One more weekend to see 'David Driskell' at the Phillips

David Driskell (1931-2020), Young Pines Growing (detail), 1959, Clark Atlanta University Art Museum.  Driskell entered this work in the 18th Atlanta University Annual juried competition where it won the John Hope Purchase Award for best landscape.  Driskell was then teaching at Talladega College in Alabama.

An exhibition of works by David Driskell, one of the world's leading experts on African-American art, will close this weekend at the Phillips Collection. 

The Driskill exhibition, titled Icons of Nature and History, is presented in conjunction with a show on Alma W. Thomas, both presentations which engender such enthusiasm that one of my friends is leading a return to the museum to see them again. (Ms. Thomas closes Jan. 23, 2022.) 

The Phillips says its exhibition is the first comprehensive showing of Driskell's art spanning the 1950s to 2000 and includes more than 50 of his works, colorful, modern, uplifting, amazing, to use adjectives mildly. 

David Driskell (1931-2020), Pine and Moon, 1971, Portland (ME) Museum of Art

Driskill was a distinguished emeritus professor at the University of Maryland and taught there from 1976-1998. In 2001 the school established the David C. Driskell Center  for the Study of Visual Arts and Culture of African-Americans.

With degrees from Howard University (1955), and Catholic University (1962), Driskell was awarded nine honorary doctorates. In 2000 President Bill Clinton presented him and 11 others with a Presidential Medal as one of 12 recipients of the National Humanities Medal. 

David Driskell (1931-2020), Self-Portrait, 1953, Estate of David C. Driskell, Maryland

This is one of many "psychological self-portraits" Driskell painted, this one when he was a student at Howard University.  Compare it to the one below when he was three years older.

David Driskell (1931-2020), Self-Portrait, 1956, Estate of David C. Driskell, Maryland

David Driskell (1931-2020), Upward Bound, 1980, High Museum of Art. Driskell wanted to emulate his mother's quilting but she told him boys didn't quilt so "I slipped behind her back and made quilts. Now I am making them with my canvases." (1997)

In 2005, the High Museum in Atlanta established the David C. Driskell Prize to honor and celebrate contributions to the field of African American art and art history.

While mentoring and teaching hundreds of students over his lifetime, Driskell promoted, researched and wrote about African-American art.

David Driskell (1931-2020), City Quartet, 1953, David C. Driskell Center, University of Maryland. The label copy says this work shows influences of his mentors, Jack Levine and Lois Mailou Jones. The man on the left may be Driskell who painted this when he was 23.

David Driskell (1931-2020), Black Ghetto, 1968-70, Fisk University (oil and mixed media on canvas). The label copy quotes from a 1999 statement by the artist:  "The composition is an autobiographical reflection on my own childhood, one in which I look out into the larger world from beyond my narrowly confined abode.  Black Ghetto also addresses the issue of having to confront life in America along lines of color and race."

David Driskell (1931-2020), Memories of a Distant Past, 1975, private collection. According to the High Museum:  "This painting repurposes material published in the January 7, 1969, edition of Look—a special issue: The Blacks and the Whites. Driskell used pictorial imagery from the essay titled 'Black America’s African Heritage.'" He often employed collage art in the 1960s and 1970s; Look magazine was a favorite source.

David Driskell (1931-2020), Let the Church Roll On, 1995–96, Bowdoin College Museum of Art.  The label copy says the church's hovering angel is a reminder of Driskell's heritage including that of his father who drew angels and the enduring black church which was an important part of his life.

He curated more than 35 exhibition which featured Jabob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, and others. He advised Oprah Winfrey on her collection and guided the Clintons to the first art work by a black artist to hang at the White House (Henry Ossawa Tanner's Sand Dunes at Sunset: Atlantic City, 1885). 

 

Driskell was born in Eatonton, GA in 1931, lived for many years in North Carolina and Maine, and died from covid-19 complications in Washington, D.C. in 2020.  

Washington's winter weather should lift this weekend for Driskell's final show at the Phillips, "America's first museum of modern art."

