For Immediate Release
October 30, 2002
Contact:
Brent Sverdloff 781/259-3628, bsverdloff@decordova.org
Sarah Smith 781/259-3663, ssmith@decordova.org
January, February, March 2003 @ DeCordova: Exhibitions and Events
New Exhibitions
Tools as Art: The Hechinger Collection
Joyce and Edward Linde Gallery, Arcade Gallery
March 8 - May 25, 2003
Opening Reception: Friday, March 14, 6 - 8 pm
This national traveling exhibition celebrates the amazing variety of twentieth-century art that represents or incorporates tools and hardware. The collection was formed by John Hechinger, Sr., Chairman of the Board of the Hechinger Company chain of hardware stores. As a way to enliven the company's new headquarters, which opened in 1978, Hechinger began installing artworks that fit the theme of his business. He thought that the display of this art in the workplace was a fitting celebration of the products his company sold, the importance of his employees' work, and the "intrinsic beauty of the simple objects that they handled by the tens of thousands."
The over 375 works by 65 artists include sculptures of tools in wood, glass, metal, paper, and stone; constructions of found objects and building materials; and paintings, prints, and photographs that depict tools of all sorts. Tools as Art includes work by many prominent artists, including Jim Dine, Arman, H.C. Westerman, and Richard Estes. Accompanied by a full-color exhibition catalogue, this exhibition is organized by independent curator Sarah Tanguy for International Arts and Artists, a traveling exhibition service. The DeCordova site coordinator is Director of Curatorial Affairs Rachel Rosenfield Lafo.
Street Portraits, 1947-1976: The Photographs of Jules Aarons
James and Audrey Foster Galleries, Fourth Floor Hallway Gallery
March 8 - May 25, 2003
Opening Reception: Friday, March 14, 6 - 8 pm
This retrospective exhibition of some 65 vintage prints of Boston photographer Jules Aarons includes black and white images shot on the streets of Boston, Paris, England, India, South America, and Japan. Aarons, a Boston University physicist who taught himself photography, took pictures from the late 1940s to the mid-1970s of life on the street in the tradition of photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Lisette Model.
Jules Aarons first exhibited his photographs at DeCordova Museum in 1951. He also served as a photography instructor at DeCordova's Museum School in the early 1950s and was a curator and consultant on several photography exhibitions. The exhibition is organized by Director of Curatorial Affairs Rachel Rosenfield Lafo, Curatorial Fellow Jennifer Uhrhane, and Curatorial Intern Francine Weiss.
Landscapes Seen and Imagined: Sense of Place, Part II
Dewey Family Gallery, Millipore Foundation Gallery
March 15, 2003 - Summer 2004
Opening Reception: Friday, March 14, 6 - 8 pm
Part II of a group thematic exhibition on the theme of landscape selected from DeCordova Museum's Permanent Collection, this show explores a host of issues concerning the representation, perception, and meanings of space and place in Modern and contemporary American art. The themes examined in this show are linked to the educational content of The Dr. Kenneth Germeshausen ArtExperienCenter. This exhibition includes prints, works on paper, sculptural reliefs, and photographs and is organized by Director of Curatorial Affairs Rachel Rosenfield Lafo.
The Pig Wings Project by the Tissue Culture & Art Project
Media Space @ DeCordova/Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport Gallery
March 18 - May 25, 2003
Opening Reception: Friday, March 14, 6 - 8 pm
In 2001, the Tissue Culture & Art Project, a group of artists from Perth, Australia, were invited by Dr. Joseph Vacanti of the Tissue Engineering & Organ Fabrication Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School to be artists-in-residence. There, emulating their hosts, they embarked on a program to create sculpture out of living tissue. The Pig Wings Project documents the first-ever wing-shaped objects grown using living pig tissue. The Tissue Culture & Art Project deals with serious ethical questions regarding a near future when objects that are partly alive and partly constructed exist, and when animal organs will be transplanted into humans. The Tissue Culture & Art Project organizers are Oron Catts, Ionat Zurr and Guy Ben-Ary, in collaboration with Adam Zaretsky of MIT.
Robert Kieronski: Photonic Evolution in Deep Time II
Window Gallery
January - August 2003
Artist, engineer, and physicist Robert Kieronski will install optical transflectors and computer-controlled motorized projectors behind the Window Gallery to create a dazzling three-dimensional light sculpture that changes as it interacts with the shifting angles of daylight. The visual effects are programmed together with an audio background designed to soothe the onlooker.
