CONNECT, Vol. 2011, Issue 1 by Oklahoma City Museum of Art

Old Favorites in New Spaces See works by Sam Gilliam, Morris Louis, and Sam Francis through early March. These highlights from the Museum’s collection will be temporarily on view in the third floor galleries before making way for the Amy Blakemore exhibition, opening March 17.

Inside at a Glance

4 George Nelson: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher Explore the first comprehensive retrospective of iconic American designer George Nelson, whose oeuvre includes the Marshmallow Sofa, Pretzel Armchair, and Coconut Chair. 8

Jill Downen: COUNTERPARTS Artist Jill Downen discusses her large sculptural installations of human anatomy with OKCMOA Associate Curator Jennifer Klos.

IN FOCUS @ OKCMOA

15 16

Amy Blakemore: Photographs 1988–2008 See 36 works by nationally acclaimed photographer and Oklahoma native Amy Blakemore.

EGGS a la Mod Put on your fedora and skinny tie and join the Museum this February for the 27th annual Omelette Party.

Senior Outreach Program Launched Young at heART, a new education initiative, extends the Museum’s reach beyond it’s walls and into senior living and activity centers.

Mission The Oklahoma City Museum of Art enriches lives through the visual arts.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Executive Staff Glen Gentele, President & CEO Rodney Lee, Finance Director Jack Madden, Facility Operations Director

Editorial Staff Alison Amick, Curator for Collections Chandra Boyd, Senior Associate Curator of Education Jim Eastep, Senior Development Officer Nicole Emmons, Editor & Publications Coordinator Brian Hearn, Film Curator Jennifer Klos, Associate Curator Leslie A. Spears, Communications Manager

Board of Trustees Officers Elby J. Beal, Chairman Frank D. Hill, Immediate Past Chairman Frank W. Merrick, Chairman-Elect Suzette Hatfield, Vice-Chairman Leslie S. Hudson, Vice-Chairman Duke R. Ligon, Vice-Chairman Judy M. Love, Vice-Chairman Virginia A. Meade, Vice-Chairman Peter B. Delaney, Treasurer John R. Bozalis, M.D., Secretary Frank W. McPherson J. Edward Barth *James C. Meade Katy Boren *Charles E. Nelson William M. Cameron Cynda C. Ottaway Teresa L. Cooper Christopher P. Reen Theodore M. Elam Marianne Rooney *Nancy Payne Ellis Robert J. Ross *Shirley Ford Amalia Miranda Silverstein, M.D. Preston G. Gaddis Darryl G. Smette David T. Greenwell Jeanne Hoffman Smith Julie Hall Denise Suttles Kirk Hammons Jordan Tang, Ph.D. K. Blake Hoenig Lyndon C. Taylor The Honorable Jerome A. Holmes Wanda Otey Westheimer Joe M. Howell, D.V.M. Charles E. Wiggin Willa D. Johnson Marsha N. Wooden Penny M. McCaleb Katie McClendon *Lifetime Trustee

Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center 415 Couch Drive Oklahoma City, OK 73102 (405) 236-3100 Fax: (405) 236-3122 www.okcmoa.com Readers’ comments are welcome. E-mail nemmons@okcmoa.com. Requests for permission to reprint any material appearing in this publication should be sent to the address above.

Dear Members and Friends: I hope you have been enjoying the Holiday Season and that your New Year’s celebration was smashing! Thank you for the great support you have offered the Museum over the years. Your friendship is deeply appreciated. There are several important dates I want to share with you for upcoming programs at the Museum over the next several months. Read about each of the programs and more in this issue of CONNECT. January 20, 2011 Art After 5PM Book launch party for MJ Alexander’s newest publication Portrait of a Generation, The Children of Oklahoma, Sons and Daughters of the Red Earth February 2, 2011 Exhibition Preview Opening George Nelson: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher (1st floor temporary exhibition gallery) Organized by the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany Exhibition Preview Opening NEW FRONTIERS: Jill Downen: COUNTERPARTS (3rd floor gallery) Exhibition Preview Dual Lectures Join us in the Noble Theater and hear from the curator of the George Nelson exhibition and from NEW FRONTIERS artist Jill Downen. Dual lectures are modified to pack in the information and keep it short in duration—less than 60 minutes total. Then have a refreshing drink and enjoy the galleries.

February 17, 2011 Art Arter 5PM During the cooler months, when the roof terrace is closed, the Museum opens for Art After 5PM on the third Thursday of the month (November–April) from 5–8:30 p.m. February 27, 2011 The Omelette Party! This year’s event, titled EGGS a la MOD, will be mid-20th century cool design and style! March 17, 2011 Exhibition Preview Opening Amy Blakemore: Photographs 1988–2008 (2nd floor gallery) Organized by the Museum of Fine Arts Houston Art After 5PM During the cooler months, when the roof terrace is closed, the Museum opens for Art After 5PM on the third Thursday of the month (November–April) from 5–8:30 p.m.

