Günter Wirth: Repositioning Reality

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April 2 – July 17, 2005

Murray and Ledger Galleries

The Polk Museum of Art has a collection of 45 prints and mixed media works by noted German artist Günter Wirth. This exhibition, Repositioning Reality, presents a selection of 20 of these works that demonstrate Wirth’s intriguing blending of the geometry of European Constructivism, the compositional strength of Japanese graphic work, and the viewpoint of a well-traveled and educated artist. His artworks have been exhibited throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States.

Archive of Ephemera: Photography by Frances Paley

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March 5 – June 12, 2005

Perkins Gallery

The photographs of Frances Paley are traditional film derived imagery. However, she uses a computer to alter the color to enrich and deepen the emotional impact of the images. The subjects in these photographs are related in one way or another to the past, whether they represent funerary subjects or animals from an archaic Parisian taxidermy shop. For Paley, they symbolize an affirmation of life through the poignancy of memory and love, mirroring our humanity by allowing us to peek into our wistful desires to capture the ephemeral and transcend time.

A Ceramic Continuum: Fifty Years of the Archie Bray Influence

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March 12 – May 8, 2005

Dorothy Jenkins and Emily S. Macey Galleries

The Archie Bray Foundation for Ceramic Artists in Helena, Montana was founded in 1951. This exhibition includes 85 pieces drawn form the Foundation’s large collection of work created by the over 300 artists who have resided there. The collection includes ceramics from past resident artists, as well as historical pieces and works from visiting artists, including pottery by world-renowned craftsmen Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada. The exhibition also includes the work of past directors of the Foundation including Rudy Autio, David Cornell, Ken Ferguson, Carol Roorbach, David Shaner, Kurt Weiser, and Peter Voulkos.

This exhibiton has been organized by the Holter Museum of Art, Helena, Montana. The tour was developed by Smith Kramer Fine Art Service, Kansas City, Missouri.

Doug Hall: In Finite Spaces

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December 4, 2004 – March 6, 2005

Dorothy Jenkins Gallery

Doug Hall’s reputation was founded on his work in video, performance, and installation from the late ‘70s and ‘80s. Since the late 1980s, Hall has worked almost exclusively with large-format photography using images that pull from a range of themes and locations, including opera house interiors, highways, and leisurescapes, but are inherently connected by his examination of the urban landscape and its social, cultural, and historical implications in a world that is overwhelmed by globalization. The large photographs in this exhibition remind us of familiar places we have been, if not the actual places photographed. They urge the viewer to reconsider what constitutes familiarity by revealing either a deception or an irregularity.

This exhibition has been organized by the Newcomb Art Gallery, Tulane University, New Orleans. Traveled under the auspices of Pamela Auchincloss/Arts Management.

Focus on Photography: The Art Resource Trust Selects

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December 4, 2004 – February 24, 2005

Perkins Gallery

ART (Art Resource Trust) is a newly formed group of Museum supporters whose mission is to support the purchase of artwork for the Museum’s permanent collection while learning more about collecting art. The group’s first purchase will be a major photograph purchased from this exhibition of available work.

Picasso: 25 Years of Edition Ceramics from the Edward Weston Collection

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September 18 – November 28, 2004

Dorothy Jenkins & Emily S. Macey Galleries

PICASSO: 25 YEARS OF EDITION CERAMICS FROM THE EDWARD WESTON COLLECTION will be presented at the Polk Museum of Art from September 18 through November 28, 2004. The Museum will celebrate the opening of this exhibition with a preview reception on Friday, September 17; the reception is free for Museum members and $5 for guests. Mr. Edward Weston, renowned collector of Picasso ceramics will be in attendance.

The Picasso exhibition presents a selection of the ceramics created by Pablo Picasso in collaboration with George and Suzanne Ramie and the artisans at their Madoura pottery workshop in Vallauris, Southern France, between the years 1947 and 1971. The exhibition consists of 65 ceramic works, including plates, bowls, pitchers, vases and plaques, plus posters from previous Picasso ceramics exhibitions and photographs of Picasso at work at the Madoura workshop.