Robert Kieronski has been involved with art and technology since the late '60s when, as a young Bell Lab Engineer, he collaborated with artists like Robert Rauschenberg and John Cage on interactive light and sound shows. This show is organized by George Fifield, Curator of New Media.
Bryan Nash Gill: Blow Down
Grand Staircase
January - August 2003
Bryan Nash Gill is an artist from New Hartford, Connecticut, who works in many media-installation, sculpture, painting, drawing, and printmaking-to address issues about art, nature, artifice, and perception. Blow Down is a monumental relief, 40 feet tall, which will be installed against the Museum's elevator shaft wall. This sculpture is made from the bark of a single fallen tree, flattened and affixed to panels and mounted on a wall visible from both inside and outside the Museum. In this way, the sculpture operates in the territory where nature becomes architecture. Blow Down is accompanied by two other reliefs-spiral sculptures made of used chain saw blades that resemble the growth rings of trees. Curator Nick Capasso organized this show.
David Berry: Segments
Sandy and Herb Pollack Family Terrace
Opened October 2002
David Berry is a sculptor from Groton, Massachusetts, who gracefully combines metal and glass to create evocative abstract sculptures. David Berry: Segments is comprised of three distinct yet closely related works: Attraction, Balance, and Crossed. The artist sees these works as segments-of his personal artistic vision, of a larger series of sculptures, and of a larger aesthetic continuum marked by shared materials, shapes, symmetry, and multiple meanings. Individually, each sculpture is elegant and mysterious. Together, the works suggest alchemical vessels or advanced technological apparatus, tools of a mad scientist, or probes from other worlds.
Ongoing Exhibitions
Painting in Boston: 1950-2000
Joyce and Edward Linde Gallery, James and Audrey Foster Galleries, Dewey Family Gallery, Fourth Floor Hallway Gallery
Through February 23, 2003
It is not too late to see the show that everyone in Boston is talking about! Painting in Boston: 1950-2000 is the first exhibition to document the history of the art of painting as practiced in Boston and environs in the second half of the twentieth century. Almost the entirety of DeCordova Museum is filled with major paintings by sixty-seven of the most significant artists who lived, taught, and painted here for five decades. Together, these works reveal the major stylistic tendencies, critical concerns, and overall aesthetic quality of Modern and post-Modern painting in our region.
The exhibition is structured thematically around the four primary movements that have dominated painting in the Boston area over the last five decades: Realism, with its rich local legacy stretching from early Colonial portraiture on through nineteenth-century Precisionism and American Impressionism; Expressionism/Neo-Expressionism, which reveals Boston's institutional and individual ties to the heritage of early twentieth-century German Expressionist painting; Abstraction, demonstrating a direct link to the dominance of international Modernism and especially Abstract Expressionism at the mid-century; The New Painting, which describes a vital group of artists with post-Modern interests in culture, gender, identity, and politics. Painting in Boston: 1950-2000 is organized by Director of Curatorial Affairs Rachel Rosenfield Lafo, Curator Nick Capasso, and Curatorial Fellow Jennifer Uhrhane. This exhibition and catalogue have been funded by Fidelity Investments through the Fidelity Foundation, and a grant from the LEF Foundation.
Looking at Ground Zero: Photographs by Kevin Bubriski
Arcade Gallery
Through February 23, 2003
Shot in the streets immediately surrounding Ground Zero in New York City, Kevin Bubriski's 24 x 20" black and white photographs are a striking reminder of the initial and lasting impact that the deaths of thousands of people and the destruction of the World Trade Center had on the citizens of New York-and anyone else with even a remote connection to the city. Instead of focusing on the chaos of the actual disaster site, however, Bubriski chose to photograph the people-oddly quiet and standing still in the traditionally frenzied city streets-who stare at the scene before them. In these photos, the World Trade Center is nowhere in evidence, except in the stunned expressions on the faces of the people now confronting the sight of its obliteration. The Vermont-based photographer, most famous for his photos of the Himalayan region, captured these eloquent images during a series of trips down to New York in early October and mid-November 2001. Looking at Ground Zero: Photographs by Kevin Bubriski is organized by Curatorial Fellow Jennifer Uhrhane.