February 16, 2011 James C. Meade Friends’ Lecture Series Robert Wittman, former FBI agent and New York Times best-selling author, talks about his new book Priceless. This is going to be fascinating. Who doesn’t want to learn more about saving the world’s cultural treasures and the person directly linked to overseeing such initiatives? As always, the Noble Theater, Museum School, Museum Cafe, and Museum Store offer an ongoing selection of the finest in film programming, educational opportunities, cuisine, and fun gift options to share with friends and loved ones throughout the year. Enjoy the cultural/social mix at OKCMOA and meet new friends. Again, best wishes from all us at the Museum, and may your steps in the New Year bring you closer to your dreams. I look forward to seeing you soon! Sincerely,

On the Cover: Pretzel Armchair, 1952. Photo: Vitra Design Museum Archive

Glen Gentele, President & CEO

CONNECT | Vol. 2011, Issue 1

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George Nelson: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher Storagewall, published in Life magazine, 1945 Photo: Vitra Design Museum Archive

George

nelson

February 3–May 8, 2011 By Jennifer Klos, associate curator

Architect | Writer | Designer | Teacher George Nelson is considered one of the most influential American mid-twentieth century designers. Trained as an architect and best known for his furniture designs, Nelson conceived entirely new lifestyles and through his writings, became one of the most significant voices on American design. George Nelson: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher, an exhibition organized by the Vitra Design Museum, reflects Nelson’s varied career through its display of architectural models, furniture, decorative arts, graphic design, photographs, catalogues, clocks, lamps, and accessories. Drawing from the holdings at the Vitra Design Museum Archive, the comprehensive exhibition reflects George Nelson’s extensive 50-year career. George Nelson pioneered innovative concepts of the modern single family home during the 1940s and ’50s through architecture and writings. Nelson received his architecture degree from Yale University in 1928, and by 1936, he started an architectural practice with William Hamby in New York. In 1941, with Hamby, Nelson designed one of the first modern townhouses for airplane builder Sherman Fairchild at 17 East 65th Street. Nelson wrote about his theories of modern living as a contributor to Fortune and Architectural Forum magazines, in which he introduced a groundbreaking concept called the Storagewall. The walls of a house could be used to store items by transforming them into floor-to-ceiling, two sided cabinets. Later published in Life magazine and also outlined in the “Organized Storage” chapter in his bestselling book Tomorrow’s House in 1944, the Storagewall was a revolutionary idea at the time that anticipated the flood of consumer goods from the economic growth and new markets of the postwar period. Furniture for the domestic interior needed to be high-quality, modern, efficient, and “honest” in the integration of the home. Each of George Nelson’s furniture items reflect unique qualities of their style, shape, function, and materials. Nelson’s first collection for furniture manufacturer Herman Miller, which he began working for in 1945, included the Platform Bench (1945), a piece of furniture, quite architectural in form that he had designed for his office at Fortune “to create a surface sufficiently uncomfortable to induce visitors to leave in twenty minutes or less.” Ironically, visitors were able to sit on the bench longer than twenty minutes, and the Platform Bench still enjoys success today. Nelson looked to different materials. He went on to design a variety of items, from the Rosewood Case Group (1952–7), considered luxurious in the choice of the rare rosewood, to

the more affordable Steelframe Case Group (1954), taking advantage of postwar availability of metal. Nelson also utilized molded plywood techniques introduced by the Eames Office in creating the Pretzel Armchair (1952), a unique chair made out of bent wood that was inspired by the Thonet chairs of the nineteenth century. Influenced by the postwar emphasis of the Space Age and a science fiction aesthetic, Nelson and his associates introduced chairs that utilized a playful approach to designing the shape of an item. Nelson once stated, “When the walls disappear, the only place left for furniture is out in the open. Hence, the silhouette becomes important.” In 1956, George Nelson and design associate George Mulhauser introduced the Coconut Chair, whose iconic silhouette has shaped its successful history. The chair resembles part of a coconut shell, integrating the seat, back, and arms in one unified piece. The chair’s memorable shape evoked an easy-going type of seating for the spontaneous lifestyle of the 1950s and 1960s. Nelson introduced another unique item in 1956—the Marshmallow Sofa. Identified by its brightly colored disks for the back and seat cushions, the sofa reflects the pop art movement of the period and became an icon of mid-century modern design. Although intentionally meant to be a mass-produced, inexpensive item,

Marshmallow Sofa, 1956 Photo: Vitra Design Museum Archive

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the sofa required extensive hand labor to create its brightly colored seat cushions made of foam with Naugahyde covering, making it more of a luxury item. Due to their unique silhouettes, the Coconut Chair and Marshmallow Sofa have reemerged as popular items in today’s design. In addition to these chairs, used for both residential and commercial spaces, George Nelson developed innovative items for the modern office environment. Prior to World War II, prominent designers had not had the opportunity to realize large office spaces; the focus had been on residential architecture and the domestic interior. When Nelson joined Herman Miller, he revolutionized the modern workstation with the introduction of the L-shaped desk as part of Herman Miller’s Executive Office Group (EOG) in 1949. Nelson continued to analyze what was needed in the design of office furniture, which can be seen in the collections of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1964, the Nelson office collaborated with the Herman Miller Research Corporation to create the Action Office 1, a fundamentally different work space that addressed the physical and psychological needs of the office worker. Highlights included the Roll-top High Desk, the Perch Stool, a separate telephone table for privacy, and freestanding shelves. In 1977, Nelson introduced the Workspaces, a furniture system that allowed for individuality of each worker to adapt his or her space for comfort and efficiency. Over thirty years, Nelson transformed the way architects and designers conceptualized the office workplace. The extraordinary diversity of George Nelson’s projects extended beyond furniture design. He established his own firm, George Nelson & Company, in 1947 and ran it for more than three decades. Along with exhibitions, restaurant interiors, and showrooms, George Nelson & Company designed kitchens, flatware and dishes, record players and speakers, birdhouses and weather vanes, computers and typewriters, company logos and packaging, rugs and tiles. He handpicked his own

Design for gas stations by Kerr-McGee, Oklahoma City, 1969. Photo: Vitra Design Museum Archive

George Nelson & Kerr-McGee Did you know that George Nelson has ties to Oklahoma City? The Kerr-McGee Corporation commissioned Nelson’s firm to create the design of its gas stations in the late 1960s. The ceiling of the gas station was intended to provide protection and at the same time to create a brand identity. This was supposed to make the colorful signposts typical of gas stations superfluous.

