When we decided to invite the public to vote on their favorite works of art from our permanent collection, we weren’t sure what to expect. We wondered if an unexpected painting, a piece of sculpture, or a print would rise to the top of the Leader Board. We wondered what we would learn about the community through the voting process. And while the voting isn’t over, there are clear favorites. With two days left to vote, four of the top five picks are by local artists. Linda Fantuzzo’s Still Life with Open Book has garnered over 200 votes, while West Fraser’s 126 Oak Street, McClellanville, South Carolina is right behind. Corene by Jonathan Green is in 3rd place, followed closely by Mary Whyte’s Iron Man.

Still Life with Open Book, 1991, by Linda Fantuzzo (American, b. 1950).

So what do these numbers tell us? What can we learn about our collection through this experiment? It’s too soon to tell just yet, and it may be that voting is an ineffective way to poll the community’s taste in art. The pieces of art at the top of the leader board are favorites for many reasons, including the technical skill of the well respected artists, the attention to light and shadow, and the vivid and descriptive use of color. But as the marketing and communications manager at the museum, I also wonder if the leader board is influenced by familiarity? Many of the works on the leader board are works that are currently hanging on the museum walls. Are we more apt to “like” a work of art we’ve seen before?

126 Oak Street, McClellanville, South Carolina, 2000, by West Fraser (American, b. 1955).

Corene, 1995, by Jonathan Green (American, b. 1955).

A comment about Still Life with Open Book disputes the notion of familiarity: “I’ve only recently been introduced to Ms. Fantuzzo’s works. She has achieved a style of her own and her passion for her works is obvious!” While this comment on The Veiled Lady, who is #6 on the Leader Board, comes from someone who is familiar with the sculpture: “I have stood mesmerized by this piece many times. It is just exquisite, and enchanting. It has such an ethereal beauty, and the artistic execution seems astonishingly flawless.” Some of our Featured Voters lamented the challenge of choosing favorite artists. Darcy Shankland of Charleston magazine said it was “not a fair question! How to possibly choose?!?” That’s why we wanted to give the public the freedom to vote on as many favorites as they desired, because we know how difficult it is to choose one work of art over another. That is one of the challenges curators face when designing an exhibition.

Iron Man, 2000, by Mary Whyte (American, b. 1953)

So in these next few weeks we will tally the votes, and Sara Arnold, our curator of collections, will curate your top 40 “favorite” artworks into the upcoming People’s Choice exhibition. For the next 48+ hours, take advantage of the chance to vote until our polls close on Sunday, March 31 at midnight. We can’t wait to see what you’ve selected.

—Amy Mercer, Marketing and Communications Manager, Gibbes Museum of Art

Amy Mercer :: Mar.29.2013 :: Exhibitions, Permanent Collection :: No Comments »

When you walk into the galleries of the Gibbes, you expect exquisite works of art beautifully framed, lit, installed, and interpreted for your visual and intellectual pleasure. And while this experience is what draws most people to the museum, sometimes the story of how these works arrived to the gallery walls is equally compelling. Such is the case with Alice Ravenel Huger Smith’s series of thirty watercolor paintings known as the Rice Plantation Series, currently on view at the museum.

Ever since Smith donated the Rice Plantation Series to the Gibbes in 1937, the watercolors have been among the most popular works owned by the museum. Unfortunately, the delicate works on paper were slowly deteriorating. The culprit: acidic boards mounted to the back of each painting. The acid was capable of discoloring the works and depositing brown spots known as foxing; and with many of the watercolors, the damage was well under way. Fortunately for the Gibbes, donors Ralph Blakely and the late Wilmer Welsh recognized the need to intervene, reverse the damage, and prevent future damage through professional conservation of Smith’s entire series of watercolors. To accomplish this, they established the Welsh-Blakely Fund, a substantial financial commitment that funded the five-year conservation project.