Internationally famed for his paintings, sculpture, and graphics, Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was long intrigued by ceramics. After seeing the works of the Madoura potters at a crafts fair in 1946, he asked Georges and Suzanne Ramie, who operated the studio, to provide him with the opportunity to work with ceramics.

Passages: Doors and Springs by Margaret Ross Tolbert

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September 4 – November 7, 2004

Perkins Gallery

In recent years, Gainesville artist Margaret Ross Tolbert has developed two distinctive bodies of work: the springs of North and Central Florida, and Turkish doors. The two subjects are united through Tolbert’s powerful use of color in her brilliant, large-scale oil paintings. This exhibition features 13 paintings ranging in scale from 60×48 inches to 90×396 inches. A catalogue created by the Polk Museum of Art will complement this exhibition.

For over 20 years, Ms. Tolbert has explored the depths of the springs in North and Central Florida. The colors and light are unique and remarkable. She works on site to capture these elements, before transferring them to her large canvases. She has also made numerous journeys to Turkey during the last two decades, making innumerable sketches of the people and places she has encountered. Most fascinating for her have been the doors leading into many of the most beautiful and exotic buildings in the world.

Though separated by thousands of miles, the springs of Florida and the doors of Turkey are united by many things. First is history. Though one is natural and the other man-made, both the springs and the doors have stories to tell. But they are also linked aesthetically. Turkey, as one of the most important trade destinations throughout much of the last two millennia, has achieved a combination of decorative roots unlike anywhere in the world. The same special circumstances have existed in Florida to allow for the formation of the springs. The cool blues and greens of the springs are no more lush than the golden hues of the doors.

Ms. Tolbert will give a special tour of her exhibition on Tuesday, October 19 beginning at 10:30am. This exhibition will be celebrated with a reception on September 18, 7:00-9:00pm.

At the Edge of a Petal: Floral Works of Art from the Permanent Collection

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May 8 – November 14, 2004

Murray and Ledger Galleries

“It is at the edge of a petal that love waits,” wrote William Carlos Williams. Maybe not love in this case, but certainly a wide variety of lovely works of art from the Polk Museum of Art’s permanent collection. From specific flowers such as the sunflowers in the works of Faith Ringgold and Anna Tomczak to the more generally floral-inspired works of Louis Comfort Tiffany and Louisa Chase. Other works included in the exhibition are Japanese ceramics and textiles as well as works by Lowell Nesbitt, Miriam Schapiro, and Robert Rahway Zakanitch.

Creativity: The Flowering Tornado, Art by Ginny Ruffner

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June 19 – September 5, 2004

Dorothy Jenkins and Emily S. Macey Galleries

This exhibition is a beautiful installation of glass and bronze artworks created by Ginny Ruffner of Seattle, Washington. This touring exhibition has been organized by the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. In this installation, Ruffner features suspended picture frames that incorporate sculpted items including chains, bear traps, flowers, hearts, and arrows, with the focal point being a large tornado with wings. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 1975 and, soon after, learned how to flamework glass. In 1984, she taught the first flameworking class offered by The Pilchuck School of Glass in Seattle. Her work is in the collections of the American Craft Museum, the Corning Museum of Glass, Detroit Institute of Arts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art.

A Scholar’s Eye: Selections from the Rosenzweig Collection

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April 3 – June 6, 2004

Dorothy Jenkins Gallery

This exhibition is sponsored by Charles H. and Dorothy Jenkins and Mark and Lynn Hollis.

Dr. Daphne Lange Rosenzweig (A.B., Mount Holyoke College, M.A. and Ph.D., Columbia University) is an art historian specializing in East Asian art. After extensive study in Asia, as a Fulbright Scholar, she has taught at several major universities and is currently a faculty member of the Liberal Arts Program at the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. She teaches courses in Asian art history and culture.

