'American' art exhibits
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PROVO, UTAH
The Carl Bloch exhibit "The Master's Hand" proved to be one of the most successful and well-visited events in the history of Brigham Young University's Museum of Art. The majority of the altar pieces featured in that past exhibit have returned to their homes in Scandinavia, but there are still plenty of reasons to make a warm-weather visit to the museum located on the Church-owned school's main campus.
While the works of "The Master's Hand" were created by a Danish artist, a pair of new exhibitions opening in the coming weeks have a decidedly American flavor. One exhibit will celebrate the works of well-known, homegrown painters — the other brings to Provo a collection of African-American quilts rich in detail and cultural meaning.
Students and fans of American masters such as Homer, Whistler, O'Keeffe and Rockwell will want to visit "The Yankee Spirit: Highlights from the New Britain Museum of American Art." Opening July 1 on the museum's main level, the exhibit includes 59 paintings from celebrated artists who plied their trade on America's eastern seaboard. The paintings featured in the show are on loan from Connecticut's New Britain Museum of American Art.
"The Yankee Spirit" will also survey a variety of artistic genres — portraits, landscapes and modernist works — from painters such as Mather Brown, John Singleton Copley, John Singer Sargent, Gilbert Stuart, Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran.
"This exhibition provides an unparalleled opportunity for Utah Valley residents and the broader Utah community to view so many American masterworks created in New York and New England, the cradle of American art," said curator Marian Wardle in a statement released by the museum.
The featured works will be divided into three main themes: Yankees, Town and Country and Ports of Exchange. According to the museum, the "Yankees" section explores what it means to be a Yankee. "Town and Country" examines how both city and country life defined the settlements of New England. Meanwhile, the "Ports of Exchange" will focus on New England's emphasis on education and cultural production.
"The Yankee Spirit" will be on display through Oct. 29, 2011.
Quilting has become a familiar element of the Mormon experience. It's a practical symbol of communal industry, fellowship and, in recent years, humanitarian service. Latter-day Saint quilters and American culture buffs alike will enjoy "From Heart to Hand: African-American Quilts from the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts' Permanent Collection."
More than 30 hand-made quilts crafted by African-American women of the Alabama region over the past seven decades will be on display. The exhibit opens July 15 and will remain at the museum until Nov. 17, 2011.
"From Heart to Hand" explores the traditional patterns of African-American quilts and the improvisations distinct to regional quilt makers, according to the museum. Patterns, colors and other elements of the quilt square are utilized to tell the story of each quilt's designer and her geographical and cultural background.
Information on tours for either exhibit is available by calling 801-422-1140. Additional details can be found on the museum's web site: moa.byu.edu.