associates and gave them the freedom to work independently on his designs for furniture, graphics, clocks, lamps, and interiors. The wide-ranging abilities of George Nelson culminated in the organization and design of the American National Exhibition held in Moscow in 1959. Nelson and his associates selected several hundred industrial products manufactured by American companies and displayed them on a vast, three-dimensional, multi-level platform created especially for the exhibition. He also furnished a “model apartment” and fabricated a large fiberglass umbrella for two other modular exhibition pavilions. The Moscow exhibition made history as the backdrop for the famous “Kitchen Debate” between Nixon and Khrushchev. The American National Exhibition revealed to the world the innovation and evolution of American design. George Nelson was one of the most important thinkers and visionaries in the realm of twentieth-century design. He designed buildings and furniture, wrote books and articles, and lectured on important topics of urban planning, consumerism, and aesthetic perception in Western society. Nelson revolutionized the modern house as well as the office work space, creating items that were beautiful, efficient, and still relevant to modern living. Nelson’s analytical eye and his practical application of form and function make his work valid to the past, present, and future history of design. Article content taken from the George Nelson exhibition catalogue. An exhibition of the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany. This exhibition has been generously sponsored by Herman Miller.

George Nelson in the Herman Miller advertisement “Traveling Men,” ca. 1954 Photo: Vitra Design Museum Archive

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Architect

George Nelson earned an architecture degree from Yale University in 1928 and a B.F.A. with honors from the Yale School of Fine Arts in 1931.

Writer

George Nelson wrote a total of 9 books and over 50 articles on architecture, design, and modern living.

No design can exist in isolation. It is always related, sometimes in very complex ways, to an entire constellation of influencing situations and attitudes. What we call a good design is one which achieves integrity—that is, unity or wholeness—in balanced relation to its environment. The reason good design is hard to come by is that its creation demands a high degree of emotional and intellectual maturity in the designer, and such people are not found too often. —George Nelson

Designer

In 1945, D.J. De Pree, director of Herman Miller furniture company, hired George Nelson, who later became design director, a position created especially for him.

Teacher

Upon graduating from Yale in 1931, George Nelson began a teaching career only to be laid off at the beginning of the Depression. He later taught at Columbia University during World War II.

George nelson Upcoming Events Exhibition Lecture “George Nelson: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher” and “Jill Downen: COUNTERPARTS,” featuring VDM curator Jochen Eisenbrand and artist Jill Downen Wednesday, February 2, 5:30 pm WINTER Teacher Workshop Thursday, February 24, 5–8 pm Family Day Featuring George Nelson: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher and Jill Downen: COUNTERPARTS Saturday, February 26, 12–4 pm Last Call Thursday, May 5, 5–8 pm KIDesign Introduction to architecture and design for 1st through 6th grade children. Saturday, April 16, Noon–4 pm For a complete listing of programs, visit the Museum’s Web site okcmoa.com

Ball Clock, 1948 Photo: Vitra Design Museum Archive

SEASON SPONSORS PRESENTING SEASON SPONSOR

Inasmuch Foundation LEADING SEASON SPONSORS

Allied Arts Foundation Chesapeake Energy Corporation Devon Energy Corporation | OGE Corporation Oklahoma Arts Council SUPPORTING SEASON SPONSORS

Crawley Petroleum E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation Kirkpatrick Foundation | MidFirst Bank SandRidge Energy, Inc. CONTRIBUTING SEASON SPONSORS

Cox Oklahoma | GlobalHealth | The Oklahoman Thatcher Hoffman Smith Film Endowment EDUCATION SPONSORS

Sarkeys Foundation and Sonic, America’s Drive-In Arts Education Endowments Oklahoma Community Service Commission George Nelson: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher Exhibition Sponsor

Oklahoma Humanities Council

CONNECT | Vol. 2011, Issue 1

Jill Downen: counterparts

NEW FRONTIERS: Series for Contemporary Art | February 3–May 8, 2011 Jill Downen in her studio. Photo by Charles Schwall.

Jill Downen is a working artist and a 2010 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow. She is best known for her large-scale installations that focus on the relationship between the human body and architecture. Jill Downen: COUNTERPARTS exhibits approximately ten architectural sculptures combining human anatomy with the constructed environment. These large plaster and foam forms hug the walls and floors and fill the gallery space, looking much like a construction zone of the human body, with objects such as building blocks in the shape of breasts and joists supporting sagging folds of skin-like sculptures. Associate Curator Jennifer Klos discusses the development of this unique exhibition, from concept to installation, and what that means for the artist. JENNIFER KLOS: Tell me a little about your artistic training and what you are creating for your exhibition in Oklahoma City. JILL DOWNEN: My background is in painting. In my early years, my plan was to be a painter. I studied at the Kansas City Art Institute and earned my BFA in painting and printmaking. I went into the work force for 10 years; I kept painting and during that time interesting things happened. The language of painting became exhaustive for my concepts. What I was trying to say no longer worked visually in the confines of canvas and paint. I started building forms that looked like the forms in the paintings. In my paintings, which were abstract, spaces were based on architectural floor plans and sacred spaces from around the world. The process of leaving painting behind and turning to sculpture took about five years. I started graduate school in 1999 at Washington University in St. Louis and earned an MFA in sculpture, with some minor studies in architecture. For the Museum’s NEW FRONTIERS exhibit, I am creating a site-specific installation that concerns the symbiotic relationship between architecture and the human body. The title of the show is