To complete the project, the Gibbes turned to the Straus Center for Conservation at the Harvard University Art Museums. The paintings were shipped to Boston in groups of five, with each painting requiring several weeks for treatment. Led by the late Craigen Bowen, the Straus Center’s talented team of conservators developed a treatment plan specifically for this group of paintings and undertook the highly technical task of removing the acidic mounting boards. Once the majority of the board was removed, conservators used an ethanol solution and various tools, including spatulas, bookbinders’ knives, scalpels, and tweezers, to remove extraneous paper backing and adhesive materials. Once all traces of the backing were removed, the reverse of each painting was cleaned with warm water. Following cleaning, each painting was housed in a humidity chamber to relax the paper fibers, and then sandwiched between blotters and secured with weights for one to three weeks to eliminate any buckling of the paper. The results are truly remarkable. Each painting returned to the Gibbes in pristine condition with more vibrant colors—Alice Smith herself surely would be thrilled with the results.

Completing the conservation of all thirty paintings was a monumental task of which the museum is very proud. Not only was damage reversed, the paintings were stabilized to prevent future deterioration. Such preventative conservation measures are key in the museum’s commitment to preserving the artistic heritage of the South. The current installation on the first floor of the museum is a rare opportunity to view the series as a whole and a great tribute to the many individuals who made this project happen.

—Pam Wall, Curator of Exhibitions, Gibbes Museum of Art

The Rice Plantation Series will be on view at the Gibbes Museum through July 2013.

contributepam :: Feb.27.2013 :: Behind the scenes, Exhibitions, Permanent Collection :: No Comments »

How does a photograph stand the test of time? What makes it different than one taken at the same moment and place?

Flag-Bearing Marchers, Selma to Montgomery March, 1965, by James Karales

“Get Right with God” Sign on Highway 80, Selma to Montgomery March, 1965, by James Karales

Many people have told me that the photographs by my father, James Karales, are iconic, beautifully printed, great works of art and I agree with them. What makes them what they are is still a bit of a mystery to me. I was too young to be around my father when he took his most important photographs and I never asked him much about his work or talents before he passed away when I was 21 years old. Before I came down to Charleston to attend the opening night of the exhibition of his work my mom asked me to say a few words to the audience. I thought of what it means to be a photographer and what it takes to make a great photograph. The analogy I came up with was that a photographer is like a fisherman. He must have patience, talent with the tools he uses, and must be in the right place at the right time to make that great catch. That is how I view my father, a man of great talent with the camera and print making equipment, who had this calm demeanor and patience, and who worked in a period of time in our nation which was full of meaningful, interesting, and historical moments.

Selma to Montgomery March, 1965, by James Karales

I am assured of my idea with a story that he told many times of his iconic picture of the Selma March, in which he described trying to find an image that would symbolize the meaning and feeling of the march. He struggled over the course of the five-day march, making countless attempts to produce something that he felt worthy of his goal. On the last day a storm swept in and he knew that this was his moment. He rushed to get to the right spot to frame both events as they happened. He was fortunate to get the shot as the storm moved on quickly. It so happens, another photographer was trailing him and attempted the same shot, but did not get the same effect. The menacing clouds and synchronized stride of the marchers happened in one short moment and is what makes this photograph so special. It was one of my father’s greatest catches and was the result of his great patience.

Andreas Karales and his father, James, in Nantucket, MA, 1988.

My father would be honored that the Selma March photograph and his other works are on display in Witness to History: Civil Rights Era Photographs at the Gibbes Museum.

—Andreas Karales, Architectural Designer, NYC, and guest blogger

Monica and Andreas Karales celebrate the opening of Witness to History at the Gibbes Museum.

adminlasley :: Feb.14.2013 :: Artist Spotlight, Exhibitions :: 2 Comments »

This week, we launched our People’s Choice website: www.gibbespeopleschoice.org. This website was created to allow the community to vote on their favorite artworks from a selection of 140 objects in the Gibbes Museum’s permanent collection. The top 40 choices will be included in People’s Choice: A Community-Curated Exhibition, opening at the museum on May 3.

