Special Community Preview Day Kicks Off 30 Americans on Oct. 10, 2013
NASHVILLE, TENN. (October 2, 2013)—This fall the Frist Center for the Visual Arts will offer a variety of exciting public programming in conjunction with the exhibition 30 Americans. Highlights include Artist’s Perspective lectures by Hank Willis Thomas and Nina Chanel Abney, two of the artists featured in 30 Americans. Also, in partnership with Vanderbilt University’s Office of Community, Neighborhood, and Government Relations, the Frist Center will host a special three-part lunch and lecture series presented by Vanderbilt professors and guest panelists. Titled “Food for Thought: Visualizing America through Art by African American Artists and Norman Rockwell,” the series will explore issues such as the U.S. civil rights movement and how historical events have shaped visual as well as social culture.
30 Americans, organized and drawn from the acclaimed Rubell Family Collection in Miami, will be on view in the Frist Center’s Ingram Gallery from Oct. 11, 2013 through Jan. 12, 2014. The exhibition includes more than 70 works by 31 emerging and established African American artists working within a variety of mediums, from painting and sculpture to photography and video. For a complete list of exhibitions, see http://www.fristcenter.org.
Public Programs
Thursday, October 10
Community Preview: 30 Americans and Ana Maria Tavares: Deviating Utopias
Noon–9 p.m.
Frist Center for the Visual Arts
RSVP by Monday, Sept. 30, 2013, by calling 615.744.3987 or ”
Celebrate the opening of two new exhibitions during our Community Preview. This event is free and open to the public. Please see http://www.fristcenter.org for more information.
Discounted parking is available in the Frist Center lots with validated ticket. Space is limited. Join us!
Thursday, October 10
Collectors’ Perspective: 30 Americans and the Rubell Family Collection Presented by Don and Mera Rubell, art collectors, and Juan Valadez, director of the Rubell Family Collection
6:30 p.m.
Frist Center Auditorium
Free; seating is first come, first seated
The exhibition 30 Americans is a wide-ranging survey of work by some of the most important African American artists of the last four decades. The works were selected from the Rubell Family Collection, which brings together seminal figures such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and David Hammons with younger and emerging artists such as Kehinde Wiley and Shinique Smith. Be part of our community preview, as Don and Mera Rubell, along with their collection director, Juan Valadez, discuss the formation and growth of their important collection.
Sunday, October 20
Artful Tales: “Eagle Turk”
2:00–3:00 p.m.
Frist Center Auditorium/Studios
Free
Artful Tales is a FREE family program geared toward everyone ages three and up! Listen and play along as an art-related story comes to life. Then, head upstairs to the art studio and make an artwork that relates to the story.
Explore a tale of sabotage and self-discovery. After years of being apart from their flock and living with false identities, the winged characters in this story must decide: Are they meant to live on the ground, content with crumbs? Or are they meant to soar? Next, create a painted collage that celebrates you. This program connects visitors to the exhibition 30 Americans.
Thursday, October 24
Artist’s Perspective: 30 Americans Presented by Hank Willis Thomas
6:30 p.m.
Frist Center Auditorium
Gallery admission required; members free
Seating is first come, first seated
By employing the language of popular culture and advertising in his work, Hank Willis Thomas explicitly addresses race, class, and history in a way that is accessible and easy to decode. His intention is to use the familiar to draw connections and provoke conversations about issues and histories that are often forgotten, or avoided in our commerce-infused daily lives. In this lecture, the 30 Americans artist explores how the visual culture of the past affects and intersects with our current world-view.
Hank Willis Thomas is a photo conceptual artist working with themes related to identity, history and popular culture. He received his BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and his MFA in photography, along with an MA in visual criticism, from California College of the Arts, San Francisco. He has exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the U.S. and abroad, and has received fellowships from the Tribeca Film Institute, W.E.B. DuBois Institute at Harvard University, and Columbia College, Chicago.
Thursday, October 31
Curator’s Tour: 30 Americans Presented by Katie Delmez, curator
12:00 p.m.
Meet at exhibition entrance
Gallery admission required; members free
Join Frist Center Curator Katie Delmez on this tour that explores the themes of race, identity, and contemporary culture found in the 30 Americans exhibition.
Tuesday, November 5
Lecture Series: “Food for Thought: Visualizing America through Art by African American Artists and Norman Rockwell”
11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. with lecture to follow at noon.
Frist Center Auditorium
Free with advance registration; lunch and gallery admission included. Registration line for this lecture opens Tuesday, October 15. To register, call Vanderbilt University at 615.322.8585.
In partnership with Vanderbilt University’s Office of Community, Neighborhood, and Government Relations, “Food for Thought: Visualizing America through Art by African American Artists and Norman Rockwell,” is a three-part lecture series presented by Vanderbilt professors that explores issues surrounding what it means to be an American today. This series provides the community at large with an opportunity to build challenging intellectual connections to the exhibitions 30 Americans and American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell. In this first lecture of the series, panelists discuss the U.S. civil rights movement and how historical events have shaped visual, as well as, social culture. The next lectures take place on Tuesday, December 3, 2013, and Tuesday, January 14, 2014.
Friday, November 8*
ARTini: 30 Americans
7:00 p.m.
Meet at exhibition entrance
Gallery admission required; members free
Are you curious about art? Do you want to learn more about the content and concepts behind an artist’s work? If you answered yes to either of those questions, then the ARTini program is for you! ARTinis are designed for everyone—from the novice to the connoisseur—and include informal and insightful conversations that offer a deeper understanding of one or two works of art in an exhibition.
Shaun Giles, educator for community engagement at the Frist Center, leads a conversation about several works in the exhibition and how those works address the themes of identity and community.