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COUNTERPARTS. The exhibit will offer viewers an immersive experience with a place of ideas about the body and architecture, temporality and permanence, the material and immaterial. In the gallery, a counterpart—or an element—is going to work in conjunction with other multiple elements to balance and counter balance the total space. JK: Were you interested in color in your paintings or have you always used white-on-white tones? How do you see white as being an important part of your work? JD: I was interested in color in so far as it could communicate a sense of light and a sense of place. In my formative years, I made a body of work in painting and printmaking that utilized a range of white tones, and when I started sculpting, I was still using color. In 2003, I started dealing with specific characteristics of exhibition spaces. I changed my color palette to match each particular space. It would be incorrect to say my art doesn’t have color. There is an intimate range of color that appears when the human eye perceives light in my installation art. Light and shadow, as well as temperature and time of day, are all factors that give my work a strong sense of color. I see the use of white materials, like plaster and paint, as defining the space with subtlety. I’m asking viewers to open themselves up to a new way of seeing and thinking. Within a narrow range of light, the human eye and mind will have to adjust to perceive contours of form and spatial relationships in an uncommon way. A narrow color range also alters perception. The act of looking at the art changes one’s experience of time due to a period of adjustment. In my practice, there is a certain threshold that gets crossed where language becomes insufficient, and you have to acknowledge that the work itself is a language. Sometimes, I think in images and spatial relationships, as opposed to language. It’s a way of thinking, and I’m trying to make that visible in the art.

JK: What would you say is your strongest influence, past or present? JD: My strongest influence has been my parents. My father is a master craftsman and sign painter, and my mother is a registered psychiatric nurse; they are both retired. From my father, I learned spatial thinking and the joy of making things or crafting form. From both my parents, I’ve learned how to see and look at the world around me with curiosity. Creativity was always fostered and supported in my family. That combination is at the core my artistic identity. Today, the concepts drive the art—the questions that are central within the studio concern the symbiotic relationship between architecture and the human body. I’m always posing questions and trying to understand “What is a body?” and “What is a building?” and how their interdependent relationship creates understanding of who we are in the world. JK: What is your creative process, and how do you proceed from concept to installation? JD: The process begins with a site visit and time to pose questions such as, “What is this space about? What is happening in this place? How does a person enter, exit, and experience the space?” I also shoot video and make drawings in the empty exhibition space. Back in my studio, I use black and white Xeroxes from photographs of the gallery. On the Xeroxes, I draw geometric construction lines similar to those used in architectural renderings. The drawing process helps me understand the space’s volume and how that capacity is demarcated within the gallery. Within a three-dimensional scale model, I place small plaster maquettes as stand-ins for the actual sculptures. I have a larger model situated on the floor like a map. I move the maquettes frequently, as I consider scale and how sculptures might fit in the space. It is a process of moving forms as if they’re elements of a language that are continually changing. From the drawings on the wall to the physical objects themselves, everything is laid out in the studio. It’s a very nonlinear and physical process. I enjoy organizing and using spatial thinking skills to problem solve. It’s one current that runs through my work, which is why I’m now making large-scale installation art instead of paintings. There’s a challenge to dealing with something much larger than your own body that heightens understanding about space and how we exist in space.

My use of plaster goes back to the influence of the architecture of my childhood home, which had old plaster walls. There is a sensuality to working with plaster. Every phase—from mixing to pouring, forming to sanding —is much like interacting with skin. It actually puts off heat when it’s setting up, and it’s a beautiful, pliable substance to work with. I would say 95 percent of my work is hand-shaped. A few elements are cast, but they are combined with the carved sculptures to form hybrids. During the sculpting process, energy from my body goes directly into the art, much in the way energy from a construction worker would get transferred directly into the infrastructure of the built environment. When you see the work in person, it is evident that every surface has been touched multiple times. JK: How do you decide which parts of the body you want to represent? JD: Decisions are directed by concepts, intuition, and by trial and error. I make a lot of work and test pieces; then I edit. Sometimes the creative process itself gives me the answer. The magnified scale of the body to that of architecture is abstracted. A sculptural element may feel like any concave or convex area of the body, or it may be so abstract that you cannot be sure where it’s located on the body. In the art, the topography of muscles, skin, and bones gives a sense that you are on the surface of the body somewhere.

continued on page 11

JK: How do you determine the size or scale of your sculptures? JD: I consider how the human body moves through architectural space. Whenever I’m conceiving a show, the human body—its height, its orientation in space, and how it moves through architecture—is at the focus of the work. In terms of architectural scale, the bodily forms can be magnified so that they make the viewer feel like they are in an open, vast space. I’m also very aware of where the viewer is inclined to move or look—the walls, the floors, the ceiling, a corner or edge—and what might attract them to different points within the exhibition space. For the NEW FRONTIERS exhibit, I’m approaching the Museum’s gallery as a volume of space in which viewers will move and interact with various forms, pockets of density, and open space. JK: Could you tell me about the materials you use to create your forms? JD: The installation is one total unity. Even though it’s made up of zones, different materials and objects, all of those come together to create one total volume. Some of the materials are typical for construction. When viewers walk into the space, they’re going to see lumber structures and hand-fabricated plaster forms. The plaster forms have central cores made of EPS foam or polystyrene, which comes in different densities. The polystyrene that I use is construction grade; it is typically used in buildings for insulation. Working studio floor model of Jill Downen: COUNTERPARTS. Photo by Charles Schwall.

