The lazy summer days are done and kids are back in school. Charlestonians are looking forward to cooler weather, which coincides with our new programs and event offerings for the season. Having just reopened the Museum this past May after an 18-month renovation, we are excited to be back in our own building and have planned a stellar line-up of classes, lectures, performances, and exhibitions for all ages and interests. Our open-late Wednesday nights provide extended hours for visitors to enjoy all that we have to offer. Here’s a list of some of the highlights.
Award Winners
The 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art is awarded annually to an artist whose work contributes to a new understanding of art in the South. This year’s winner is Alicia Henry, who specializes in painting, textile, and mixed-media installation work. She explores social relationships through depictions of the human figure shown in isolation and interacting with one another. On September 28, Henry and 2015 winner Deborah Luster will join Miranda Lash, former Prize panelist and Curator of Contemporary Art at the Speed Museum in Louisville, KY, along with Gibbes Curator of Exhibitions Pam Wall, and Gibbes Executive Director Angela Mack for a conversation about the impact of contemporary art in the South. The discussion will be followed by a cocktail reception.
Contemporary Creators
Our Visiting Artist series continues this fall with two contemporary Southern artists – Stacy Lynn Waddell, whose work on paper is represented in the Gibbes collection, and Crowell A. Pate, a multi-disciplinary artist focused on sculpture. Pate, whose residency is in partnership with the College of Charleston, will be in the studio from late August 2016 through April 2017. Waddell will be at the Gibbes the week of October 4 – 8, and in addition to her work in the studio, she will be leading a workshop on Wednesday evening. Stop in during their scheduled open studio hours to say hello and learn more about their work.
Modern Masters
Eighty years after Solomon R. Guggenheim’s first formal exhibition of his modern art collection opened at the Gibbes (1936), we have partnered with the Guggenheim Museum to create an exhibition celebrating this important intersection in our institutional histories. This October, thirty-six masterworks presented in the original exhibitions (a second installation occurred in 1938) will be on view in Realm of the Spirit: Solomon R. Guggenheim Collection and the Gibbes Museum of Art. The exhibition includes works by such masters as Marc Chagall, Vasily Kandinsky, Amedeo Modigliani, and Pablo Picasso.
Celebrity Speaker
In its fourth year, the Gibbes Distinguished Lecture Series continues to produce once-in-a-lifetime experiences with world-renowned speakers. Following on the heels of Leonard Lauder, Billie Tsien, Tod Williams, and Philippe de Montebello, we’re delighted to present American artist Jeff Koons. Koons is one of the most prominent artists working today, and his artwork has brought record-setting prices at auction. Get your tickets now for his talk, followed by a book signing, on Wednesday, November 16 at the Charleston Music Hall.
Music Makers
We’re pleased to be partnering with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra to provide live music performances throughout the year. This fall, we’re kicking off a new series called Rush Hour Concerts, which are short chamber music concerts meant to offer a break from the hassle of an afternoon commute. Instead of sitting in traffic, we hope you’ll join us at the Gibbes for a 30 minute concert and a chance to explore the galleries before heading home. The CSO’s String Quartet will perform a full-length concert on November 9 in conjunction with our Guggenheim exhibition, with selections from composers who worked concurrently with the artists included in the exhibition.
Teaching Artists
We offer a variety of classes for all ages and levels, led by professionals in the field. It is a thrill to observe participants find inspiration in the Museum’s exhibitions and collection as a springboard for creating their own works of art. From clay handbuilding to palette knife painting, watercolor classes to portrait painting, there is something for everyone in our new lineup of hands-on classes.
Screen Stars
We’re excited for the opportunity to screen two documentaries this fall focusing on a couple of the biggest names in the art world. In advance of our Guggenheim exhibition, we’re shining a spotlight on Solomon R. Guggenheim’s niece, Peggy, who transformed a modest fortune and impeccable taste into one of the world’s premiere collections of twentieth century art. Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict will be screened on September 14 at 6pm. On November 2, Museum visitors will have the chance to view Jeff Koons: Diary of a Seducer¸ which delves into the world of one of the most celebrated, influential, and controversial artists of our time.
This upcoming season is definitely our best yet, and we look forward to seeing you at some of these engaging programs and events this fall.
—Lasley Poe Steever, Director of Programs and Digital Engagement, Gibbes Museum of Art
Top Image: Charleston Creative Mornings, © Mac Kildoff
Published August 18, 2016