 

What: David Driskell: Icons of Nature and History

When: Through Sunday, January 9, 2022, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Where: The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St., N.W. at Q St., Washington, D.C. 20009

Admission: $16, adults; $12 for those over 62; $10, students and educators (with ID); free for members and for children 18 and under. Timed tickets are required, but members may walk in at any time. Visitors 12 and over must show proof of vaccination or a same-day negative COVID-19 test upon entry, along with a government-issued photo ID for visitors 16 and over. 

Metro Station: Dupont Circle (Q Street exit. Turn left and walk one block.)

For more information: 202-387-2151  


Patricialesli@gmail.com

Graciela Iturbide and "art chat" at the Women's Museum

The photographer, Graciela Iturbide, at the opening of her exhibition, Mexico, at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Feb. 25, 2020/Photo by Patricia Leslie

The photographer, Graciela Iturbide, at the opening of her exhibition, Mexico, at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Feb. 25, 2020/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Please keep this a secret so all the Friday afternoon classes  don't fill up before I can make my reservations, but the National Museum of Women in the Arts has free participatory art history sessions every week! 

And they're all sold out for the rest of June, but wait!  July comes, and the museum plans to keep up the chats 'til fall which are more popular than anticipated, wrote Adrienne Gayoso, the museum's senior educator and one of the "Art Chat" presenters.

Great news!

Graciela Iturbide, Pajaros, Nayarit, 1984. Collection of Joan and Robert Stein

Graciela Iturbide, Peregrinacion, Chalma, 1984. Masked figures surround a man dressed as a skeleton and there is a baby dressed possibly as an angel, these disguises worn as part of a funerary procession to represent life and hope. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The "chats" are all about women artists and their works which the curator presents over 30 minutes, soliciting opinions from the 20-or-so attendees who Zoom in from all over the world to attend, ask questions, and comment.

For art lovers, it's super-fantastic!

One week Ms. Gayoso led us in discussion of Rosa Bonheur (French, 1822-1899) and Niki de Saint Phalle (French-American, 1930-2002). Another week, Ashley Harris directed discussion of photographer Esther Bubley (American, 1921-1998), and Alma Woodsey Thomas (American, 1891-1978). 

Graciela Iturbide, Novia Muerte,  Chalma, 1990; Courtesy of the artist; © Graciela Iturbide. This is a man whose extended arm possibly represents his missing partner.

Then, the featured artist of an exhibition currently on display at the museum, Graciela Iturbide's Mexico, was the solo subject one Friday in a presentation by NMWA's Deborah Gaston.

(That show of 140 photographs is extended through August 30, after the museum's hoped-for-reopening date of July 7, according to museum director, Susan Fisher Sterling, quoted in the Washington Post: "We felt that setting the date helps us move toward our goal of serving the public.")

Graciela Iturbide, El Baño de Frida, (Frida’s Bathroom), Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, 2005
Courtesy of the artist; © Graciela Iturbide. In 2005 Ms. Iturbide was granted a one-week permit to photograph the life Frida Kahlo left behind at her "Blue House" in Mexico City where Ms. Kahlo was born and died (1907- 1954).

Graciela Iturbide, El Baño de Frida, (Frida’s Bathroom), Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, 2005
Courtesy of the artist; © Graciela Iturbide. Behind Ms. Kahlo's crutches is a photograph of Stalin. Reflected in the protective glass over the picture are more photographs of her bathroom in the Frida gallery at the museum.

 Graciela Iturbide, El Baño de Frida, (Frida’s Bathroom), Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, 2005
Courtesy of the artist; © Graciela Iturbide

The NMWA gallery of Graciela Iturbide, El Baño de Frida, (Frida’s Bathroom), Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, 2005 


Ms. Iturbide (Mexican, born 1942) is a cultural historian-photographer who for decades has pictured indigenous Mexican men and women in natural settings, amidst festival, funerals, everyday life, and their conflicts with modernity.  She is "widely regarded as Latin America's greatest living photographer," according to the NMWA quarterly publication, Women in the Arts.

Born in Mexico City, Ms. Iturbide was the oldest of 13 children who received her first camera when she was 11.  After she married an architect at age 20, she had three children in rapid succession and at age 27 began her art studies. 