Dr. Rosenzweig is a member of numerous Asian studies and art history learned societies, and a fellow of both the American Oriental Society and the Royal Asiatic Society-Korea Branch. She has organized many museum exhibitions, including Power and Pride: Later Korean Painting, which was exhibited at the Polk Museum of Art in 1996. Dr. Rosenzweig is the author of over 45 publications on Asian art, particularly the jades, paintings and ceramics of Qing dynasty China, classic Japanese prints, and Korean painting; she also reviews books for professional journals. She is a frequent guest lecturer at Asian cultural institutions, professional conferences and museums, and a nationally recognized appraiser of Asian art.

Many of the items in the Rosenzweig collection are related to the marriage between Daphne and Dr. Abraham Rosenzweig. The wedding took place in 1969 in a Confucian ceremony at the Taipei Law Court, on an auspicious day chosen by the Director of the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan. Other works have been collected through the years, and represent the specific interests of either Daphne or Abe, or represent their collective interests. Some reflect the kindness of friends and relatives who have donated works to the Rosenzweigs over the years. Because of Daphne’s career as an educator, she has sought out objects that are particularly well-suited for teaching purposes. Many of the objects simply reflect the taste in art shared by Daphne and Abe: an appreciation of tactile surfaces, monochromatic statements, and individual artistic efforts rather than workshop collective efforts. This taste is most evident in the 20th-century Japanese prints in their collection, where simplicity is valued over ornate decoration.

The Essence of Nature: 16th – 18th Century Chinese Paintings from the Matthew Edlund Collection

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April 3 – June 6 , 2004

Emily S. Macey Gallery

This exhibition is sponsored by Charles H. and Dorothy Jenkins and Mark and Lynn Hollis.

The extraordinary paintings in this exhibition come from the collection of Dr. Matthew Edlund of Sarasota. Dr. Edlund has amassed a collection that includes a large number of hanging scrolls, hand scrolls, albums of calligraphy and paintings, and other Asian objects such as sculptures and ceramics. Some of the most important works in his collection are these paintings, which range in date from the early 16th century to the late 18th century, an era that brought much to change to art and life in China.

The Ming dynasty began in the year 1368, after a revolution returned the rule of China back to the Chinese from the Mongols. We know much about the painting styles in China from the mid-15th century onward thanks in great part to the rise of art criticism, particularly those who began writing in the late 16th century. The imperial court supported the arts well during much of the 15th and early 16th centuries, bestowing upon artists honorary titles to keep them close to the emperor.

This flourishing of the arts led to an increase in collecting art by middle-class merchants. Likewise, this increased demand spawned the development of numerous schools outside of the court, including the Zhe School, an artist from which produced the painting Men on Boat with Twinned Pine Trees in this exhibition. Many of the artists of the Zhe School came from humble beginnings and painted with extraordinary passion.

The Qing dynasty was established by the Manchus in 1644. The overthrow of the Ming was violent as the Manchus swept in from the northeast. However, they were great art patrons, leading to the expansion of regional schools of art. This patronage notwithstanding, many artists in the mid to late 17th century created paintings that expressed a longing for the past. Paintings in this exhibition that feature a sense of nostalgia include Autumn Evening Moon over Lake Dongting, Peach Blossom Spring, and Sea Battle.

Also included in this exhibition are a scroll and a book of calligraphy. In China, there is a long historical connection between calligraphy and painting. Chinese characters had their origins as pictures that grew more and more abstract. You can see the similarity in brushstrokes by comparing the calligraphy with the painting of the Eagle or Hawk.