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SHOP THE STORE FIND UNIQUE TREASURES THAT ARE TRULY WORKS OF ART Shibui Art Folders

Shibui Folders meld the utility of classic folders with a beauty and quality that quietly command attention. Made of durable and recyclable polypropylene, they are sturdy enough to use for years and attractive enough that you’ll want to. A vast improvement over pocket folders and manila envelopes, Shibui Folders feature exquisite designs from classic artworks that get noticed and deliver your message, while also bringing beauty and enjoyment to everyday life. Single folders come in two different sizes, and selected items come in packs of four. Prices: $4.95–$16.95

George Nelson Clocks from Vitra Design

With the diversity of materials used and their sculptural shapes, George Nelson’s clocks embody the joie de vivre of the 1950s. To this day, his wall clocks remain a refreshing alternative to the usual timekeepers. The Vitra Design Museum presents a re-edition of the designs so cherished by collectors, in true to the original form. These stylish modern wall clocks are perfect for living rooms, home office spaces, family areas, kitchens, or the office. The George Nelson clocks will create an attractive and decorative focal point, and best of all, they will never go out of style. Prices Vary

Miniatures Collection from Vitra Design

The Miniatures Collection presents the most important classics of modern furniture history in miniature. The construction, materials, and colors correspond to the historical Vitra Design Museum collection original, right down to the last detail. Because they are so true to the originals, the miniatures are not only valuable collector’s items but also ideal illustrative materials for universities, colleges of design, and architects. The Miniatures Collection is unique worldwide. With many to choose from, stop by or give us a call to get your very own limited collectors item today. Prices Vary

Ercolano Art Music Box

Monday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday Noon – 5 p.m. (405) 278-8233 | shop.okcmoa.com SHOP ONLINE NOW!

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Beginning in the 1940s, Ercolano has produced elegant, timeless music boxes that display some of the most prestigious and famous paintings in the world, including works from Monet, Klimt, and Van Gogh. Inside you’ll find that each one is lined with plush velvet for jewelry and starts playing a beautiful melody upon opening. Each box is hand made with genuine mahogany and subjected to a highly skilled three-step coating process, which completely protects it from the elements and insures its everlasting collectability. Price: $142.95

In the Galleries

George Nelson Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher February 3–May 8, 2011, 1st Floor

Jill Downen working from Xerox copies of the Museum’s gallery space in her studio. Photo by Charles Schwall.

There may be forms that have a sense of gender that will be counter balanced by something else, so in terms of masculine and feminine, you are going to see both present in the work. Aspects of the body combine to blur boundaries.

Jill Downen: COUNTERPARTS February 3–May 8, 2011, 3rd Floor

JK: Can you tell us a little about your idea of time and decay in relationship to the human body and architecture? JD: Ideas of time and temporality permeate the installation. Buildings are like bodies, and bodies are like buildings because they are affected by time, space, and gravity. What is interesting to me is that a single work of architecture will outlive a human being many times over. If I handed you a brick and you lifted it to get a sense of its weight and strength, then I asked you what’s more important—a brick or a human being—obviously the answer is a human being. Yet that brick, when used to construct a building, endures and outlasts the life of one human being. It’s such an odd contrast. So when I look at buildings, which provide protection for our fragile bodies, architecture becomes a second skin, one that will decay if we don’t care for it. It’s a symbiotic relationship. A broader question of mortality and the search for permanence arises—what is permanent? If my body is not unchanging and everything that I can see and touch is concrete but isn’t permanent, then what is?

Highlights from the Oklahoma Art League Collection On View, 2nd Floor

JK: How do you feel, as an artist, about making these installations that are not permanent? JD: Temporality undergirds our fast paced culture. My installations offer audiences an opportunity to experience something that will heighten awareness of their own bodies as well as space, time, and the nature of temporality. I feel that the nonpermanent installation sets up the parameters for what can be communicated about permanence. Within COUNTERPARTS, everything is part of a visual-spatial language that creates a place for consideration and reflection. The show is going to have a shadow of indeterminacy. It’s going to be very open-ended and dialectic. People will have an opportunity to experience it, and then the installation will go away. What will remain is the experience, settled in people’s memories. This interview was held on November 11, 2010. Jill Downen: COUNTERPARTS is the third installment of the NEW FRONTIERS: Series for Contemporary Art. Organized by the Museum, the series presents the work of individual contemporary artists and current perspectives in the field. NEW FRONTIERS was created to provide a framework for the exchange of ideas between the Museum, artists, and the community. It connects the Museum to the international dialogue on contemporary art and emphasize the importance of the art-of-our-time as a critical and dynamic part of our daily lives.

Alfonso Ossorio Gifts from the Ossorio Foundation On View, 2nd Floor

Amy Blakemore: Photographs 1988–2008 March 17–June 19, 2011, 3rd Floor CONNECT | Vol. 2011, Issue 1

In focus @ OKCMOA RENAISSANCE BALL 2010

The 35th annual Renaissance Ball was held on Friday, September 10 at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. The ball was inspired by the Museum’s exhibition La Serenissima: Eighteenth-Century Venetian Art from North American Collections. It was chaired by Karen & Peter Delaney and honored Jeanne Hoffman Smith, longtime supporter, trustee, and friend of the Museum. Marianne & Pat Rooney and Heather & Bob Ross served as sponsorship chairs.

EDUCATION OUTREACH

Chandra Boyd assists students at Educare.

Co-chairs Peter and Karen Delaney.

Honorary chairwoman Jeanne Hoffman Smith with daughter Victoria Eaton and OKCMOA president, Glen Gentele.

Senior Outreach with the Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department.

Jim Vallion of Trochta’s Flowers transformed the dining hall at the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club.

Jerry Saltz lecture In October, New York Magazine Senior Art Critic Jerry Saltz presented “The Good, the Bad, and the Very Bad: A Year in the Life of an Art Critic” at the Museum.

la serenissima & hils Openings

Jerry Saltz during his lecture.

Sam Blackstock with Ray and Margo von Schlageter

Frank Wick , Jonathan Hils, Liz Rodda, and Glen Gentele.

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Jerry Saltz encourages Whitney Cross to give her thumbs up!

Truitt dedication On October 19, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art dedicated two major works of art by American artist Anne Truitt. The Sea, The Sea (2003) and Memory (1981) were purchased with funds from the Kirkpatrick Family Fund and the Kirkpatrick Foundation in honor of the philanthropic work of Joan Kirkpatrick, who died in 2009. The pieces are on view in the Museum’s third floor galleries.

JAMES C. Meade lecture “A Celebration of Friends” lecture was held on November 10 and presented by the Friends founder James C. Meade in the Noble Theater.