The Ambient Electron: Abstract Video Art
Media Space @ DeCordova/Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport Gallery
Through February 23, 2003
This exhibition features three moving-image artists who explore atmospheres of moods using time-based random images, abstraction, and music-all presented on video monitors. Walter Wright performs video in live settings using a device of his own invention, the "video shredder"; these videos are excerpts from his performances. Dennis H. Miller uses complicated 3-D ray tracing software to compose animations in the same manner in which he composes his internationally known electronic music. And Devon Damonte creates humorous abstractions using stamps and hand drawing on film. This show is organized by Curator of New Media George Fifield.
Rona Pondick: New Work
Sculpture Terrace, Sculpture Terrace Gallery, Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport
Roof Terrace
Through May 11, 2003
The sixth annual solo exhibition on DeCordova's Sculpture Terrace features a new and exciting body of work by Rona Pondick, one of the most important and influential sculptors of the last decade. Pondick came to international prominence in the early 1990s with works that incorporated eccentric and evocative materials, and a visceral emphasis on body parts, fluids, and processes. Her new sculptures, while they still deal with the body, are a stunning departure. Pondick now works in cast metals to produce objects that seamlessly morph parts of her own anatomy onto the bodies of animals: a cougar, a marmot, a dog, a fox, and an aggressive pack of monkeys. To create these bizarre beings-which address self-portraiture, the animal nature of the human, and anxieties about genetic engineering-the artist uses a combination of traditional sculptural modeling and casting with computer-assisted rapid-prototyping technology. Pondick's animals, both mythological and futuristic, occupy both the Sculpture and Roof Terraces.
The Museum and The Café @ DeCordova will be closed for exhibition installation from Monday, February 24 through Friday, March 7.
The Sculpture Park and The Store @ DeCordova will remain open during this time.
Events and Education
Meet the Artists and Curators
Third Floor Lobby
Saturdays @ 3 pm
Have you ever wondered how an artwork is made? Do you ever wonder, "What inspired the artist?" Or why the curators selected a particular artwork for the collection? Here is your chance to meet some of New England's most interesting and vital contemporary artists and the DeCordova curators as they discuss artwork in the current exhibitions. Drop by and get your questions answered. Free with Museum admission.
Painting in Boston: 1950-2000
January 11 Ambreen Butt
The Ambient Electron: Abstract Media Art
January 25 Dennis Miller
Robert Kieronski: Photonic Evolution in Deep Time II
March 8 Robert Kieronski
Tools as Art: The Hechinger Collection
March 15 Pier Gustafson
Tooling Around: A Family Day
Museum Galleries
Sunday, March 16, 1 - 4 pm
Free with Museum admission.
In conjunction with the opening of Tools As Art: The Hechinger Collection, participate in an afternoon of art activities and entertainment at DeCordova! Art activities begin at 1 pm and continue until 4 pm.
At 2 pm, Leonard Solomon and The Bellowphone Show will perform in the Dewey Gallery. Solomon, a classically trained musician, is a one-man band. He performs musical standards on homemade instruments such as The Majestic Bellowphone and the Callioforte, a miniature organ. The scope of music Solomon plays ranges from Bach to Beethoven to John Philip Sousa to Looney Tunes. His unique skills have been featured nationwide in a PBS special.
Tooling Around promises to be a fun-filled, educational afternoon for all ages. RSVP by March 12 to membership@decordova.org or by calling 781/259-3629.
Family Sundays
Museum Galleries
Drop-In Sundays 2 - 4 pm
Free with Museum Admission
Have fun with looking and hands-on activities as you share insights and discover what you value and enjoy about art-as a family. Designed for families seeking to introduce their children to museum going and the art of seeing. Join us on one Sunday each month as we celebrate artists' creativity through interpreting artworks in the Painting in Boston exhibition. This drop-in program is perfect for families with children ages 5-12.
January 5 Motion Emotion
Thick, thin, angled, and curved lines create movement and feelings, especially in the expressionist art from the exhibition Painting in Boston: 1950-2000. Explore techniques artists use to guide your eye as you look at an artwork and to trigger your emotions!
February 2 Rule Breakers and Makers
Learn why contemporary artists can be such rebels. Take a closer look at the "art rules" artists have broken as they invented their own techniques and new styles of painting in the Painting in Boston: 1950-2000 exhibition. Join us and draw up some rules of your own as we delve into this topic.
Please note: no Family Sundays program in March.
Take a Trip with DeCordova!