Şangoyemi Ogunsanya: Mythical Forests and Ritual Objects / Funky Spirits

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Şangoyemi Ogunsanya: Mythical Forests and Ritual Objects

January 24 – May 9, 2004

Perkins Gallery

Funky Spirits

December 23, 2003 – May 2, 2004

Murray Gallery

Tampa artist Şangoyemi Ogunsanya works in a variety of media to explore her personal blending of African mythology, nature, and contemporary African-American culture. Included in this exhibition are collages, sculptures, and mixed media constructions. The exhibition consists of two parts. The first is a sculpture and video installation in the Murray Gallery on the second floor. The installation, entitled Funky Spirits, explores the relationship between funk music and African-American folk art and seeks to discover the hidden retention of African spirituality and wisdom therein. Funky Spirits will open December 23, 2003 and run through May 2, 2004.

The second part in the Perkins Gallery consists of Ms. Ogunsanya’s blending of African mythology, nature, and contemporary African-American culture. She has said that “cultures around the world have legends that describe magical forests where supernatural beings exist and magical happenings are commonplace. Gods and Goddesses shape shift from human form to forces of nature. Bush and water spirits, fairies, and leprechauns live, thinly veiled from the eyes of human beings among the trees and sacred plants in that Great Mystery which is nature. Although I was raised in the city, since childhood I have loved the forest and have spent many hours walking and camping in forests around the world. The forest is my sacred place.” This portion of the exhibition is open January 24 through May 2, 2004.

Legally Represented: Photographs from the Collection of Trenam, Kemker, Scarf, Barkin, Frye, O’Neill, & Mullis, P.A.

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January 31 – March 29, 2004

Dorothy Jenkins Gallery

The law firm of Trenam, Kemker, Scharf, Barkin, Frye, O’Neill & Mullis, P.A. in Tampa owns one of the most impressive corporate collections of photography in the country. The Trenam, Kemker collection includes works by American artists who were alive in 1970, the year of the company’s founding. This exhibition examines nearly all of the major movements, techniques, and processes within photography during the twentieth century and includes work by Berenice Abbott, Ansel Adams, Diane Arbus, Chuck Close, Walker Evans, Sandy Skoglund, and James Van Der Zee among many others.

The Trenam, Kemker collection has great educational value. The photographers on display, numbering over 80, represent a virtual who’s who of American photography. However, the photographs have been collected based not on the photographer, but on the intrinsic value of each print. The collection includes silver prints, photogravures, dye transfer prints, photo-collages and montages, Polaroid prints, Cibachrome and Ektacolor prints, Hand-painted prints, and Platinum prints. Particular attention has been paid to acquiring works that reflect Florida in the 20th century. Artists including Mitch Epstein, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Lewis W. Hine, Arthur Rothstein, and Joseph Janney Steinmetz have documented the unique qualities of the Sunshine State and are represented in the Trenam, Kemker collection.

Moments of Reflection: Photographs from the Collections of Robert Puterbaugh and Kerry Wilson

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January 31 – March 29, 2004

Emily S. Macey Gallery

The passion for photography shared by Robert Puterbaugh and Kerry Wilson has led them to amass wonderful collections. This exhibition features selections from each collection. Included will be a number of works by Birney Imes, as well as works by Henri Cartier-Bresson and Yousuf Karsh.

Print It! Printmaking Techniques and Artistic Solutions

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July 5, 2003 – February 1, 2004

Murray and Ledger Galleries

This exhibition, which examines the creative possibilities within a number of different printmaking techniques, will feature a discussion of both artistic and process concerns. Included will be etchings, photogravures, lithographs, monoprints, and combinations of techniques.

Artists included in the exhibition:

  • Richard Anuszkiewicz
  • Karel Appel
  • Fred Burton
  • Liset Castillo
  • Hirshige II and Kunisada II
  • Jasper Johns
  • Markus Lüpertz
  • Robert Mapplethorpe
  • Henri Matisse
  • Mette Petri
  • Scott Reed
  • James Rosenquist
  • Hollis Sigler
  • Robert Stackhouse
  • Carol Summers
  • William Wegman
  • Theo Wujcik

Florida Visual Arts Fellowship Exhibition

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November 22, 2003 – January 25, 2004