Curator for Collections Alison Amick introduces James Meade.

OKCMOA staff Chandra Boyd, Nicole Emmons, and Alison Amick chat with Chris Keesee.

The Meade family attended the lecture.

FAMILY DAY

Chuck & Lynda Nelson with Frank Hill.

OKCMOA fall Family Day was held Saturday, November 6.

ART on TAP The 7th annual ARTonTAP was held October 8. More than 700 people enjoyed different beers alongside great food, music by Born in November, and of course, the fabulous artwork on display in the galleries. Patrons mingled in the Museum’s lobbies and mixed on the roof top at the Stella Artois Roof Terrace Beer Garden. Text

J.D. Merryweather and the Coop Ale Works crew. People enjoyed dancing on the roof terrace to the music of Born in November.

More than 80 different beers were sampled.

Enjoying the roof terrace are (front L-R) Haley Gremillion, Alex and Collin Corp, (back L-R) Hayden Tobey, Bryon Chambers, and Ben Gremillion.

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Eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DAY R VALENTIN MAKE YOU ONS! THE RESERVATI BE OPEN CAFE WILL MUSEUM Y 14 R A U BR MONDAY, FE

JANUARY 20 february 17 MARCH 17 april 21 $5 AFTER 5PM

Galleries & Museum Store open until 8:30pm

$1.50 LONGNECKS

Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Select, Michelob Ultra

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Amy Blakemore Photographs 1988–2008

First Mid-Career Survey of Nationally Acclaimed Photographer and Oklahoma Native Opens March 17, 2011, with Art After 5PM Houston-based Amy Blakemore takes photographs in order to explore the ways in which memory both records and transforms visual information. Employing the camera as subjective tool, Blakemore has compared the activity of photography to the process of gathering broken bits and lost objects discovered serendipitously during long walks. “Instead of picking up stuff,” she states, “I leave with a flat, squared-off record of things and people in space.” Amy Blakemore: Photographs 1988–2008, on view at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, from March 17 to June 19, 2011, surveys Blakemore’s mature career with a carefully distilled selection of 36 works, ranging from early black-and-white street photographs to her lushly colored portraits and landscapes. “There is an alluring, haunting, presence in Amy Blakemore’s photographs; a combined sense of immediacy and distance that is persistent and paradoxically transitory,” said Glen Gentele, OKCMOA president and CEO. “It is a great pleasure to present this illuminating exhibition of her work at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.” Blakemore was originally trained in documentary traditions. In the mid 1980s, she embraced the highly idiosyncratic Diana camera, black-and-white film, and the informal format and compositions of snap-shot photographs. At the same time, however, she brought to her practice a rigorous sense of composition and masterful printing techniques, drawing a nuanced range of tones and an exceptional degree of resolution from her negatives. In the mid 1990s, she made the transition to color work through a series of highly abstract landscapes, incorporating elements of the land, sea, and sky. By the end of the decade, a series of family portraits and views of her native Tulsa introduced a new element of intimacy into her work. Blakemore’s

most recent photographs concentrate again on the figure—whether randomly captured or formally posed. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1958, Blakemore received dual undergraduate degrees in psychology and art from Drury College (now Drury University), Springfield, Missouri, and an MFA in photography from the University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated in 1985. She spent the next two years as an artist-in-residence in the MFAH’s celebrated Core Program and joined the faculty of the museum’s Glassell School of Art in 1986. Recently the focus of solo exhibitions at Inman Gallery, Houston, and the Pingyao International Photography Festival, Blakemore was also featured in the 2006 Whitney Biennial, Day for Night, and the Contemporary Art Museum Houston’s Nexus/Texas in 2007. A fully illustrated catalogue, titled Amy Blakemore: Photographs 1988–2008, accompanies this exhibition. The book includes essays by Alison de Lima Greene, MFAH curator of art and special projects; Anne Wilkes Tucker, the Gus and Lyndall Wortham Curator of Photography at the MFAH; Chrissie Iles, curator, the Whitney Museum of American Art; and Marisa Sánchez, assistant curator of contemporary art at the Seattle Art Museum. Amy Blakemore: Photographs 1988–2008 has been organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Images: Top left: Amy Blakemore (American, b. 1958). Jill in Woods, 2005. Chromogenic photograph. Courtesy of the artist and Inman Gallery, Houston Top right: Amy Blakemore (American, b. 1958). Steph, 1995. Chromogenic photograph. Courtesy of the artist and Inman Gallery, Houston

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New Senior Outreach Program launched Encourages learning at every age In its commitment to reach beyond the walls of the Museum, OKCMOA recently strengthened community outreach projects for senior adults with Young at heART senior days and visits to senior living and activity centers. During the pilot phase of the senior community outreach program in 2008, there were 25 site visits made by education staff to senior centers throughout Oklahoma City. More than 630 people benefited from this opportunity, including 242 adults who visited the Museum for group tours with the generous support of the Oklahoma City Clinic and GlobalHealth, Inc. This past summer, working in partnership with the City of Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department, OKCMOA offered a senior day at the Museum for 52 adults, who enjoyed a private tour of Sketch to Screen: The Art of Hollywood Costume Design. Following this, education staff provided costume design activities for participants at Woodson Senior Activity Center. “Ideally, a visit to the center is the best way to build the relationships. Approaching individuals in their own environment is more welcoming and recognizes their value to the community,” said Chandra Boyd, senior associate curator of education. The Museum’s goal is to provide ongoing, monthly programs for senior adults with activities tailored to their ability level. Museum visits typically include a multimedia presentation, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the Museum and its exhibitions, as well as art-making activities that engage participants and stimulate their creativity. “While connecting seniors to the Museum was the initial motivation for the program, there was an eagerness on the part of staff to honor