The idea for People’s Choice began when we were discussing plans for the upcoming building renovations. This is the last exhibition of our permanent collection in the Main Gallery before construction begins, and we wanted to engage the public and give the community the chance to select, comment on, and share their favorite works of art. We thought the best way to achieve that goal would be through a community-curated exhibition. As the idea grew, we decided to reach out to a group of noted figures from diverse backgrounds in the Charleston community including Chef Mike Lata, news anchor Carolyn Murray, artist Brian Rutenberg and event planner Tara Guérard. We wanted to spark conversations about the impact of art in the lives of people in the community. Everyone responded with enthusiasm and agreed to answer five questions about art including:

1. Why is art important in your life?
2. What is your first memory of art?
3. What is your most memorable art experience?
4. Who is your favorite artist?
5. Why are museums important to you?

The responses have been overwhelming and inspiring! Carolyn Murray wrote, “Museums are libraries for the senses. I never leave a new city or town without stopping in a museum. It is inside local museums and galleries that you can allow images to tell the story of the community.” And Brian Rutenberg said, “A museum is a love letter to ourselves.” The messages are as diverse and thought-provoking as the art work.

All Featured Voter responses and favorite art works will be presented on the People’s Choice website leading up to the opening of the exhibition on May 3. We hope you will check back regularly to see their comments and news updates on the site. You can also register to receive weekly emails with updates about People’s Choice. The full list of works will be available on March 1, when public voting begins. For any question about this project, see our FAQ page.

—Amy Mercer, Marketing and Communications Manager, Gibbes Museum of Art

Image: Aesthetic Pleasure (detail), 1932, by Peggy Bacon. Lithograph on paper. Gibbes Museum of Art, Museum Purchase with funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts Living Artist Fund (1977.010.0021).

Amy Mercer :: Feb.08.2013 :: Exhibitions, Permanent Collection :: No Comments »

How do you capture the essence of something like artist Jonathan Green’s personal art collection and translate it into a party? A collection which Green and partner Richard Weedman have spent the past thirty years curating? A collection that includes works from around the world by artists from Cuba, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and North America? Well, you put together an experience that incorporates the cultural milieux of all the native lands from which the works come. Imagine drummers drumming on the front steps of the museum; vintage autos lining the street; a well-heeled champagne-mojito drinking crowd filtering in to find a Garage Cuban band playing funky beats; a Latin Jazz trio in the groove; and an explosive performance by a West African drum and dance ensemble. You serve traditional cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres inspired from those regions, and create a décor element to complement it all. What am I talking about? Habanero Rhythm, of course.

Jonathan Green and Richard Weedman at their home. Photo by Julia Lynn.

Okay, I should back up. I am the co-chair for the winter party hosted by the Gibbes Museum’s Society 1858 auxiliary group, and it’s based on the current exhibition VIBRANT VISION: The collection of Jonathan Green and Richard Weedman. We’ve named our event Habanero Rhythm and created an experience that we hope speaks to the cultural heritage of many of the artists included in the collection. But it’s more than that. We’ve actually had a chance to meet and get to know Richard and Jonathan, and to go to their home and see their collection. This party is for them and to honor the generous and giving spirit with which they share their love of art with anyone and everyone—we are trying to do them proud!

Last February’s party, Luce e Colore, was a sold-out smash success! Photos by Fia Forever Photography.

I don’t want to give away all our little surprises here… just to say the event is going to be awesome. Buy your ticket. Today. I know many of you have (hopefully) been to a Society 1858 event, so you already know the careful thought and planning that goes into them. Each one uniquely based on a current exhibition and the inspiring personality(ies) behind it. With the artists and collectors themselves at each party, these celebrations are a chance to meet and talk to the people in the art world who make it happen. And on top of all the important art-world relevance, they are FUN. See you Friday, February 8th, for Habanero Rhythm!

Margaret Seeley Furniss, co-chair of Society 1858’s Habanero Rhythm, and guest blogger

To purchase tickets to this event, visit gibbesmuseum.org/events.

Watch videos of past Society 1858 events: Bitters & Twisted in the Salon d’Orleans and Luce e Colore: La Bella Notte Italiana

adminlasley :: Jan.31.2013 :: Events, Exhibitions :: No Comments »

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Addresses Rally, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, 1963, by James Karales (American, 1930–2002). Image © Courtesy of the Estate of James Karales

Today, as we witness the second inauguration of our first African American president, we will also celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It has been thirty years since the federal holiday memorializing the great civil rights leader was first signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. For many people, this holiday means a day of service in honor of Dr. King’s legacy. For others, it is simply a time to reflect upon the significant changes his stalwart leadership helped to bring about during the Civil Rights Movement.

