I'm long overdue for an art happenings post! Luckily, there's been plenty of buzz in the art world these days and unless you live under a rock, you've seen the most buzz-worthy art story of the year - the Obama portraits. The portraits were unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. on February 12, 2018, by Kehinde Wiley (President Obama's portrait artist) and Amy Sherald (First Lady Obama's portrait artist) and were met with both immense praises as well as some criticism. For me, the event was more about the history of what took place, and such heartfelt happiness of what this momentous occasion brought to the art world and, especially and perhaps most importantly, young artists all over the world.
Some of my favorite articles on the portraits can be found here and here. I'd love to hear your thoughts as well!
I just got back from a weekend trip to NYC where I tried my best to hit my favorite art museums and galleries with children in tow. Side note: the Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away exhibit at the Guggenheim is amazing, but very tempting for 3 years olds to touch as many of the pieces in the show are at toddler level. We witnessed one toddler escorted out by security and in an effort not be next in line hurried down to the permanent exhibition floor where the Manets and Picassos are well secured above grabby toddler hands. For my next trip this summer (sans kids) I am very intrigued by The Let Go by Nick Cave at the Park Avenue Armory. "The Let Go is an immersive site-specific commission that transforms the Armory's drill hall into a dance hall, uplifting visitors through various performances and dance-based encounters..." says the New York Times. Anyone else up for this fun, interactive exhibit?
Lastly, I am just enthralled with the installation of Ellsworth Kelly's "Austin" located at the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin. So enthralled, in fact, that I am considering a trip down to see this space in person. Has anyone visited and can tell me about it? I first read about "Austin" in this New York Times article. As we all know, Ellsworth Kelly was known for being a master at stripping painting down to its elemental components of form and color. What began as a project 30 years ago, but never completed, "Austin" is a chapel of sorts distinguished as a double-barrel-vaulted building but perhaps what is most captivating is the colored glass windows that bend the light across the structure in different ways. The project was completed recently and Kelly was able to see this project begin to come to life before his death two years ago. T Magazine writes, "Austin is the culmination of (Kelly's) oeuvre - not just a summation of his work's themes but his masterpiece, the grandest exploration of pure color and form in a 7-decade career spent testing the boundaries of both."
I hope these exhibits and works leave you as inspired as they do me! The constant happenings not only makes my job interesting and fun, but it also makes me happy that art continues to be such an important and evolving form of communication and expression.
