemporary art collection. The dramatic display of painting, sculpture and photography includes rarely seen monumental objects and new acquisitions dating from the 1950s to the present. The installation includes both abstract and figurative works and a range of well known artists, such as; Nick Cave, Willem de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Andreas Gursky, Elizabeth Murray, Robert Rauschenberg, Sean Scully, Frank Stella, Bob Thompson and Andy Warhol, among others. Announced last year, the museum's renovation will result in the addition of 8,000 square feet of reclaimed gallery space, a 14% increase, and the complete reinstallation of the museum's permanent collection. The entire renovation project is slated for completion in 2013. "Promoting contemporary art has always been an important expression of the museum's mission, from founder Daniel Wadsworth's support of the fledgling Hudson River School to the ongoing MATRIX program, which has presented solo shows for emerging artists since 1975," said Susan L. Talbott, Director, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. "The reinstallation of the Morgan Great Hall with gems from our Contemporary art collection stays true to that mission, while bringing new life to the museum's historic spaces and enabling the public to experience our familiar galleries in new ways." The comprehensive renovation project will also bring significant improvements for visitors, including improved wayfinding, new interior and exterior signage, bilingual signage, and space for commissioned art on the exterior of the museum. Designed in 1907 by Beaux-Arts architect Benjamin Wistar Morris, the Morgan Memorial building was built by J. Pierpont Morgan between 1908 and 1915 in memory of his father, Junius Spencer Morgan . In addition to the reinstallation of the Morgan Great Hall and renovation of all of the Morgan building galleries, another major component of the restoration project is the re-opening of the skylights, which will bring natural light into the upper galleries. The country's first public art museum, the Wadsworth Atheneum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places—a result of the museum's history of commissioning architecture that is an expression of its time. The museum's five separate, but contiguous buildings were built over the span of 125 years and now contain 57,000 square feet of gallery space, 2,260 square feet of education space, and 26,240 square feet of alternative use space, for a total of 164,000 square feet. The majority of the project's $16 million dollar cost is funded through a $15 million grant from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development; a $900,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and an $183,000 grant from the Mortensen Foundation. The architect for the project is the Hartford-based firm of SmithEdwards Architects, and the construction manager is Consigli Construction Co., Inc., which has offices in Enfield. Both firms were selected for their expertise in architectural restoration and solving complex infrastructure issues while maintaining historical integrity. Examples of other important heritage landmarks these firms have worked on include: Trinity College's Long Walk; the Old State House; the Bowdoin College Museum of Art's Walker Art Building; and the New York State Capitol restoration. Alan Barton, Director of Facilities, is managing the project for The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. Visit : http://www.wadsworthatheneum.org/

Dutch Artist Lily van der Stokker To Exhibit at Tate St. Ives Posted: 24 Feb 2012 05:21 PM PST CORNWALL, UK - Lily van der Stokker is a Dutch artist based in Amsterdam and New York. Her bold, colourful works most often take the form of large-scale decorative wall drawings, and have a child-like innocence and an adolescent naivety. They deal, in a disarmingly unashamed and exuberant way, with ideas of beauty, love, relationships, family and the everyday. Despite, or perhaps because of, their apparent simplicity, van der Stokker's works are often challenging and she has come to be seen as an increasingly important artist in the growing discourse of post-feminist practice. This show will be the largest exhibition of her work to date in the UK.

The Corcoran Displays Contemporary African American Art in "30 Americans" Posted: 24 Feb 2012 05:20 PM PST Washington DC.- The Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design is proud to present "30 Americans", a wide-ranging survey of works by many of the most important African-American contemporary artists of the last three decades. By bringing seminal artistic figures together with younger and emerging artists, the exhibition explores artistic influence across generations and sheds light on issues of racial, sexual and historical identity. Often provocative and challenging, "30 Americans" at the Corcoran explores ideas central to the American experience. "30 Americans" is on view at the gallery from October 1st through February 12th 2012. Artists included in "30 Americans" include Nina Chanel Abney, John Bankston, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Mark Bradford, iona rozeal brown, Nick Cave, Robert Colescott, Noah Davis, Leonardo Drew, Renée Green, David Hammons, Barkley L. Hendricks, Rashid Johnson, Glenn Ligon, Kalup Linzy, Kerry James Marshall, Rodney McMillian, Wangechi Mutu, William Pope.L, Gary Simmons, Xaviera Simmons, Lorna Simpson, Shinique Smith, Jeff Sonhouse, Henry Taylor, Hank Willis Thomas, Mickalene Thomas, Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems, Kehinde Wiley, and Purvis Young. First shown  at the Rubell Family Collection in Miami, Florida, "30 Americans" has been reconceived for its presentation in Washington. At the Corcoran, the exhibition is organized around ideas of identity as well as artistic community and legacy, highlighting relationships between artists across generations. The exhibition explores the ways in which a foundational figure's ideas and formal innovations ripple through contemporary practice: Robert Colescott's investigations of the narratives of art and history in relation to African-American culture echo through the grand portraits of Kehinde Wiley and the cut-paper silhouettes of Kara Walker; the innovations of  Jean-Michel Basquiat's graffiti-based paintings of the urban environment find current form in the work of Mark Bradford and Shinique Smith; while David Hammons's wry investigations of language, meaning, and race provide a starting point for  the conceptualism of Glenn Ligon and Lorna Simpson. The Corcoran Gallery of Art stands as a major center of American art, both historic and contemporary. Founded "for the purpose of encouraging American Genius," the Corcoran's extensive collection of 18th, 19th, and 20th century American art represents most significant American artists. The Corcoran possesses a fine collection of European art as well. While continuing its efforts to represent historic American works, the gallery also encourages modern European and American artists by showing and purchasing their work, paying particular attention to artists in the Washington area. The permanent collection includes works by Rembrandt, Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Thomas Gainsborough, John Singer Sargent, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Edward Hopper, Willem de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, Gene Davis, and many others. There are always several exhibitions on display, regularly featuring contemporary work on the second floor with modern and early American work on the first floor. The Corcoran is the oldest and largest non-federal art museum in the District of Columbia. Its mission is to be "dedicated to art and used solely for the purpose of encouraging the American genius". Visit the museum's website at ... www.corcoran.org

This Week in Review in Art Knowledge News Posted: 24 Feb 2012 05:19 PM PST This is a new feature for the subscribers and visitors to Art Knowledge News (AKN), that will enable you to see "thumbnail descriptions" of the last ninety (90) articles and art images that we published. This will allow you to visit any article that you may have missed ; or re-visit any article or image of particular interest. Every day the article "thumbnail images" will change. For you to see the entire last ninety images just click : here . When opened that also will allow you to change the language from English to anyone of 54 other languages, by clicking your language choice on the upper left corner of our Home Page.  You can share any article we publish with the eleven (11) social websites we offer like Twitter, Flicker, Linkedin, Facebook, etc. by one click on the image shown at the end of each opened article.  Last, but not least, you can email or print any entire article by using an icon visible to the right side of an article's headline.

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