EVENT: OU International Exhibition: American Artists From Russia
DATE: Oct. 4-Jan. 4
American Artists From Russia – an exhibition that examines the impact of American culture on Russian artists living in the United States during the first half of the 20th century as well as the lasting influence these same artists had on the development of American art – will premier in the United States Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma. The exhibit is composed of more than 90 works by such artists as Nicolai Fechin, Leon Gaspard, Jacques Lipchitz, Mark Rothko, Ben Shahn, Pavel Tchelitchew and Max Weber, some of whom are from the museum’s permanent collection.
Jointly organized by the State Russian Museum and the Foundation for International Arts & Education, American Artists From Russia premieres at the FJJMA and then travels to the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and the San Diego Museum of Art.
A public opening reception is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, in the OU museum’s Sandy Bell Gallery. The exhibit will remain on view at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art through Jan. 4, 2009.
Also scheduled as part of the opening ceremonies, is a lecture and moderated open discussion by San Diego Museum of Art Executive Director Derrick Cartwright at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, in the Mary Eddy and Fred Jones Auditorium, followed by a walk-through with exhibition curator Evgeniya Petrova.
Through various genre sections and chronological comparisons, American Artists From Russia emphasizes how one’s artistic and everyday environment affects one’s art. Whenever possible, the exhibit will provide an opportunity to juxtapose “before and after” art styles, techniques and even genres to provide a better visual understanding of cross-cultural fertilization. Original art from the American careers of artists will be supplemented with color photo images of works by the same artists before they left Russia. At the same time, it also will highlight the influence and contribution of Russian artists in shaping American culture and the process of cultural influence and exchange.
The focus of the exhibition is, however, on those artists who became “American” artists – those who settled and worked in the United States. The core of the exhibit will showcase limited artistic genres to provide an in-depth view of environmental and cultural influences of art.
Overall, the exhibit will present the volume and diversity of the styles, genre and media used that made the Russian immigrants some of the most active and influential in America.
Admission to the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is free to all OU students with a current student ID and all museum association members, $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for children 6 to 17 years of age, $2 for OU faculty/staff, and free for children 5 and under. Admission is free on Tuesdays. For information and accommodations on the basis of disability, please call (405) 325-4938.