*This event will also be offered on Tuesday, November 12 at noon.
Thursday, November 14 OR Saturday, November 16
Educator Workshop: “‘What does it mean to be an American?’ The Art of 30 Americans and Norman Rockwell”
9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Frist Center Studios
$20 for Frist Center members/$25 for non-members. Cost includes all materials, teacher resources, color reproductions, gallery admission, parking validation in Frist Center lots, and lunch.
Advanced registration is required. Download the teacher workshop registration form at http://fristcenter.org/learn/schools-educators/educator-workshops.
Investigate varied perspectives on American identity presented in the exhibitions 30 Americans and American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell. Participants confront the themes of 30 Americans, which focuses on issues of racial, sexual, and historical identity in contemporary culture, while exploring the powerful influence of artistic legacy and community across generations. In addition, participants learn about the emotionally appealing, idealized scenes of early twentieth-century American life by Norman Rockwell. Teachers can explore the themes of identity, power, and society through the lenses of these two exhibitions and examine ways to shape a discussion around the question, “What does it mean to be an American?” Frist Center educator workshops are open to educators of all subjects, pre-K–12.
Friday, November 15
Film: Basquiat
7:00 p.m.
Frist Center Auditorium
Gallery admission required; members free
Seating is first come, first seated
Basquiat explores the meteoric rise and fall of youthful artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Starting out as a street artist living in Thompkins Square Park in a cardboard box, Jean-Michel is “discovered” by Andy Warhol’s art world and becomes a star. But success has a high price, and Basquiat pays with friendship, love, and eventually, his life. Stars Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Jeffrey Wright, and David Bowie. Written by Martin Lewison. Directed by Julian Schnabel, 1996. 107 minutes. DVD. Rated R.
Works by Basquiat are presented in the Ingram Gallery as part of the 30 Americans exhibition on view from October 11, 2013, through January 12, 2014.
Sunday, November 17
Free Family Festival Day at the Frist
1:00–5:30 p.m.
Free
Explore what it means to be an American in a day of discovery and creativity, filled with art activities, live music and exciting programs. Bring your family and friends to share in a day filled with art and imagination! Exhibitions highlighted during this free family event include 30 Americans, Ana Maria Tavares: Deviating Utopias, and American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell. See our website, http://www.fristcenter.org, for more information.
Sunday, November 17
Artful Tales: “Whoosh!”
2:00–3:00 p.m.
Frist Center Auditorium
Free
Artful Tales is a FREE family program geared toward everyone ages three and up! Listen and play along as an art-related story comes to life. Then head upstairs to the art studio and make an artwork that relates to the story.
Listen to a story about a boy who uses his fascination with the sounds made by everyday items to create and share wonderful works of art. This program is part of our Free Family Festival Day.
Friday, November 22
Artist’s Perspective: 30 Americans Presented by Nina Chanel Abney
6:30 p.m.
Frist Center Auditorium
Gallery admission required; members free
Seating is first come, first seated
In the “Art” issue of W Magazine in 2008, a then 26-year-old Nina Chanel Abney explained to writer Haven Thompson how celebrity scandals inspire some of her vibrant, often brazen paintings that at once suggest Alice Neel, Stuart Davis, and Diego Rivera. Hidden in Nina Chanel Abney’s visual assault on the viewer are references to politics, social issues, and unfulfilled desires. Contemporary music is influential to her work. The frenetic space that she creates becomes emblematic of the way we may digest information from the media. In this engaging lecture, she shares her inspirations, process, and evolution.
Nina Chanel Abney received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill. and her Master of Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design, New York City. The youngest artist included in 30 Americans, she has exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the U.S. and is included in numerous collections in addition to the Rubell Family Collection, including the Brooklyn Museum, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., the Girls’ Club Collection and the Burger Collection.
Tuesday, December 3
Lecture Series: “Food for Thought: Visualizing America through Art by African American Artists and Norman Rockwell”
11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m.
with lecture to follow at noon.
Frist Center Auditorium
Free with advance registration; lunch and gallery admission included. Registration line for this lecture opens Tuesday, November 12. To register, call Vanderbilt University at 615.322.8585.
In partnership with Vanderbilt University’s Office of Community, Neighborhood, and Government Relations, “Food for Thought: Visualizing America through Art by African American Artists and Norman Rockwell,” is a three-part lecture series presented by Vanderbilt professors that explores issues surrounding what it means to be an American today. This series provides the community at large with an opportunity to build challenging intellectual connections to the exhibitions 30 Americans and American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell. In this second lecture of the series, panelists discuss the influence of advertising and marketing on the American public and how it is reflected in art. The third lecture takes place on Tuesday, January 14, 2014, with registration beginning December 24, 2013.
About the Rubell Family Collection
The Rubell Family Collection was established in 1964 in New York City, shortly after its founders Donald and Mera Rubell were married. It is now one of the world’s largest, privately owned contemporary art collections. The collection is constantly expanding and features such well-known artists as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Kara Walker and Andy Warhol. In addition to displaying internationally established artists, the RFC actively acquires, exhibits and champions emerging artists working at the forefront of contemporary art.
Exhibition Credit
30 Americans was organized by the Rubell Family Collection, Miami.
Exhibition Sponsors
Platinum Sponsor: The HCA Foundation on behalf of HCA and the TriStar Family of Hospitals
Exhibition Catalogue
A fully illustrated catalogue accompanies 30 Americans. Published by the Rubell Family Collection, the book includes essays by Robert Hobbs, Glenn Ligon, Franklin Sirmans and Michele Wallace.
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is supported in part by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
CONTACT:
Buddy Kite: 615.744.3351, ”
Ellen Jones Pryor: 615.244.1311, ”
