FREE PUBLIC PROGRAMS
The below calendar of events is current as of October 18, 2024. The most current information can always be found at kimbellart.org/calendar.

Ongoing Programs

In addition to the free programs listed below, the museum also offers a range of regular, free Public Tours exploring the museum’s permanent collection, special exhibitions, and architecture.

Kimbell Kids Drop-In Studios introduce children (ages 12 and younger) and their adult companions to fun and inspiring ways to enjoy art through gallery explorations and related studio-art projects on selected Saturdays from 1 to 1:45 p.m. October’s theme is Art Rocks and November’s is Ah-MAIZE-ing Art. Sign-up begins at noon in the Kahn Building.

Happy Hours on Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Kimbell Café feature live music and a selection of beverages and snacks available for purchase. Members receive a 10% discount on beverages during Happy Hours.

The Kimbell Art Museum at Dusk
Carol M. Highsmith (1946-)

VISITOR INFORMATION

Admission to the museum’s permanent collection is always free. Admission is half-price all day on Tuesdays and after 5 p.m. on Fridays.

The Kimbell Art Museum is open Tuesdays through Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Fridays, noon–8 p.m.; Sundays, noon–5 p.m.; closed Mondays, New Year’s Day, Juneteenth, July 4, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. For general information, call 817-332-8451.

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This exhibition brings together paintings by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Gerrit Dou, Jacob van Ruisdael, Maria Schalcken, and other celebrated artists from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s renowned collection. These are joined by six Dutch paintings from the Kimbell’s collection, along with prints, maps, and stunning decorative objects in silver, porcelain, and more, from the seventeenth and the first half of the eighteenth centuries. Exploring how Dutch dominance in international commerce transformed life in the Netherlands and gave rise to an extraordinary cultural flourishing, the exhibition also benefits from new scholarship that contextualizes seventeenth-century Dutch art within the complexities of its historical context.

Willem Claesz Heda, Still Life with Tobacco, 1633, oil
on panel, 20 x 29 3/4 in. (50.8 x 75.6 cm). Gift of
Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo, in support of the
Center for Netherlandish Art. Photograph ©
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

“The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s collection of Dutch and Flemish masterpieces—and its Center for Netherlandish Art for the study and interpretation of the works—is renowned,” said Eric Lee, director of the Kimbell Art Museum. “We’re grateful to the Boston museum for its generosity in sharing this collection so that audiences can experience its treasures here in Texas.”

The seventeenth century in the Netherlands saw unprecedented artistic production due to a Dutch economy fueled by international trade. Many consider the period to be the first age of globalization. Artists painted still lifes to showcase items procured from around the world—porcelains from Asia, spices and silks from India, and sugar and tobacco from North and South America. Lavish bouquets were painted to showcase imported flowers such as the popular tulip from Turkey. Stirring seascapes depicted ships in port and at sea, visual symbols of the maritime-based trade economy. Dutch cityscapes and landscapes were commissioned as the Netherlands became a cosmopolitan world power, reflecting civic and national pride. The extraordinary art of this period continues to be deeply admired today.

Rembrandt, Portrait of Aeltje Uylenburgh, 1632, oil
on panel, 29 x 21 15/16 in. (73.7 x 55.8 cm).
Promised gift of Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo,
in support of the Center for Netherlandish Art.
Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Throughout the exhibition, artworks will be presented through the lens of global exchange. The first section, titled The World at Home, opens the exhibition with ostensibly domestic items, many of which have diverse origins. Still-life paintings depict Asian porcelain, American tobacco, Indonesian shells, Turkish tulips, and more. The paintings will be juxtaposed with examples of Chinese porcelain, Dutch Delftware, and silver.

