Phoenix, AZ – Phoenix Art Museum celebrates the career of one of the most successful American artists of the early 20^th century with the opening of In Contemporary Rhythm: The Art of Ernest L. Blumenschein. A founder of the famed Taos Society of Artists, Blumenschein rocketed into the spotlight with his modernist approach to capturing the American West.  This major retrospective, on view March 15 through June 14, 2009, covers every aspect of the artist’s career and is the first Blumenschein exhibition in 30 years and the first in Arizona.

“In Contemporary Rhythm is the most comprehensive exhibition to ever assemble, study and celebrate Blumenschein’s remarkable work,” commented Jerry Smith, associate curator of American Art, Phoenix Art Museum.  “It features masterworks by the artist that reveal his daring aesthetic, his proto-modernist style, his social sensitivities and his influence on regional as well as national trends in art.”

The exhibition follows Blumenschein’s life, tracking the artistic, social and political dimensions of his art.  It features his major landscape and figural paintings of the Southwest, for which he is best known today, as well as early works from the beginning of his career when he worked in France and as a professional illustrator. As Blumenschein developed as an artist, he also formed a stance on social issues that included pictorial testimonials of the cultural identity of the native people of Taos and respect for their lands.

Blumenschein landed in Taos, New Mexico, as the result of a fortunate accident.  He was traveling with fellow artist Bert G. Phillips on a sketching trip from Denver to northern Mexico when a wheel of their carriage broke, leaving them stranded in Taos Valley.  The delay gave the artists time to take in the spectacular countryside and interesting cultures of the area.  They decided to stay and work in the area, later founding the Taos Society of Artists to promote the splendor of Taos and the art of the American West to larger audiences.

Academically trained in New York and Paris, Ernest L. Blumenschein painted in a style that combined traditional and realistic means of expression with subtle undercurrents of modernism, particularly in his bold use of color and the manner in which he constructed his compositions. In addition to founding the Taos Society of Artists (1915-27), Blumenschein’s interests in modernism also led him to establish the New Mexico Painters (1923-27), one of the region’s earliest groups of modernist painters.  At the height of his career, he was one of the few artists to have paintings purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

“Blumenschein’s work has been treasured by collectors and museums since the early 20^th century,” commented Smith.  “In Contemporary Rhythm exemplifies why curators and critics alike have heralded Blumenschein as the most distinctive of the Taos artists.”

Exhibition Details

This exhibition is organized by Phoenix Art Museum, in collaboration with the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, and the Denver Art Museum. This exhibition is presented at Phoenix Art Museum in the Steele Gallery, March 15 through June 19, 2009.

A substantial catalog tracing the artist’s career, artistic achievements and role within modernism will accompanies the exhibition and is available in the Museum Store.  The catalog, written by Peter H. Hassrick and Elizabeth J. Cunningham, includes a foreword by Phoenix Art Museum director James K. Ballinger and a contributing essay by Associate Curator of American Art, Jerry N. Smith.

Admission to the exhibition is included in general museum admission, which is $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens (65+), $8 for full-time college students with ID, $4 for children ages 6-17 and free for children under 6 and for museum members.  Admission is also free on Tuesdays from 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. and for everyone on First Fridays, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Phoenix Art Museum is located in downtown Phoenix at the corner of Central and McDowell Road.  Museum hours are Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. and Wednesday – Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays.

About Phoenix Art Museum

Phoenix Art Museum is the Southwest’s premier destination for world-class visual arts.  Popular exhibitions featuring artists such as Rembrandt, Norman Rockwell, Annie Leibowitz and Monet are shown along side the Museum’s outstanding collection of more than 18,000 works of American, Asian, European, Latin American, Western American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design.  A community epicenter for nearly fifty years, Phoenix Art Museum presents festivals, live performances, independent art films and educational programs that enlighten, entertain and stimulate. Visitors also enjoy PhxArtKids an interactive space for children, vibrant photography exhibitions through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, the lushly landscaped Sculpture Garden, dining at Arcadia Farms at Phoenix Art Museum, and shopping at The Museum Store.

To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit : www.PhxArt.org, or call the 24-hour recorded information line at (602) 257-1222.