In addition to the annual celebration of King’s birth, 2013 also marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, and the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of South Carolina public schools. These landmark anniversaries are cause for both reflection and celebration. This winter at the Gibbes, we are showcasing an important collection of civil rights era photographs by acclaimed photographer James Karales. Engaged as a photo-journalist for Look magazine, Karales witnessed and documented many historic events during the Civil Rights Movement, and, in doing so, generated a remarkable body of work depicting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with his daughter, Yolanda, 1962, by James Karales (American, 1930–2002). Image © Courtesy of the Estate of James Karales

Karales traveled extensively with Dr. King in 1962 and 1963. He captured King alongside other significant civil rights leaders including Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, and Rev. C.T. Vivian. Many of the inspiring images depict King in familiar public roles—leading rallies at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) conventions in Birmingham, and preaching sermons at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. However, Karales was one of a handful of photographers allowed to document King at home. These rare images of King in private moments with his family at their Atlanta home are equally compelling. Most notable may be the photograph of King sitting with his daughter, Yolanda, at the kitchen table. Published in the February 12, 1963, issue of Look, the caption described that King was trying to explain to his daughter why she could not attend the city’s segregated amusement park. King’s daughter listens quietly, but the inexplicability of racial intolerance is evident in the exchange between the father and his young daughter, and this poignant moment is still palpable in Karales’ photograph today.

As we celebrate these landmark anniversaries we invite you to the Gibbes to reflect upon the people and events that made them possible. Witness to History: Civil Rights Era Photographs by James Karales will be on view at the Gibbes through May 12, 2013.

—Sara Arnold, Curator of Collections, Gibbes Museum of Art

contributesara :: Jan.21.2013 :: Exhibitions :: No Comments »

Fishing Spot, 2011, by Jonathan Green (American, b. 1955), oil on canvas, 11 x 14 inches. Courtesy of Jonathan Green and Richard Weedman.

People throughout the south are familiar with Jonathan Green’s paintings. He is beloved by many for his vibrant depictions of Gullah life and culture in the Lowcountry. Few, however, are familiar with the incredible collection of artwork assembled by Jonathan and his partner and studio manager, Richard Weedman, over the past 35 years. And what a collection it is. To share this remarkable group of works with the public, the Gibbes has organized the exhibition Vibrant Vision: The Collection of Jonathan Green and Richard Weedman, on view in the museum’s Main Gallery through April 21, 2013.

Southern Family Series, 1943, by William H. Johnson (American, 1901–1970), serigraph on paper, 17 x 13 ½ inches, courtesy of Jonathan Green and Richard Weedman.

Zoo Again, 1972, by Sam Gilliam (American, b. 1933), oil on raw canvas, 48 x 58 inches. Courtesy of Jonathan Green and Richard Weedman. Photography courtesy Marsha Mateyka Gallery, Washington DC.

Over the past year and a half, Richard, Jonathan, and I worked collaboratively to select the exhibition from their astounding collection of nearly 1,300 paintings, sculpture, and works on paper. Deciding upon the final group of 49 works was difficult, but also an enjoyable process. The core of Jonathan and Richard’s collection focuses on artwork created under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of the 1930s and 40s, and era of American art that has always been of great interest to me. The collection also spans beyond the WPA, encompassing works by a broad range of artists who reflect the diverse cultural influences that have shaped American art over the past hundred years.

Society 1858 members Abby Rosenthal, Stacy Huggins, Lindsay Fleege, and Liz Macpherson at the opening reception.

Richard Weedman, Gibbes Executive Director Angela Mack, and Jonathan Green.

Vibrant Vision opened last week with a lovely reception attended by 300 Gibbes supporters. Hearing Richard and Jonathan speak so passionately about the artwork and the exhibition was one of the highlights of the night. And lucky for us, they have agreed to speak several times throughout the run of the exhibition to share their knowledge and passion with others. Special gallery tours are scheduled for Thursdays January 24, February 21, March 14, and April 18 at 2:30pm; and the Art of Healing—a conversation and cocktail reception—will be held at the museum on Thursday, January 31, at 6pm. These programs are an opportunity you won’t want to miss!