In the second section, titled The World Beyond, grand paintings of ships at sea are complemented by maps, prints, and decorative objects that would have been collected from ports around the world. The next section, Amsterdam as a Cosmopolitan Hub, shows depictions of the capital city as it emerged as Europe’s busiest port and a center for economic and cultural expansion. Next, The World of Faith includes paintings and sacred items that demonstrate how religion and religious tolerance continued to be central to daily life in the Netherlands, even as global trade and colonialism developed. Global Citizens features painted and printed portraits that tell us who the Dutch were in the seventeenth century—a time when the Netherlands was among the most diverse regions of Europe. Through their dress, their surroundings, and their poses, we learn how the Dutch portrayed individuals from diverse socioeconomic classes, or how they viewed the proper balance between moral ideals and the pursuit and display of material wealth.

Jacob van Ruisdael, Rough Sea, c. 1670, oil on
canvas, 42 1/8 x 49 1/2 in. (107 x 125.8 cm). William
Francis Warden Fund. Photograph © Museum of
Fine Arts, Boston

Even as they embraced the foreign and the exotic, the Dutch discovered the beauty of their native land, and Celebrating the Familiar includes new types of naturalistic landscapes that took inspiration from the flat and watery terrain of the Netherlands. And finally, Conspicuous Consumption displays largely fictional scenes of everyday life, often showcasing a range of foreign goods that would suggest their subjects’ wealth, interests, or vanities. Decorative arts in this section include paraphernalia for the new rituals of smoking and tea drinking, vessels for storing costly imported sugar, and more.

Throughout the exhibition, in keeping with the theme of a global world, new scholarship will position these magnificent products of Dutch prosperity against its darker side—aspects of which were seldom overtly depicted in the works of art themselves. The harsh realities of poverty, child labor, the exploitative colonization of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, and above all the role of the Netherlands in the transatlantic slave trade were depicted in a benign guise, if at all, but these realities fueled the economy that made the works of art possible.

Pieter Jansz, Interior of the Buurkerk, Utrecht, 1645, oil on
panel, 22 7/8 x 20 in. (58.1 x 50.8 cm). Kimbell Art
Museum

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Rain or shine, Spring Break Art Extravaganza at the Kimbell Art Museum offers plenty of options for families with a wide range of free, drop-in activities inspired by artworks in the museum’s permanent collection.

This year’s four-day schedule features artist-led nature walks around the collection, family tours, story times, and rotating art activities including mixed-media sculpture, shibori tie-dyeing, and watercolor painting. On alternating days, guest artist Olivia Arratia will lead a cyanotype activity and Jessica Bond will offer screenprinting with her original designs. Kimbell staff are also excited to offer new “outdoor activity” baskets for families to enjoy in our beautiful green spaces.

Photo courtesy of the Kimbell Art Museum

No reservations are required for this free program, but families are encouraged to stop by the Information Table when they arrive to sign up for tours and other activities with limited capacity.

A complete schedule for Tuesday–Friday, March 12–15 is online at kimbellart.org/springbreak.

Tanglewood Moms got the answers to your questions about what to expect for their spring break activities.

Photo courtesy of the Kimbell Art Museum

Tanglewood Moms: Are there activities for children of all ages?
Kimbell Art Museum: Yes. All activities may be adapted for different ages and abilities.

TWM: Which activities are best for Grades K-2? and 3-5?
Kimbell: Our favorite options for the youngest kiddos include story times, watercolor painting, still-life drawing, outdoor activity baskets, and our Studio A play space. Slightly older children (grades 3–5) will also enjoy artist-led nature walks and gallery tours, shibori tie-dye, sculpting, and more!

TWM: Which activities are best for Middle and High school-aged kids?
Kimbell: Middle and high school students will appreciate the range of art making materials featured each day—and especially artist-led workshops such as screenprinting with Jessica Bond and cyanotypes with Olivia Arratia.

TWM: Where’s the best place to park to access the museum?
Kimbell: Free parking is available in our underground garage, in the open-air Kimbell East lot, in front of the Kahn Building and along Van Cliburn Way.

Photo courtesy of the Kimbell Art Museum

TWM: Will you have food for purchase and/or food carts?
Kimbell: Lunch is available for purchase in the Kimbell Café from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday–Thursday and noon–2 p.m. Friday. MELT Ice Cream will be available for purchase on Thursday from 1 to 3 and Friday from 1 to 4.

