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wexner center for the arts For immediate release: April 29, 2004 (updated May 20, 2004) Media contacts: Karen Simonian, 614 292-9923 or ksimonian@wexarts.org; Erik Pepple, 614 688-3261 or epepple@wexarts.org
EXPANSIVE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW VISIONS FROM AMERICA COMES TO WEXNER CENTER GALLERIES AT THE BELMONT BUILDING EXHIBITION FROM THE WHITNEY MUSEUM COLLECTION FEATURES NEARLY 100 WORKS BY TOP AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHERS FROM THE LAST 60 YEARS Columbus—The vast photography show Visions from America: Photographs from the Whitney Museum of American Art, 1940-2001 will be on view May 22-August 15 at the Wexner Center Galleries at The Belmont Building. Visions features a wide range of photographic work by about 100 artists, established names and rising stars alike, who have lived or worked in the United States. Drawn from the Whitney Museum's permanent collection, the exhibition offers a survey of the diversity of photographic visions that have emerged from America in the latter half of the 20th century. "Visions from America is a wonderful selection of photographic gems from the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art," says Helen Molesworth, the Wexner Center's chief curator of exhibitions. "We are pleased to bring to Columbus and the region this overview of some of the best American photography from the past six decades." Visions includes the work of such prominent artists as Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, Cindy Sherman, Aaron Siskind, Sally Mann, Nan Goldin, Sherrie Levine, Sol LeWitt, Allan McCollum, Gabriel Orozco, Andy Warhol, Lorna Simpson, Mary Ellen Mark, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Vik Muniz. and Anna Gaskell. The exhibition represents a wide range of styles, techniques, and subject matter, with both color and black-and-white, small- and large-scale, and traditional and digital photography. It encompasses documentary work, such as Diane Arbus's Woman with a Veil on Fifth Avenue, N.Y.C.; digitally based work, as with Craig Kalpakjian's use of software to create the interior spaces of Lobby; mid-century street photographs, as in Robert Frank's London; surreal composites (Laurie Simmons's Walking Camera II (Jimmy the Camera); fictional portraiture, as in Anna Gaskell's haunting image of a young girl posing as Alice in Wonderland in As the Serpent; wry American landscapes, such as Joel Sternfeld's image of a water theme park in Orlando; and social documentary, as with Mary Ellen Mark's The Damm Family in Their Car, Los Angeles, California. Visions from America demonstrates the capacity of photography's power as a vehicle for personal expression, creative fiction, social commentary, and documentation of history. It offers audiences outside of New York the opportunity to view an expansive and unparalleled photography collection. This exhibition was organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Photography has been a feature of the Whitney's exhibitions for more than 30 years, in single-artist retrospectives, thematic exhibitions, and the Whitney Biennial. Over the years, the museum's permanent collection has grown from fewer than 50 photographic works to more than 2,500 objects. RELATED EVENTS Spring Soirée at The Belmont, an opening party for members and special guests, will be held Saturday, May 22, 6-9 pm. Art after Hours: Ain't that America, part of a series of popular after-work parties presented by the Wexner Center's 12 1/4 Circle members' group, will be held Friday, June 11, 5:30-8:30 pm. The event includes live music by the Whiles, hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar, and guided exhibition tours are offered at 6:30 and 7:30 pm. Admission is $15 for the general public and $12.25 for members and OSU students and includes two complimentary beverages. Proceeds from Art after Hours events benefit children's and family programs at the Wexner Center. Promotional support is provided by CD101 and The Other Paper. Free, guided Walk-in Tours will be held Thursdays at 6 pm and Sundays at 1 pm beginning June 3 and running through June 27. Group Tours can be scheduled at the Belmont Building for any time during our hours of operation. Please make reservations for all group tours at least three weeks in advance. Call the education department at 614.292-6493. CALENDAR INFORMATION for VISIONS FROM AMERICA The exhibition: Visions from America: Photographs from the Whitney Museum of American Art, 1940-2001 is an exhibition featuring nearly 100 photographs by dozens of American artists. Organized by the Whitney Museum; on view at the Wexner Center Galleries at The Belmont Building. Dates: May 22-August 15, 2004. Location: Wexner Center Galleries at The Belmont Building, at Spring St. and Neil Ave. in the Arena District in downtown Columbus (330 W. Spring St.). Entrance off Cozzins Street. Belmont gallery hours: 11 amÐ6 pm TuesdayÐWednesday; 11 amÐ9 pm ThursdayÐ Friday; noonÐ6 pm SaturdayÐSunday. Closed Mondays and holidays. Open regular hours July 4. Belmont gallery admission: Free. Parking: Free lots just across Cozzins Street. Public information: 614 292-3535 or www.wexarts.org. Opening party: Saturday, May 22 / 6Ð9 pm Walk-In Tours: Thursdays at 6 pm and Sundays at 1 pm beginning June 3 and running through June 27. Media contacts: Karen Simonian, 614 292-9923 or ksimonian@wexarts.org; Erik Pepple, 614 688-3261 or epepple@wexarts.org. Digital images available upon request. EXHIBITION SUPPORT Visions from America was organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. This project is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services by an Act of Congress. The exhibition is presented by the Wexner Center with support from Susan M. Tanenbaum, AT&T, and the Corporate Annual Fund of the Wexner Center Foundation. Promotional support is provided by WBNS 10TV. WEXNER CENTER GALLERIES AT THE BELMONT BUILDING Wexner Center exhibitions will be held at the Wexner Center Galleries at The Belmont Building all season while the galleries at the Wexner Center's Ohio State location are undergoing renovation. Located next to the Arena District in downtown Columbus, The Belmont Building is the former home of Belmont Casket, considered "the Cadillac of Caskets," which moved to Columbus in 1916. The building, constructed in 1885, sits near the intersection of Spring Street and Neil Avenue, with an entrance located off Cozzins Street. The four-story building, which currently houses offices in addition to the Wexner Center Galleries, is positioned in a high-growth area, just between the booming Arena District and the historically industrial River District. Caroline's Deli on the ground floor of The Belmont Building is open to the public Monday-Friday, 7:30 am-4 pm. WEXNER CENTER FOR THE ARTS The Wexner Center for the Arts is The Ohio State University's multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art. Through exhibitions, screenings, performances, artist residencies, and educational programs, the Wexner Center acts as a forum where established and emerging artists can test ideas and where diverse audiences can participate in cultural experiences that enhance understanding of the art of our time. In its programs, the Wexner Center balances a commitment to experimentation with a commitment to traditions of innovation and affirms the university's mission of education, research, and community service. |
