After last summer’s opening, I returned to work on four different shows that all opened in October 2013 in three different cities. As many of you know I work as an independent curator for museums around the country and in Europe, and last year turned into a “perfect storm” of wonderful opportunities that I could not say no to (although I should have.)
My very popular retrospective on the work of editorial cartoonist, Tony Auth, first organized for the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, traveled to public radio’s WHYY, where Tony now works. It was the first time they had ever hosted an exhibition and it turned out to be a popular event for the station and its supporters. A few blocks away at the Philadelphia History Museum, I put together a 50 piece show of Tony’s cartoons on the City of Brotherly Love, titled AUTH-entic Philly, which proved so popular that it was held over for three months.
In New York, I organized The Line King’s Library: Al Hirschfeld at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center. That show turned out to be a big hit with many visitors and lots of great press, including a wonderful writeup from the venerable Art News.
My final show of the month was an exciting challenge to tell the inherently dramatic story of the Bucks County Playhouse for a special exhibition celebrating the 75th anniversary of one of the country’s most important summer theaters. paired with a big show on Grace Kelly (who got her start at the Playhouse), the exhibition was seen by nearly 100,000 visitors. if you were among the few who missed it, a 25 minute film of the exhibition featuring interviews with a variety of folks connected with it, and hosted by yours truly will be available June 30th, along with an accompanying 40-page book which will include many of the highlights of the show.
Besides doing press for these shows, I organized a reading of scenes from plays that told the story of the Playhouse for a special event at the Michener in December, put together two other shows for Syracuse University and the Huntsville (Alabama) Museum of Art and have signed on to do two books for next year, and another for 2016.
Along the way I found time to put together a show many have asked for over the years: an exhibition of Solowey still lifes. There are works from every part of his career and looking at them already on the wall, biased as I am, they are stunning. As much as I love the bold modernist still lifes of the 20’s and 30’s, I must admit I am partial to the works composed of flowers that were grown here on the farm, many of which still bloom, whether they be peonies, hydrangea, tulips, lilies, forsythia and daffodils. As I have been doing research on the history of still life painting, which frequently included objects to denote mortality or the passing of time, Ben’s seem quite different. They are more about life than death. A celebration of the bounty from the earth. I often remember Rae reciting John Greenleaf Whittier:
“If thou of fortune be bereft,
and in thy store there be but left
two loaves, sell one, and with the
dole, buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.”
For Ben and Rae, a floral arrangement on the dining room table was as important to them as the food on their plates. You’ll understand why when you see this show.
For those of you who voted for the Michener’s top 25 artworks exhibitions to
Rae Seated (Green Dress)
celebrate their silver anniversary. Rae Seated (Green Dress) placed in the top ten and had a remarkable set of comments written by visitors. I share those with you soon.
We are looking forward to seeing you soon. Look in your mailbox for an invitation