When her daughter, Claudia, died at age six, Ms. Iturbide's life reset. Photography helped to bring her some measure of comfort and peace. 

Graciela Iturbide, INRI, Juchitan, 1984. The museum label copy contrasts the standing woman with the man a viewer may not notice at first, lying drunk on the stones, roles evident in this society (and many others!). "INRI" is an abbreviation for Latin and means "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

The photographer, Graciela Iturbide, at the opening of her exhibition, Mexico, at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Feb. 25, 2020/Photo by Patricia Leslie

The photographer, Graciela Iturbide, at the opening of her exhibition, Mexico, at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Feb. 25, 2020/Photo by Patricia Leslie

You may recall Ms. Iturbide's enduring photograph of the lady with the iguanas on top of her head.  Five (?) of them at last count which we learned at the discussion were alive!  Mercy! (They are not shown here, but at the show you can see them to believe them.)
,
This is another show not to miss at the National Museum of Women in the Arts! You see how happy this makes me!  Whatever will be the effects upon you? I am going to Mexico City in February to visit Frida's house!

*To register for "Art Chat," go to the website>What's On>Calendar>Signature Programs.  I found the next open date is July 17, 2020.

Just remember, when it comes to "art chats," mum's the word! The sessions do zoom by! Thank you, National Museum of Women in the Arts!

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston organized the show.

Who: Various female artists including Graciela Iturbide

What: "Art Chats" and Graciela Iturbide's Mexico


When: Fridays at 5 p.m. for "Art Chats." (The museum's usual open hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 12 - 5 p.m., Sunday.)

Where: Online and soon, in person! The museum is located at 1250 New York Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20005

How much:  No charge for online sessions. Customary admission: Adults, $10; seniors over 65 and students over 18, $8; no charge for anyone under 18 or for members. The first Sunday of the month is a free-for-all!

For more information: 202-783-5000 or 1-800-222-7270

patricialesli@gmail.com

Last days for Ginny Ruffner's art at Renwick Gallery

Ginny Ruffner talks to a reporter at the Renwick Gallery, June 27, 2019. On the wall are devices guests may use to see Ms. Ruffner's flowers, plants, and nature's elements change and blossom/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A few days remain to see the show of Ginny Ruffner's works which will end Sunday at the Renwick Gallery.

Titled Reforestation of the Imagination made in collaboration with media artist Grant Kirkpatrick, the art is
as intricate and delightful as Ms. Ruffner, incorporating nature and all its beauty with sinewy limbs and colors to refresh and inspire.

Ginny Ruffner's art at the Renwick Gallery. The artist said these works have fiber glass bases with resin and sand, built over plywood skeletons. Two apprentices help her/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Sometimes known as a glass artist, Ms. Ruffner utilizes technology ("augmented reality") to make viewing experiences more rewarding. With a handheld device (available at the Renwick) or a smartphone held atop her sculptures, a viewer may see them blossom and grow, becoming elements of beauty and marvel. 

At the Renwick Gallery with Ginny Ruffner's display which reminds me of a spinning ballerina and her dancing shoes/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Ginny Ruffner, Grape Flower/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Ginny Ruffner, Blue Flower with Snakes. The white streaks at the bottom are reflections in the glass cover/Photo by Patricia Leslie

 

Ginny Ruffner at the Renwick Gallery, June 27, 2019. Her pink cane is an assist after she almost died from effects of a 1991 automobile crash/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Ginny Ruffner at the Renwick Gallery, June 27, 2019/Photo by Patricia Leslie

 At the opening of the  exhibition at the Renwick, Ms. Ruffner was present to tell a little of her background: She was born in Atlanta (1952) but grew up near Rock Hill, S.C. and attended the University of Georgia, earning a B.F.A. and a M.F.A. in drawing and painting (cum laude and summa cum laude).

She's now based in Seattle, the home of a 30-foot tall kinetic water she sculptured.  Another of her works is found at Seattle's Olympic Sculpture Park, one of 55 worldwide museums and galleries which boast Ms. Ruffner's works in their collections. 