—Pam Wall, Curator of Exhibitions, Gibbes Museum of Art

Visit our online calendar for more information about the programs listed above.

The Gibbes Museum has produced a mobile website feature with additional information on the WPA and several of the artists included in the Vibrant Vision exhibition. Visit http://bit.ly/VibrantVision to learn more.

contributepam :: Jan.18.2013 :: Events, Exhibitions :: 2 Comments »

In conjunction with the 300th anniversary of Mark Catesby’s first voyage to the New World, the Gibbes is hosting a special exhibition of Catesby’s prints and two rare bound volumes of his work. This British-born artist, scientist, and explorer, set sail for the American Colonies for the first time in 1712. During his seven year stay, Catesby began studies of the natural world that would occupy the rest of his life. He traveled through parts of the Appalachian Mountains and to Jamaica collecting botanical samples and making sketches of American flora and fauna. His discoveries impressed the scientists of his day and after Catesby returned to England in 1719, London’s Royal Society—then led by Sir Isaac Newton—reviewed his findings and raised funds for Catesby to return to the Colonies for further study.

Catesby made his second voyage to British North America in 1722. This time, his port of arrival was Charleston. This four year sojourn, which allowed Catesby to explore and document the natural habitats of the Carolinas, Florida, and the Bahamas, ultimately resulted in the first major work on New World botanical and animal life, The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands. Catesby personally translated his original watercolor paintings into the 220 engraving plates of birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, and mammals that illustrate his monumental, two-volume study—a process that took him nearly twenty years. Accompanying the plates, are Catesby’s descriptions of the plants and animals as well as the soils, climate, agriculture, and Native Americans that he observed during his journeys.

Though Catesby considered himself a scientist first and an artist second, his lively depictions of animal and plant life are considered masterful works of art and his meticulous observations served as the foundation for the work of other significant scientists and artists including Carl Linnaeus and John James Audubon.

This special exhibition featuring rarely seen works from both private and public collections will be on view until January 30, 2013.

—Sara Arnold, Curator of Collections, Gibbes Museum of Art

adminlasley :: Nov.30.2012 :: Artist Spotlight, Exhibitions :: No Comments »

Me and Elvis we were cool with the chicks
We had a smooth delivery and we knew how to get our kicks
Me and Elvis never worried ‘bout the cops
He flashed that badge he got from Nixon every time that we got stopped
Me and Elvis used to play pinball all day
And the machines would never tilt, no one ever had to pay
Me and Elvis liked our leather jackets black
And we’d ride up and down the river in a brand new Cadillac
Me and Elvis, Elvis and I…
— Human Radio (1990)

Elvis Presley, Chattanooga, 1956, by Alfred Wertheimer (American, b. 1929), pigment print on watercolor paper, © Alfred Wertheimer

I always say, Memphis music is about one-third of any Memphis boy’s discourse, the other two-thirds being the Civil War and barbecue. Those are not rules of my own creation; it just works out that way.

By the time I was old enough to appreciate the world around me, several huge figures in Memphis music had come and gone, some tragically, others by choice or poor fortune. W. C. Handy, the first person to put Memphis music on the map, died in 1958, five years before I was born. Otis Redding and four of the Bar-Kays were killed in a plane crash in 1967, and Stax Studio, home of the Memphis sound, went bankrupt in 1975. Also, the owner of Graceland was found dead in his upstairs lounge on August 16, 1977. However, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s comment that “There are no second acts in American lives” does not apply to Memphis music. If anything, Memphis is the musical cat that has nine lives, and quite possibly more.

Growing up, we took great music for granted. Even though I can barely read a note of music, the Memphis music experience is such an immersive one that most people who are like me—eclectic listeners, really—recognize Memphis as the center of not one, but several schools of quality sound. Clubs and concerts featured acts coming through the city who wanted to play Memphis just for the sake of playing Memphis. The Sex Pistols played Memphis on January 6, 1978, one of their seven American stops before their breakup.