Dorothy Jenkins Gallery

With the current status of state funding for the arts, this could be the last exhibition of recipients of the annual Visual Art Fellowships from the State of Florida. Selected by a distinguished panel of artists and art professionals, the fifteen artists in this exhibition represent some of the most imaginative and significant art being produced throughout the state. The specific artworks for the exhibition will be selected by Daniel E. Stetson, Executive Director, and Todd Behrens, Curator of Art, from the Polk Museum of Art. . Following its showing at the Polk Museum of Art, the exhibition will travel to two other Florida venues: The Arts Center Galleries at Okaloosa-Walton Community College, Niceville from June 27 through July 22, 2004; and The Lowe Art Museum, Coral Gables from August 7 through September 5, 2004.

Artists selected for this prestigious exhibition include:

  • Miroslav Antich (West Palm Beach), painting
  • Donne Bitner (Orlando), mixed media
  • Gary W. Bolding (DeLand), painting
  • Richard Heipp (Gainesville), painting
  • Rebecca Sexton Larson (Tampa), photography
  • Connie Lloveras (Coral Gables), mixed media
  • Douglas Loewen (Sarasota), sculpture
  • Allan R. Maxwell (Orlando), photography
  • Jean Cappadonna Nichols (Fort Myers), sculpture
  • John A. O’Connor (Gainesville), painting
  • Raymond Olivero (Fort Lauderdale), painting
  • George Pappas (Sarasota), painting
  • Carol G. Prusa (Boca Raton), painting
  • Karen Rifas (Miami), experimental
  • Akiko Sugiyama (Ormond Beach), paper
  • John Tilton (Alachua), ceramics

Together, the artists work in a wonderful variety of mediums: oil and acrylic paintings, mixed media paintings and drawings, hand-painted and digital photography, functional ceramics and ceramic sculptures, kinetic sculptures, and paper and organic sculptures. Two of the thematic and often material aspects that link many of these artists are layers of meaning and studies of the collision between the natural and the human-made. Artists including Antic, Heipp, Larson, and Olivero incorporate the idea of layering directly through their subject matter, as they investigate the impact of distance and context in understanding personal and general history. Bolding, Loewen, Nichols, and Rifas study our often unnatural relationships with our environment. Bitner, Lloveras, and Prusa use a wide variety of materials to create literal layering as they analyze our self-awareness and our relationships with broad, often spiritual ideas. Maxwell and O’Connor create layers of information through their techniques, leading our eyes and minds on visual journeys through their processes. Sugiyama and Tilton rely on some of the most basic natural materials of our everyday lives—clay and paper—to create colorful and sophisticated forms, the crispness of which seems far removed from that of the raw materials.

For an exhibition determined by two separate, relatively large committees, the forty artworks seem remarkably seamless in their quality and many of their themes. They speak well to the current state of the art community and Florida and are a powerful rebuttal to anyone who might doubt the quality and value of art funding at the state level.

Beaded Beauty: Art Objects from Southern Africa

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November 22, 2003 – January 25, 2004

Emily S. Macey Gallery

The Polk Museum of Art has recently extended its holdings to include African Art. The objects on display come from the collection of Norma and William Roth of Winter Haven, who recently donated 50 textiles, gourds, and ceramic objects from their extensive collection. Ranging from hats and capes to bags and vessels, all of these objects are from the southern region of Africa are adorned with beads. Some of the cultures represented in the exhibition include the Ndebele, Thembu, and Zulu Cultures of South Africa, the Himba and San Cultures of Namibia, and the Batonka Culture of Zimbabwe.

Glass beads have been used by African artisans since the earliest development of glass in Ancient Egypt. The beaded works included in this collection are both beautiful and culturally significant. Beads have not only been used by the peoples of Africa for decorative purposes; their importance lies in the fact that they are used to denote many different forms of social status. Through the use of color, form, and stitching, the people of southern Africa are able to use beads to communicate such things as marital status, political or economic status, and affection for one another. The exhibition includes a great variety of objects including hats and headdresses, skirts and aprons, necklaces, belts, bags, and ceremonial objects.