Cheekwood Museum exhibits "From Washington to Warhol: Americana Redifined"

Written by Maggie Jackson Saturday, 01 August 2009 00:46

NASHVILLE , TN – From Washington to Warhol: Americana Redefined  is on display at Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art through January 3, 2010.   Drawing from Cheekwood’s collection as well some loans, this exhibition presents images of America as revealed through the eyes of artists.   From early portraiture to Pop art, American artists have borrowed from imagery broadly defined as Americana.   Presidents, cowboys, Native Americans, Disney characters, or classic American food items -- artists often turn to what is familiar in American life and then remake it into a new image, something unexpected and fresh.

“We are delighted to share Cheekwood’s rich and diverse art collection with the public, and we are always seeking to present the collection in new ways,” said Jack Becker, Ph.D, Cheekwood’s President/CEO.   “This exhibition takes a fresh look at our extensive American art collection, and we invite visitors to explore the many images of America represented here.”

Rather than relying on a definitive list of things that are typically American, the exhibition invites viewers to explore the myriad of ways in which artists have incorporated American culture, history, and landscape into their work and helped interpret its meanings.   The artists selected offer different strategies for defining the American experience.   Highlights include portraits of Washington, an antebellum view of Belmont Mansion, realist works by The Eight, American folk art, and many artists from the post-World War II generation.   For the first time in several years, Cheekwood’s gallery walls will be graced by the famous pair of portraits that Andy Warhol and Jamie Wyeth painted of one other.

Lunch and Lecture: Hearing Americana: The Sounds of Place in American Music –
August 20, 12:00 pm
$12 Cheekwood member / $20 non-members (includes lunch) / Call 615.353.9827 for reservations.

Gallery Insider Tours – Every Saturday in August, 1:00 pm
Free with gate admission, no reservation required.  

Cheekwood is a 55-acre botanical garden and art museum located on the historic Cheek estate. Cheekwood exists to celebrate and preserve its landscape, buildings, and art and botanical collections, and, through these unique means provide an inspiring place for visitors to explore their connections with art, nature and the environment.   Cheekwood is located at 1200 Forrest Park Drive in Nashville, 8 miles southwest of downtown Nashville.   Hours until September 30: Open Tuesday – Thursday 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., Friday – Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., and Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.   After September 30 - Open Tuesday – Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.     For further information call 615-356-8000 or visit www.cheekwood.org