Midwestern Visions of Impressionism: 1890 - 1930 Extended until October 18!
by Lacey Luce
The Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery will present This exhibition takes a fresh look at the American Impressionism movement through the paintings of 31 artists born or raised in the Midwest and working between 1890 and 1930. In addition to bringing attention to the often overlooked talent of Ohio, Illinois and Indiana; Midwestern Visions of Impressionism explores where these artists fit within the larger context of American Impressionism and how their regions informed their painting.
“One way Americans became acquainted with Impressionism was through the many artists who studied abroad,” said exhibition curator Christine Fowler Shearer.
“These artists, many of whom were from the Midwest, studied academic art in places such as Paris and Munich, while also being exposed to the nonacademic traditions in these cities. As their styles evolved, they incorporated this exposure into their artwork, resulting in a form of Impressionism that combined academic style with Impressionist color palettes and brush strokes.
“In America, Impressionism offered a counterpoint to the academic art traditions and the opportunity to establish a new artistic voice for Americans. Midwestern landscape painters were able to embrace their native settings through the Impressionistic technique,” said Shearer, who is the executive director of the Massillon Museum.
Artists in the exhibition include: John Ottis Adams, George Adomeit, George Ames Aldrich, May Ames, Otto Bacher, L. Clarence Ball, Karl Albert Buehr, V.J. Cariani, William Clusmann, Frank Virgil Dudley, Maude Eggemeyer, William J. Forsyth, Alexis Jean Fournier, Marie Goth, Frederick Gottwald, Carl Graf, Louis Oscar (L.O.) Griffith, Lucie Hartrath, Emil Jacques, Karl Kappes, Lewis Henry Meakin, Pauline Palmer, Louis Ritman, Ada Walter Shulz, Adolph Shulz, Otto Stark, Theodore Clement (T.C.) Steele, John Henry Twachtman, Will Vawter, Abel Warshawsky and Edward K. Williams.
Midwestern Visions of Impressionism: 1890 – 1930 opens July 31 with a tour of the exhibition by curator Christine Fowler Shearer from 5 – 6 p.m. and a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Shearer will lead a second tour of the exhibition August 1, from noon – 1 p.m. Riffe Gallery events are free.
The gallery will host a family workshop, August 10, 2-4 p.m. in the Capitol Theatre lobby on the third floor of the Riffe Center. Riffe Gallery staff will help students 6-17 learn a painting technique called pointillism, which uses tiny dots of color rather than broad brush strokes, to create an impressionist-style painting. Registration is required as space is limited, and all children must be accompanied by a registered adult.
The Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery is located in the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, 77 S. High St., Columbus, OH.
Gallery summer hours are Tuesday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday noon – 4 p.m. (Summer hours are August 1 – September 30.) The gallery is closed Monday and state holidays. Admission is free.
Gallery hours for the extension of the show will be: 10/14 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., 10/15 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., 10/16 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., 10/17 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., 10/18 noon - 4 p.m.
Visit www.riffegallery.org or phone 614/644-9624 for more information.
Image seen here is an 1891, 35 ¾ x 22 ¾" oil on canvas painting by Otto Bacher (1856-1909) titled Mary Holland Bacher, from the Cleveland Museum of Art, gift of Will Low Bacher.
High resolution images, for use by media, are available upon request.
Contact Jaclyn Reynolds at Jaclyn.reynolds@oac.state.oh.us or 614/995-4125 or Mary Gray at mary.gray@oac.state.oh.us or 614/728-2239.
Free group tours are available Wednesday through Friday throughout the run of each exhibition. To schedule a group tour contact Riffe Gallery Director Mary Gray.
This exhibition was organized by the Massillon Museum with funding from the Ohio Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts as part of American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius, Canton/Stark County CVB and Stark Community Foundation. Additional support from the Ohio Building Authority and media sponsors Alive, CD101, City Scene, Ohio Magazine and Time Warner Cable.
Special sponsorship support provided by Time Warner Cable.
The Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery showcases the work of Ohio's artists and curators, exhibitions produced by the Ohio Arts Council’s International Program and the collections of the region’s museums and galleries. The Riffe Gallery’s Education Program seeks to increase public appreciation and understanding of those exhibitions. Admission is free. For information, call the Riffe Gallery at 614/644-9624.
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.
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