Helen Keller: The Capitol Sculpture
July 27 - September 27, 2010
The Mobile Museum of Art is the fourth stop on a statewide tour of this exhibit featuring a statue portraying the dramatic moment that Helen Keller was liberated from the “double dungeon of darkness and silence.” The exhibit was designed to raise awareness of Helen Keller and the Foundations that carry on her work – the Helen Keller Birthplace Foundation and the Helen Keller Foundation for Research and Education.
Created by noted sculptor Edward Hlavka, the 1,000-pound bronze statue poised on a base of Sylacauga marble matches one on display in the main hall of the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center in Washington, D.C. The statue depicts the moment in 1887, when Keller’s teacher Anne Sullivan spelled "W-A-T-E-R" into her hand while holding her other hand under a water pump and Keller realized meanings were hidden in the manual alphabet shapes Sullivan had taught her to make.
For the full press release, click here.
Michael Peterson: Evolution / Revolution
July 23 - October 3, 2010
Michael Peterson: Evolution / Revolution is an exhibition of more than 40 wood sculptures by the artist, spanning two decades of artistic development and a growing national reputation. Evolution / Revolution is the first comprehensive look at Peterson’s poetic and highly individual wood sculptures. This exhibition follows his unique trajectory from his early works heavily dictated by the lathe—the tool wood-turners typically use to produce symmetrically shaped objects—to his most current organic abstract forms realized through the mastery of the chainsaw.
Peterson’s work is deeply inspired by the unique environment of the Pacific Northwest, specifically Lopez Island, where he has lived with his wife, Jean, for the past 15 years. He works primarily outdoors, without even a tarp to shield him in inclement weather. He begins with wet chunks of wood, which he carves and hollows using a chainsaw. As the pieces dry, they shrink and warp in unpredictable ways, heightening the grain patterns and creating rich textures. His sculptures speak of birds, stones, wave-tossed driftwood and landscapes, and they quietly emanate a deep sense of spirituality and place.
The exhibition has been made possible by the generous support of the Windgate Charitable Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Windgate Charitable Foundation. It is curated by Michael Monroe and Stefano Catalani.
Michael Peterson Evolution / Revolution is organized by Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, Washington.
For the full press release, click here.
Marian Acker Macpherson: Etcher of Old Mobile
July 23 - September 26, 2010
Born into an established Mobile family, Marian Acker Macpherson (1906-1993) lived her whole life in her native Mobile, except for the years spent attending art school. She grew up and raised her own family of four children in the old LeVert Mansion, which was torn down in 1965, though the adjacent building which housed her studio still stands on Government Street.
When Marian Acker returned to Mobile in the 1920s after three years of art school in Boston, she realized that the historic buildings of Mobile, what she called Old Mobile, were disappearing. So she undertook to record in etchings many of these structures. Subsequently she published reproductions of her etchings in two books: Prints of the Past of Old Mobile (1932) and Etchings of Old Mobile (1938).
After World War II, Marian continued her interest in Old Mobile with the publication of her guidebook Glimpses of Old Mobile (six known editions, 1946-1983), which include the main reproductions of her ink drawings. In her later years, she turned to painting, executing scores of small watercolors of Mobile and environs, as well as Mardi Gras scrolls and illustrated maps of Mobile, Mobile Bay, and Gulf Shores.
This exhibit features as many of her etchings as can be located, as well as a selection of her other works. This exhibition is organized for the Mobile Museum of Art by guest curator Stephen J. Goldfarb.
For the full press release, click here.
Related ProgramsSaturday, August 7, 9 a.m.Historic Walking Tour: Downtown Mobile ( More )Tuesday, August 10, 2 p.m.On Marian Acker Macpherson: A Poetic Record of Our City( More )
Wood Artistry from the Permanent Collection
July 23 - September 26, 2010
The Museum's collection of wood art, developed since the late 1980s, represents the creativity of American and International artists. Many works are always on view in the permanent collection galleries, but it is possible to display only a percentage of the collection at any one time. This exhibition features additional examples by familiar artists, as well as new acquisitions and artists not previously shown.
For the full press release, click here.