By the time I was in college, I started hearing the stories and meeting a lot of the people. It seemed like every guy I knew in Memphis said he was a musician; some guys actually were. A lot of us would go drink beer in places where bands played. Even in Memphis there are awful gigs, of course, and I remember two guys I know absolutely murdering a cover of the Eurythmics “Here Comes the Rain Again.” Another night, I remember a metal band in a low rent club crucifying a baby-doll on a drum stand while the band members stripped and danced naked around the scene. Those guys are probably accountants or database administrators now.

I was not impervious to it all, by any means. I learned to run sound a little, I ran laser shows for a while—I titled and co-produced the longest running Elvis laser light show to date back in the 1980s—Elvis: Legacy in Light, a sanctioned event of Elvis International Tribute Week. Later on, I even moved pianos—possibly the heaviest work I’ve ever had outside working for my dad—for a rockabilly piano player named Jason D. Williams, a man who claims to be Jerry Lee Lewis’s illegitimate son.

Through it all, I kept notes and listened, and built up my mental encyclopedia of Memphis music and I saw, I heard, I met, and I read about many, many of those who helped give Memphis the name it has in music. Without ever realizing it was happening, I was taken over by the hometown industry, no different than had I grown up in Hollywood and decided to go into entertainment.

For the past eleven years, I have lived in Washington and researched and written for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. In that time, I have curated and co-curated two Elvis exhibitions, and written thirty articles and co-produced ten short films on the Civil War. I am hoping my next assignment will be to put together a nice work on barbecue.

—Warren Perry, writer, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, and guest blogger

Warren Perry—author of Echoes of Elvis: The Cultural Legacy of Elvis Presley and co-author of Elvis 1956: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer—will discuss how Elvis’s life, widespread fame, and legend fit into the greater framework of American culture and beyond on Friday, October 12, as part of the Gibbes Museum’s Art & Fame lecture series. The series was organized as a complement to the Sound and Vision: Monumental Rock and Roll Photography exhibition. To purchase lecture tickets, visit our online calendar at gibbesmuseum.org/events.

adminlasley :: Sep.28.2012 :: Exhibitions :: No Comments »

I love my job because with each exhibition change, I get to work on something totally different. The past few months were particularly fun as I prepared for our upcoming Main Gallery exhibition Sound and Vision: Monumental Rock and Roll Photography. What could be better than sitting at your desk checking out photographs of The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and Kurt Cobain?

Bruce Springsteen, Haddonfield, 1978, by Frank Stefanko (b. 1946). Pigment Print on watercolor paper; 40 x 50 in. (framed). © Frank Stefanko.

It has been interesting to consider the power of these images, and how they connect to personal memory. Many people have stopped in my office over the past few months to glance through the photographs in the exhibition. Nearly everyone has had a strong reaction to at least one of the images, due to an association with a specific memory or time in their life.

A Frank Stefanko photograph of Bruce Springsteen is used on the cover of The River, a crucial album in the musician’s career, released in 1980.

For me, Bruce Springsteen’s The River instantly makes me think of my dad. Seeing an image of the album cover in this exhibition immediately transported me to elementary school—probably around age eight or so. I have this vivid mental image of a cassette tape of The River sitting on the center console of my dad’s bright yellow 1975 MG. Nothing made me feel cooler than cruising around my tiny hometown in my dad’s MG with the top down, listening to Bruce Springsteen. I cannot hear The River without thinking of my dad, and I cannot see Frank Stefanko’s photograph of The Boss without hearing The River. The image, music, and memory are inextricably connected in my mind, and always will be.

My sister Angie and my dad in his MG, 1981.

So I encourage you to visit the Sound and Vision exhibition and see what memories come flooding back to you. You are sure to see some familiar photographs, and to leave with a tune stuck in your head. It’s a fun exhibition, and we have lots of great programs planned, so be sure to check our website for details. The exhibition opens on September 21—I hope to see you around the galleries!

—Pam Wall, Curator of Exhibitions, Gibbes Museum of Art

contributepam :: Sep.19.2012 :: Exhibitions :: No Comments »