their life experience and engage them with others in the community, while broadening their understanding and appreciation for the visual arts,” continued Boyd. “The program is designed to enhance socialization and stimulate learning, which ultimately improves one’s overall well being and quality of life.” With the support of the Oklahoma Community Service Commission, the Museum appointed Sheila Hallett this past fall as a full-time AmeriCorps Member dedicated to developing, implementing, and expanding community programs that broaden the public’s access to the arts. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Oklahoma and experience working with community arts programs for the Arts Council of Oklahoma City, Hallett brings her shared knowledge and a fresh perspective on the Museum’s outreach efforts. Most recently, Hallett contacted a number of senior living centers throughout the metro area and organized a senior day at the Museum in conjunction with the exhibition La Serenissima: Eighteenth-Century Venetian Art from North American Collections. Those who attended enjoyed a performance by Elizabeth Lyon from the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, visits with Museum curators, a guided tour, and refreshments while hearing about upcoming exhibitions.

“It was a wonderful experience for the seniors! We felt really special that the Museum staff was available to us.” Following the senior day, Hallett took a painting lesson to the Woodson Senior Activity Center. “I wanted to visit Woodson shortly after their tour of the Museum, while the exhibits were fresh on their minds, especially the view paintings in La Serenissima: Eighteenth-Century Venetian Art from North American Collections,” commented Hallett. Working in their choice of watercolor, acrylic, or oils, participants created a landscape using atmospheric perspective. “I found that many of them had never worked with watercolors and were excited to have the opportunity to learn.”

“[This was a] new experience for me. [It] forced me to try something I never did before.” “I am excited to see this program grow and look forward to planning many more activities and events for senior adults,” added Hallett. To find out more about the Museum’s community outreach programs or to schedule a program for your organization, call (405) 2363100, ext. 221.

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James C. Meade Friends’ Lecture OKCMOA Welcomes New York Times Best-Selling Author and Former FBI Agent Robert K. Wittman

TINY TUESDAYS

DROP-IN STYLE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Starting last September, the Museum kicked off a new monthly program for families. Tiny Tuesdays typically occurs the third Tuesday of each month, during the school year from 10 a.m. to noon, and features open-ended art-making with projects geared towards young children, ages 2 to 5, and their parents or caregivers. This “dropin” style program encourages families to create together, to explore and experiment with a variety of art media, and to enhance their understanding of artworks in the Museum. “Giving children an opportunity to create at an early age is important to me as I consider art to be a child’s first written language. From the first scribble to a first still life, it is a process,” says teaching artist Erin Oldfield. “I am excited to be a part of watching children learn and grow by way of imagination.” Since beginning last fall, nearly 100 children and adults have taken part in these fun activities that have featured projects such as Shapes in Venice and Warm Colors. Tiny Tuesdays rounds out the Museum’s wide variety of family programs, which includes Drop-in Art and Gallery Stories. In addition, families are encouraged to check out a Discovery Pack and family guide for a fun-filled, self-guided tour of the galleries. Family programs at OKCMOA are free with paid Museum admission: $12 for adults; $10 for seniors, students, and children, ages 6-18; and $5 for military. Children, ages 5 and under, and Museum members receive free admission. For more information, call (405) 2363100 or visit us online at www.okcmoa.com.

On Wednesday, February 16, 2011, 6:30 p.m., the James C. Meade Friends’ Lecture Series welcomes Robert Wittman, best-selling author of Priceless—How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures and the former senior investigator and founder of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Art Crime Team. Mr. Wittman joined the FBI as a special agent in 1988 and was assigned to the Philadelphia Field Division. As a result of specialized training in art, antiques, jewelry and gem identification, he served as the FBI’s investigative expert in this field. During his 20 year career with the FBI he recovered more that $225 million worth of stolen art and cultural property resulting in the prosecution and conviction of numerous individuals. In 2005, he was instrumental in the creation of the FBI’s rapid deployment Art Crime Team. He was named as the ACT’s senior investigator and instructed the team members in how to conduct cultural property investigations. He has represented the United States around the world conducting investigations and instructing international police and museums in investigation, recovery and security techniques. In his talk, Mr. Wittman pulls back the curtain on his remarkable career as the founder of the FBI’s Art Crime Team. He has worked undercover to catch art thieves, scammers, and black market traders in Paris, Philadelphia, and around the world. By the FBI’s accounting, Wittman saved hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of art and antiquities. He says the statistic isn’t important. After all, who’s to say what is worth more—a Rembrandt self-portrait or an American flag carried into battle? They’re both priceless. In his final case, Wittman called on every bit of knowledge and experience in his arsenal to tackle his greatest challenge: working undercover to track the criminals behind the century’s largest unsolved art crime, the $500-million-dollar theft from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The James C. Meade Friends’ Lecture Series is held in the in the Noble Theater at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Preceding the 6:30 p.m. lecture, Mr. Wittman will be available in the Museum Store to sign copies of his book. Friends’ lectures are free to Museum members at the Friend, Friends, and Sustainer membership levels and are free to students at the college and university level with current ID. Seating is limited to 250, and reservations are recommended. Prices are $5 for general membership levels; $5 for Military; and $10 for nonmembers per ticket. For more information, contact Jim Eastep at 236-3100, ext. 215, or visit tickets.okcmoa.com.

