EXCEPTIONAL PORTRAITURE SHOWN AT CHEEKWOOD MUSEUM OF ART

Written by Jill Lawless Thursday, 09 February 2012 20:14

NASHVILLE, TN – Cheekwood’s holdings in portraiture, whether oil on canvas, photography, or sculpture, have become a major aspect of Cheekwood’s art collection.  Portraiture: Private Lives/Public Faces: highlights this special collection at Cheekwood through December 31., 2006.

“Some of Cheekwood’s most prominent works are portraits, including The Foster Family (c. 1825) by Ralph Earl, Jamie Wyeth’s portrait of Andy Warhol (1976), and Warhol’s portrait of Wyeth (1976),” said Jack Becker, Ph.D., president of Cheekwood.  “We are delighted to share these works with audiences in Nashville and across the mid south.”

Portraits always seem to exist on the border between private and public identities.  They negotiate that fine line between who the subject is in the most private moments and the image they project when entering the public arena.  In Private Lives/Public Faces, Cheekwood creatively explores these facets of portraiture.  Some of the questions asked are: What are the ways in which artists have portrayed themselves and others in art?  How do body language, dress, and the environment convey a sense of the self?  How are families represented?  How have conventions of portraiture changed over time?

While portraits make a significant contribution to the Cheekwood experience, a full exhibition of the portraits has never been done.  Through paintings, print, photographs and sculpture, this exhibition explores the genre of portraiture revealing how Americans created both private and public images of themselves over the past three hundred years.

One of the special aspects of this exhibition will be a specially designed gallery that offers hands on interactive activities for children and adults of all ages to explore portraits and identity.  Cheekwood's education programs add interpretive depth to its collections, exhibitions, and program areas and provide lifelong learning opportunities.  With Private Lives/Public Faces as the subject, there will be a number of engaging opportunities for children, families and adults to explore the themes of this exhibition.  Through public tours, hands on classes, and other means visitors of all ages and background will be encouraged to explore the rich subject of portraits and the people and history that they represent.

Cheekwood inspires and educates by making art, horticulture and nature accessible to a diverse community.  Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art is located at 1200 Forrest Park Drive in Nashville.  For further information visit www.cheekwood.org