Tag Archives: modern art

MUSIC AND MODERN ART – AUG 10

Bush in concert and the Battle of the Burger returns to the city. Plus, the Giglio Di Sant Antonio Feast and Modern Art Auction kicks off.

PREYIN’ ON ADAM LEVINE – MARCH 5

Maroon 5 in concert for two nights, plus Charlie Wilson, an awesome Purim event, and an art show! Thirsty Thursday!

Léger: Modern Art and the Metropolis At The Philadelphia Museum Of Art

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This interdisciplinary exhibition will shed new light on the vitally experimental decade of the 1920s in Paris when the great French modernist Fernand Léger (1881-1955) played a leading role in redefining the practice of painting by bringing it into active engagement with the urban environment and modern mass media. This will be the first exhibition to take as its inspiration and focus Léger’s monumental painting The City (1919), a cornerstone of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s collection and a landmark in the history of modern art, placing it in dialogue with the urban art and culture of modernity.

The exhibition will present a core group of Léger’s exceptional paintings on the theme of the city, along with film projections, theater designs, architectural models, and print and advertising designs by the artist and his contemporaries. In a multi-media installation of more than 120 works, including loans from American and European public and private collections, this exhibition will demonstrate the varied strategies through which artists and designers of the European avant-garde, with Léger in the lead, sought to participate in the complexity and excitement of the metropolis. The exhibition will also feature work by Cassandre, Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Theo van Doesburg, Alexandra Exter, Abel Gance, Le Corbusier, Piet Mondrian, Gerald Murphy, Francis Picabia, Man Ray, and many others.

The exhibition runs from October 14, 2013 – January 5, 2014. Click here for more information

The Phillips Collection: Have Cocktails with Renoir

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For a more cultured look at the city, take a trip to popular Dupont Circle to America’s first museum of modern art, the Phillips Collection. Opened in 1921 and housed in the former home of the collection’s founder, Duncan Phillips, the Phillips Collection combines the charm of an intimate, private art institution with awe-inspiring works found typically at larger, government-run galleries (think stumbling upon Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party” while having tea with a friend). 

With priceless modern and impressionist works from both American and European artists, the Phillips Collection houses an impressive permanent collection with several works from Mark Rothko, Georgia O’Keefe, Renoir and van Gogh. The museum also includes works from contemporary, living artists to add to its diverse exhibits. Despite its size, the Phillips Collection seems to always be rotating new special exhibits to accentuate their impressive permanent collection.

Insider Tip: Visit the gallery on the first Thursday of every month for their entertaining, “Phillips After 5” event from 5:00 PM – 8:30 PM. With live jazz, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, as well as gallery lectures and films, this artisanal party attracts young, cultured patrons from around the city looking to enjoy the gallery in a more social atmosphere!

*Note: The Phillips Collection is closed on Mondays and holidays.

AIC Rocks Mummies to Matisse

Majestic lions guard the entrance where a slew of steps will pump up your heart rate and Greek columns will draw your eyes up toward the heavens: The Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) has an entrance that serves as its own destination. But inside, the museum guards treasures that could take weeks (or months) to truly appreciate. Yep, thousands of pieces to gawk over that span over 5,000 years of artistic creations from Africa to around the world, and back again.

This is the art museum for all personalities: classic, modern, kinky, crazy, beautiful and scary – it’s all here. From Van Gogh, Chagall, Matisse and Picasso – there’s enough European Impressionism to tempt the craziest of Thomas Crown affairs. Past Europe, dig into mummies and ancient Egyptian collections like the coffin and mummy of Paankhenamun – dating back from the Dynasty 22 (c. 945–715 B.C.) – no big deal. Far more than just framed pieces and mummies, African masks, Iranian tiles, statues, headbands, photography, jewelry – it’s all here.

Interior and furniture designers tend to freak over the miniature rooms which allow guests to geek out over period rooms from around the globe, like the French Provincial Bedroom of the Louis XV Period of the 18th century.

Bottom line: This is a must see – especially with the Modern Wing addition (only an extra 65,000 feet more to discover!)

The Masterpiece That Is The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

The Guggenheim Museum is one of the most prized buildings and museums in New York City, and is often considered a masterpiece inside and out. Filling the famous rotunda halls with its highly-acclaimed contemporary art permanent collection and exhibitions, the Guggenheim always offers a unique and interactive experience to art.

Picture 25The Guggenheim Museum was integrated during the first half of the 20th century from several private collections. These private collections were so wonderfully different from each other that visitors have the opportunity to enjoy an enormous range of pieces from various historical as well as artistic periods: Mapplethorpe’s 200 finest photographs and objects, the Bohen Foundation’s room-sized film/video art works, and there’s an entire gallery dedicated to Kandinsky. The museum’s diverse and brilliant works reflect the course of modern art from the mid 1800’s to the present day via sculptures to light shows to paintings.

The Guggenheim is now celebrating its fiftieth anniversary in the landmark Frank Lloyd Wright building, with many groundbreaking anniversaries and exhibitions to come.

The Nation’s One and Only Fabric Workshop and Museum

To say that The Fabric Workshop and Museum is one-of-a-kind is an understatement – there is no other museum in the nation of its kind! This is not a textile museum, it’s shocking and thought-provoking with pieces like “Entrails Carpet” and “Restless Nights/Atomic Shroud.” The FWM’s main goal is to show “design excellence in everyday objects,” anPicture 5d by transforming everyday textiles and objects, like carpets and beds, into channels for social commentary, it pushes contemporary art to another level.

The list of artists represented in the permanent gallery is lengthy, ensuring that you will see a variety of distinctive and creative pieces. Many of these artists also have items available exclusively in the Museum Shop, like canvas bags, scarves, napkins, ties, pillows, umbrellas, and t-shirts.

With an appointment, you can visit the construction and print studios, where you’ll see exhibitions of contemporary art, video programs, pieces from the FWM permanent collections and works in progress.

2. FADA LA Art Show 1/20-1/24/10.

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The Fine Arts Dealers Association (FADA) presents the 15th annual LA Art Show. At the venue downtown, there’s over a hundred galleries from all across the world who have come to showcase what’s new and hot in painting, sculpture, photography, video and more. This translates to over 15,000 works from periods as diverse as historical to modern art. To kick off the internationally acclaimed event, there’s an Opening Night Gala and all throughout the weekend there are various events, displays, and activities to get you inspired.

2. Embrace Modern Art with EMBRACE! 12/1-12/31/09

imagesWatch as 17 artists from Denver and around the world transform the Denver Art Museum’s Hamilton Building with installations created specifically for its space.  Experience the “installation insider moments” as artists make the creative decisions required for the works. Take the opportunity to be part of the project, influence the artists, and embrace modern art in the making!

5. ICA Thursdays Free Only This Month 12/4-12/31/09

ICABoston’s newest museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art, opens its doors gratis for one evening a week only in December through Target’s sponsorship of Free Thursday Nights.  Home to a vast array of works from emerging and established artists, the ICA offers patrons an assemblage of outstanding works in all media. The waterfront museum, designed by award-winning architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, is, at once, contemplative and dynamic, mirroring the spirit and sense of the installations housed within.