The interactive Renwick show is another one to interest the whole family and watch colors and pieces change before you. (The Renwick cautions that children under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult.)

What: Reforestation of the Imagination by Ginny Ruffer with Grant Kirkpatrick. Michael Sherrill's Retrospective is in the adjacent galleries.
 
When: Now through January 5, 2020. The Renwick is open from 10 a.m.– 5:30 p.m. every day.

Where: The Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery, 1661 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006, at the White House 17th Street block, adjacent to Blair House.

Admission: No charge

Metro stations: Farragut North or Farragut West

For more information: (202) 633-7970 (recorded) or (202) 633-2850

patricialesli@gmail.com

Inaugural Middle Eastern art show ends Friday

Raeda Saadeh (b. 1977), Penelope, 2010/ Rose Issa Projects, London. The artist is a Palestinian who explores "issues of displacement, gender, and identity, with particular reference to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," according to the label copy.  In mythology, Penelope was a Greek woman who waited 20 years for her husband, Odysseus, to return from the Trojan War.  Here, Penelope represents a Palestinian neighborhood.

The public is invited to attend at no cost the first art show at Washington's newly restored Middle East Institute, but haste is necessary since the exhibition closes Nov. 22.

Ayman Baalbaki (b. 1975), Al Mulatham, 2012/private collection. Political turmoil is often the subject for this Lebanese painter and installation artist from Beirut. This work "portrays the idealism of [Mr. Baalbaki's] father's generation and serves as a symbol" of unending conflict, according to the label. Mr. Baalbaki is a popular Arab artist who has enjoyed exhibition at the Venice Biennale (2011).
MEI's new gallery is intended to be "a platform for the Middle East's leading and emerging artists to engage with U.S. audiences and the local D.C. community," wrote Kate Seelye, MEI's vice president for arts and culture, in a statement.  .

Featured in Arabicity/Ourouba are 17 artists' works of installation art, video, painting, and sculpture.

Batoul S'himi (b. 1974), Arab World Under Pressure and Monde Sous Pression Militaire, 2012/Rose Issa Projects, London/photo by Patricia Leslie.The carvings on the pressure cookers are maps intended to illustrate worldwide hostility and unrest. Works by this Moroccan artist are found in museums around the globe.  She teaches at the National Institute of Fine Arts in Tetouan. Through the window is N Street, NW.

Anas Albraehe (b. 1991), Untitled, 2002 /Rose Issa Project, London. This is a detail from the artist's series, The Dream Catcher, which "explores the temporary refuge of sleep for laborers and men displaced by war" (and women?) to illustrate the link between sleep and wakefulness. Mr. Albraehe has an MA in Psychology and Art Therapy from Lebanese University.

London-based producer and author, Rose Issa, curated this first show, and she came from London to introduce it.

MEI got its start here in 1946 and prides itself on being "the oldest Washington-based institution dedicated solely to the study of the Middle East," and the only gallery in Washington "dedicated to showcasing" Middle East contemporary art.

Tagreed Darghouth  (b. 1979), Brighter than a Thousand Suns, 2012/Rose Issa Projects, London. This Lebanese artist has won several prizes.  She draws inspiration from van Gogh, Rembrandt, literature, philosophy and everyday realities, according to the label copy. The message here seeks to illustrate the atomic bomb's effects on humans and the Earth. 

MEI's founders believe the arts have the power to influence culture and transform society, as well as to build bridges between the peoples of the U.S. and the Middle East.

 Five shows are planned for exhibition every year.

 The newly renovated Middle East Institute, 1763 N St., NW, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

From left, Lyne Sneige, MEI;  Kate Seelye, MEI; Rose Issa, curator; and Mahmoud Obaidi, artist, at the Middle East Institute, Sept. 11, 2019/Photo by Patricia Leslie


What: Arabicity/Ourouba

When:  10 a.m. - 5 p.m. through Nov. 22, 2019

Where:  Middle East Institute, 1763 N St. NW, Washington D.C. 20036

Admission:  No charge

Metro station:  The closest stations are Farragut North, Farragut West, and Dupont Circle

For more information: 202-785-1141or the website.

patricialesli@gmail.com