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Your support is invaluable There are many ways to provide support to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Whether it’s through a gift to the Annual Fund, attending a fundraiser, or remembering the Museum in your estate plan, your gift will help ensure that the Museum is able to achieve its ambitious vision and enrich the entire Oklahoma City community. The Museum offers people of all ages access to our nation’s cultural heritage and has a special role in public education, centered on its ability to provide an interactive place to better understand our community, our world, and one another. Your support of this endeavor is crucial. Please help the Museum to fulfill its mission and remain a cultural asset to the community. There are many ways to give to OKCMOA. • Membership • Give to the Annual Fund • Attend a fundraiser through sponsorship or ticket purchase • Corporate Season Sponsorship • Join the Business Partnership Program • Make a Memorial or Tribute Gift • Provide a gift through the Planned Giving Program • Support the Museum with an In-Kind Gift Please accept our deepest gratitude for your continued support and confidence. We look forward to working with current and new friends, as we build for the future. To support the OKCMOA, visit okcmoa.com/ support or call the Development Officer directly at (405) 278-8215.

a la EGGS MOD The Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s 27th annual Omelette Party, Eggs a la MOD, will be held Saturday, February 5, 2011, from 7:00–Midnight, at the Coca-Cola Bricktown Events Center. Eggs a la MOD will feature gourmet omelettes made on-site from OKC’s favorites like Bin73’s Beau Stephenson, Chef Ken Bradford, Lake Hefner Golf Club, The Melting Pot, Museum Cafe, Rococo, VZD’S Restaurant & Club, Catering Chef Darry Carter–61 Hundred Catering, Frank Newcomb, Big Truck Tacos, Mediterranean Deli & Imports, Kaiser’s American Bistro, Park Avenue Grill, and Paseo Grill. The fantastic Omelette Party committee is chaired by Adrienne Nobles and co-chaired by Allen Brown. The event also offers an open bar, live music from The Stars and DJ Brian Smith, and an amazing art raffle featuring over 50 Oklahoma artists. This year’s theme “Eggs a la MOD” is inspired by the Museum’s exhibition George Nelson: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher, opening February 3. The exhibition includes over 120 three-dimensional objects, including examples of mid-century furniture, lamps, clocks, drawings, photographs, architectural models, and films. Chair Adrienne Nobles says, “Nelson’s work certainly provides a lot of inspiration for this year’s Omelette Party committee. Think swank and sophisticated—‘Mad Men’ style!” So put on your fedora and your skinny tie and join us for a fun-filled evening benefitting the Museum! Tickets are $75 in advance and $100 at the door and all proceeds benefit the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s special exhibitions. Tickets can be purchased online at okcmoa.com or by calling 236-3100 ext. 237. For information on sponsorships, please call Whitney Cross at (405) 278-8207. Faberge Eggs Chesapeake Energy Corporation | Devon Energy Corporation Frankfurt Short Bruza Associates | Inasmuch Foundation OGE Corporation Platinum Eggs

Golden Eggs

Shop online! Visit the Museum Store online today.

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Silver Eggs

Charlie Amis & Cheri Gray | American Fire & Safety Co, LLC Betsy & Dub Brunsteter | Lyn & Ted Elam Diane Glenn & Jerry Stickle | Caroline & Durward Hendee Jerome A. Holmes | Mr. & Mrs. James C. Meade | Lea & Michael Morgan National Radio Rentals & Sales/Vicki & Fletcher Williams Ron & Alyce Page—Page Concepts, Inc. Susan Planer Phillips, RE/MAX Metro Group Mr. & Mrs. Mark H. Pierce | Meg Salyer Marjie & Ralph Shadid | Tracey & Joe Shannonhouse Marty & Hoffie Smith | VanStavern Design Group, Inc. | Zahl-Ford

Friends Honor James C. Meade In honor of longtime Friends chairman, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s Friends’ Lecture Series has been named the James C. Meade Friends’ Lecture Series. “This is a unique moment in the Museum’s history,” stated President & CEO Glen Gentele, who made the announcement following Mr. Meade’s lecture, “In Celebration of the Friends,” in November. On this momentous occasion, the Board of Trustees moved to endow the James C. Meade Friends’ Lecture Series and contributed in excess of $80,000 in leadership gifts to the endowment. An additional $25,000 was received from the RecordsJohnston Family Foundation in support of this effort, bringing the endowment to over $105,000. Gifts and pledges to James C. Meade Friends’ Lecture Series Endowment in any amount are welcome and will help continue the excellent work Mr. Meade established over 18 years ago with the first Friends’ lecture. Contact the Museum’s Development Office at (405) 236-3100, ext. 215, at any time to pledge your support.

OKCMOA FACILITY RENTALS

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GREAT SPACES | GREAT ART

Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center 415 Couch Drive | Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Phone Numbers Main: (405) 236-3100 Cafe: (405) 235-6262 Store: (405) 236-3100, ext. 233 Membership: (405) 236-3100, ext. 215 or 200 Adult Tours: (405) 236-3100, ext. 286 School Tours: (405) 236-3100, ext. 213 Facility Rentals: (405) 236-3100, ext. 286 Fax: (405) 236-3122 Toll free: (800) 579-9ART

Museum Hours Tuesday−Saturday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday: 10 a.m.–9 p.m. (May–Oct) Winter Hours: 10 a.m.−8:30 p.m. Third Thursday (Nov−April) Sunday: Noon–5 p.m. Closed Mondays and Major Holidays

General Admission Members: Free | Adults: $12 Seniors (62+): $10 | College Students (with ID): $10 Military (with ID): $5 | Children (ages 6−18): $10 Children (ages five and under): Free Tours (15 or more): $7 per person Senior Tours (15 or more): $6.50 per person School Tours (15 or more): $3 per person Film Admission Members: $5 Adults: $8 Seniors (62+): $6 College Students (with ID): $6 Museum Cafe Sunday Brunch: 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday: 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday: 11 a.m.–10 p.m. (405) 235-6262 (Reservations & Catering)

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For availability, contact Matt Thomas at (405) 236-3100, ext. 286, or e-mail events@okcmoa.com Visit online okcmoa.com

OKCMOA offers docent-guided and self-guided tours to pre-scheduled adult and school groups of 15 or more. Call (405) 236-3100, ext. 286 (adults tours) or ext. 213 (school tours) for details.

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