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January Issue 2005
Hickory Museum of Art in Hickory, NC, Offers New Exhibitions for New Year
The Hickory
Museum of Art in Hickory, NC, will present several exhibitions
for the new year including: The South, 1840-1940: Paintings
from the Collection of Nancy Farmer and Everette James, will
be on view in the Museum's Shuford Gallery through Feb. 27, 2005;
and Aftermath, a documentation of the destruction, reclamation
and renewal at Ground Zero after 9-11 by street photographer Joel
Meyerowitz, on view in the Coe Gallery from Jan. 22 through Apr.
18, 2005.
North Carolina native Dr. Everette James first began collecting
art in the 1970's. Over the years he has written several books
and tends to collect depending on what topics he is currently
researching and about which he is writing. Dr. James and his wife
Dr. Nancy Farmer share with the Hickory Museum of Art forty-two
pieces of southern art from their vast collection.
The exhibition includes notable North Carolina artists such as Elliot Daingerfield, Claude Howell, and Eugene Thompson. The paintings in this exhibit are of various media and include several popular subjects including breathtaking southern landscapes, still life, and genre scenes. These pieces represent the artists' desire to capture the natural beauty of the southern environment or their attempt to record valuable southern customs and traditions.
The catastrophe
of 9-11 brought together not only the citizens of New York, but
the entire country at large. The Hickory Museum of Art is celebrating
the work of street photographer Joel Meyerowitz in the exhibit,
Aftermath, a documentation of the destruction, reclamation
and renewal at Ground Zero after 9-11 by Joel Meyerowitz.
New York born artist Meyerowtz began his photography career in
1962 and in just 6 years had his first solo exhibition at the
Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Meyerowitz's career hasn't
slowed down since. He is known as a street photographer because
he works directly from the streets, taking inspiration from whatever
happens around him at any given moment. Street photography is
often spontaneous but regardless of the subject, it is a documentation
of a particular moment in time. There is no studio with fixed
lighting or posed subjects in Meyerowitz's work, just the natural
light and natural beauty of the outdoors and people living their
everyday lives.
Meyerowitz and his artwork have been featured on programs such as Nightline, CBS Sunday Morning, and MSNBC and in well respected publications such as the New York Times and the New Yorker magazine. In addition to being a pioneer in the field of color photography and the acclaimed photographs he has produced in his 42 year career, Meyerowitz has published numerous books and even produced the award winning film, Pop.
Because Meyerowitz had focused on the streets as his primary subject throughout his career, he could not help but be drawn to Ground Zero immediately after the attacks of 9/11. Struck by the utter devastation of the buildings so often featured in his work, as well as by the immense recovery effort already underway, Meyerowitz felt a calling to serve as visual documenter of not only the destruction but the rescue, recovery, demolition, and excavation going on there. Meyerowitz felt it imperative to America's history that this grievous event be properly visually recorded.
These photographs are presented in a large scale format to further communicate the enormity of the devastation and the magnitude of heroism displayed daily in the recovery effort. In an attempt to gain access to Ground Zero, Meyerowitz went directly to the Museum of the City of New York, seeking a partnership. Although the Museum was not able to help him gain direct access to the sight, Meyerowitz persevered in his pursuit and became the only artist to gain unrestricted access to what he termed the 'Forbidden City.' Working four or five days a week in the months following 9/11, Meyerowitz eventually came to amass over 7000 images which he has donated to the Museum of the City of New York, making them readily available to the public.
These photos are much more than mere documentation of a catastrophic time in American history. As a street photographer with close to 40 years experience, Meyerowitz was somehow able to find the beauty within the destruction and has produced a series of photographs that are as beautiful as they are historically important. Meyerowitz easily captures the emotions of the rescue workers as they labor, day and night, telling the story of these men and women who dedicated their lives to the extensive recovery effort.
The original idea for a world traveling exhibition from this collection was born of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US State Department. Thanks, in part, to a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, BB&T, and Catawba Valley Medical Center, the Hickory Museum of Art is able to offer our community an exhibition featuring 31 images from the collection of over 7000.
As we near the fourth anniversary of an event that changed every American's life, the residents of Hickory, thanks to the brilliant work of Joel Meyerowitz, have an amazing opportunity to place themselves in the middle of Ground Zero in the months following 9/11, allowing them to remember exactly what happened, how it affected America immediately, and the amazing dedication and devotion of American citizens to their country.
In conjunction with this exhibit, HMA will display an album of personal recollections gathered from members of this community. E-mail your submission to (BMoyer@HickoryMuseumofArt.org), or write to HMA at PO Box 2572, Hickory, NC 28603.
For more info check our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call the Museum at 828/327-8576 or at (www.hickorymuseumofart.org).
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