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Ohio Celebrates Great Moments of Artistic Heritage
To commemorate the Ohio Bicentennial, the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery will exhibit masterpieces by prominent Ohio artists March 3 through May 4, 2003. An opening reception will be held on Monday, March 3, from 5-7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The State of the Arts: A Celebration of Ohio’s Rich Artistic Heritage celebrates Ohio’s prominent role as a catalyst for the visual arts within America and abroad. The exhibition primarily showcases Ohio’s rich contribution to painting, but also includes a select number of sculptures, photographs, folk art and decorative objects. It highlights Ohio’s great artists from early itinerant portrait painters to well-known artists of the twentieth century including Robert Henri, George Bellows and Charles Burchfield.
The state’s 200-year history has profoundly influenced American art and continues to do so today. Included within The State of the Arts are outstanding examples of the various modes of American art championed by Ohio artists including landscapes inspired by the Hudson River School, folk portraiture, 19th century trompe l'oeil still lifes, academic Boston School paintings, Impressionist, Post-impressionist and 20th century examples of Urban realism, Regionalism and Modernism.
The State of the Arts is organized chronologically around themes to provide audiences the opportunity to walk through Ohio’s cultural past. They include settlement and early statehood (1788-1876), the industrial boom (1876-1914), and industrial maturity (1914-1945). The State of the Arts was assembled from distinguished public and private collections throughout the state.
Two events will be held in conjunction with this exhibition; both are free and open to the public:
Thursday, March 20, 2003, 7 pm. Lecture and Tour with James M. Keny and Nannette V. Maciejunes.
Co-curators James M. Keny and Nannette V. Maciejunes will lead a tour of the exhibition while discussing Ohio’s prominent role as a catalyst for the visual arts in America and abroad. Take this opportunity to learn about Ohio’s rich artistic heritage during the state’s bicentennial celebration.
Sunday, April 6, 2003, 2 & 3:30 pm. Family Day at the Riffe Gallery and Ohio Statehouse.
Go back in time to meet Nathan B. Kelly who, in 1854, became the architect of Ohio’s Statehouse. Kelly, portrayed by actor Mark Passerello, will offer guided tours of the Riffe Gallery’s exhibition and the art of the Ohio Statehouse, one of the nation's premier examples of Greek Revival architecture. Children of all ages and their parents can enjoy a one hour tour at 2 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. Tours originate at the Riffe Gallery.
Family Day is presented by Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery and The Statehouse Education & Visitors Center.
Following the Riffe Gallery premiere, the exhibition will travel to the Fitton Center for Creative Arts, Hamilton (June 1 – July 26, 2003); Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield (August 16 – October 5, 2003); the Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center, Portsmouth (October 20 – December 31, 2003); and The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown (January 11 – March 14, 2004).
The Ohio Historical Society will publish an accompanying catalog in March 2003 as part of its scholarly periodical Timeline. Copies will be available for $10 at the Riffe Gallery.
The Riffe Gallery is supported by Ohio Building Authority. Additional support for this exhibition comes from the Ohio Historical Society and the Ohio Bicentennial Commission. Media sponsors include Columbus Alive, Ohio Magazine and Time Warner Cable.
The State of the Arts is curated by James M. Keny and Nannette V. Maciejunes. Keny founded Keny Galleries in Columbus, Ohio, with his brother, Tim, in 1979. For more than 20 years, the gallery has specialized in American art from 1850 to the present, with a focus on historic, Ohio-born artists. Keny has mounted more than 25 exhibitions at Keny Galleries on the history of Ohio and American painting. Keny received his B.A. from Harvard University.
Nannette Maciejunes, acting director of the Columbus Museum of Art, has 17 years of museum experience. Prior to being named acting director, she served as the museum’s senior curator. From 1991 to 1994 she was the museum’s Curator of American Art. Maciejunes previously served as director of the Denison University Galleries and as chief curator of the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, Tennessee. Maciejunes received her B.A. in Art History from Denison University, Granville, Ohio and M.A. in Art History from The Ohio State University.
The Riffe Gallery, operated by the Ohio Arts Council, 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. The gallery is in the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, State and High Streets, Columbus, OH. Hours are Tuesday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 12-8 p.m. and Sunday 12-4 p.m. Closed Monday. Admission is free. For information or to schedule a tour 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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