Portland Museum of Art and Local Galleries
Thursday, March 20
8 am - 6 pm
Discover this gem of a museum! Our trip will focus on the internationally renowned photographer, Sebastião Salgado. This important exhibition features more than 310 photographs from his series Migrations-Humanity in Transition, which documents the worldwide phenomenon of mass migration, its causes, and its effects. Enjoy the beauty of Portland, lunch on the waterfront, and the seaport's many shops and local art galleries. Members, $67; Non-Members, $79 (includes bus, admission, tours, and bus driver's gratuity). Call 781/259-3619 to register.
New York City Museums
Thursday, April 24
7:30 am - 10:30 pm
Sometimes you just need a day away to see museums in another region. Bring a book or bring a friend. Once we arrive in New York you will be on your own. We will have drop-off points at The Studio Museum in Harlem (Frederick J. Brown: Portraits in Jazz, Blues, and Other Icons), The American Craft Museum (Libensky and His Students,) and MoMA Queens (Matisse Picasso). We will regroup in the evening at The American Craft Museum and depart from there. Members, $65; Non-Members, $80 (includes bus driver's gratuity). Call 781/259-3619 to register.
Museum School Gallery Exhibitions
Museum School Gallery
Ongoing
The Museum School Gallery offers students and faculty a unique opportunity to exhibit their work in a beautiful and highly visible space. Throughout the year, students working in specific media are invited to exhibit their artwork created during their DeCordova studies.
Faculty Exhibition
January 18 - February 9
Opening Reception: Sunday, January 26, 2 - 4 pm
Discover how your instructors express themselves in this exceptional showcase. With jewelry, ceramics, silversmithing, printmaking, painting, photography, sculpture, and more, this once-a-year event will show your instructors in a whole new light!
Drawing & Ceramics
February 15 - March 16
Opening Reception: Sunday, February 23, 2 - 4 pm
DeCordova's drawing and ceramics studios teach an array of subjects, approaches, and techniques. Come see the variety on display as students of all levels exhibits some of their finest work!
Painting & Metal Arts
March 22 - April 20
Opening Reception: Sunday, March 30, 2 - 4 pm
From some of DeCordova's finest developing artists come jewelry, silver, hollowware, and paintings of all kinds. This exhibit is sure to sparkle!
Medium of the Month
Museum School Gallery
Weekends from 2 - 4 pm
Each month the Department of Education features an artist/faculty member demonstrating one of his or her specialties. This drop-in program takes place weekend afternoons from 2 - 4 pm in the Student Gallery, right next to The Store @ DeCordova.
Sunday, January 26 Alexander Farquharson Pen and Ink
Sunday, February 23 Mandy Young Paste Paper Projects
Saturday, March 29 Barbara Stecher Sketchbooking
Members' Double Discount Days!
The Store @ DeCordova
Thursday, January 16, 2003 9:30 am - 7:30 pm
Friday, January 17, 2003 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
Every year, The Store @ DeCordova offers special discount days to show our loyal Members just how much they mean to us. Members receive 20% off all purchases in The Store during this event, which occurs right before the beginning of the new term at the Museum School. We also will be cleaning out the storage closets, so there will be some extra discounts on selected merchandise. Come shop for class art supplies, a treat for your Valentine, or a little something to lift your own winter blahs. You will be glad you renewed that Membership!
General Information
DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park is a museum of modern and contemporary American art with a particular emphasis on the work of New England artists. It features the only public sculpture park of its kind in New England and the largest non-degree granting studio art program in the state. DeCordova opened in 1950 on the former estate of Julian de Cordova, a Boston entrepreneur and supporter of the arts.
DeCordova Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm and on selected Monday holidays. Admission is $6 per person, $4 for senior citizens, students, and youth ages 6-12. Children age 5 and under, Lincoln residents, and Active Duty Military Personnel and their dependents are admitted free. The Sculpture Park is open year round during daylight hours and is free. The Store @ DeCordova and the School Gallery are open Monday through Thursday, 9:30 am to 7:30 pm, Friday through Saturday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, and Sunday 11:30 am to 5:30 pm. The Café @ DeCordova is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am to 3 pm. Free guided public tours of the Museum's main galleries take place every Wednesday and Sunday at 2 pm. Free tours of the Sculpture Park are given on Saturday and Sunday at 1 pm from May to October. Visit www.decordova.org or call 781/259-8355 for further information.