TWM: Can families pack a picnic to eat on the grounds?
Kimbell: Yes—and check out one of our outdoor activity baskets to extend the fun with some action-packed games perfect for our green spaces. Please note that food or drinks, including water and baby bottles, and large bags, are not allowed in the galleries; a self-service parcel check area is available.

Spring break visitors can enjoy leisurely strolls through the gardens or relax in the outdoor seating areas while taking in the museum’s renowned architecture. Grab a bite to eat or a refreshing beverage in the Kimbell Café and browse through a selection of art books, prints, and unique items in the gift shop.

Photo courtesy of the Kimbell Art Museum

To plan your visit to the Kimbell for Spring Break, access the full itinerary here: https://kimbellart.org/sites/default/files/2024-02/Spring%20Break%20Schedule%20English%20P10.pdf

Spring break is a great time to unwind, explore your surroundings, and engage in offline activities. When making your plan for the week the Kimbell Art Museum should not be missed!

The post Enjoy the Spring Break Art Extravaganza at the Kimbell first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

The Kimbell Art Museum announced today a symposium titled Komendant and Kahn: Engineer and Architect at the Kimbell Art Museum on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 10 am.

Expert engineers, architects, and art historians will discuss the working relationship of structural engineer August Komendant, a pioneer of precast, prestressed, thin-shell concrete, and Louis I. Kahn, creator of modernist architecture with monumental forms and poetic light. Their dynamic but sometimes contentious collaboration produced some of the most innovative and acclaimed buildings of the twentieth century, including the Salk Institute and the Kimbell Art Museum. This panel discussion about the two brilliant Estonian-born colleagues will mark the close of the Kimbell’s 50^th Anniversary year.

The Kimbell Art Museum at Dusk
Carol M. Highsmith (1946-)

SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE

• Welcome – Eric M. Lee, director, Kimbell Art Museum
• Moderator and Panelist – Guy Nordenson, professor, structural engineering and architecture, School of Architecture, Princeton University, New Jersey; partner, Guy Nordenson and Associates, New York
• Panelist – Thomas Taylor, design director, Datum Engineers, Dallas
• Engineering Modern Architecture: Highlights of August Komendant’s Career – Carl-Dag Lige, junior researcher, Faculty of Architecture, Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn, Estonia
• Komendant and Kahn: Collaborative Design Innovation with Materials and Geometry – Caitlin Mueller, associate professor, department of civil and environmental engineering; associate professor, department of architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston
• Kimbell in Context: Technology and Collaboration in Concrete Modernism – Tyler Sprague, associate professor, department of architecture; adjunct professor, department of civil and environmental engineering, University of Washington, Seattle
• Kahn and Komendant: Design in Two-Point Perspective – Shantel Blakely, assistant professor, School of Architecture, Rice University, Houston

The post Kimbell to Host Symposium on Architect and Engineer first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Since the first program debuted on November 6, 1982, with Fort Worth multimedia painter Vernon Fisher, The Artist’s Eye has welcomed more than 200 artists and architects including Julie Bozzi, Gary Cunningham, Jammie Holmes, Sedrick Huckaby, Benito Huerta, Nancy Lamb, Max Levy, Melissa Miller, Julie Speed, James Surls, Terri Thornton and Jim Woodson — to name just a few.

“The Artist’s Eye gallery talks are always exciting because they offer new voices and fresh perspectives, giving our visitors an opportunity to participate in a rich and thoughtful dialogue about art and art-making, across time and space,” said Nancy E. Edwards, curator of European art and head of academic services at the Kimbell.

This spring and summer, visual artists Matt Magee, Bale Creek Allen and Mihee Nahm join Kimbell staff to discuss their professional practice and relate older art to contemporary artistic concerns, including their own.

THE ARTIST’S EYE SCHEDULE

The program is free, and reservations are not required. Dates and details are subject to change. Please visit kimbellart.org/calendar and select “The Artist’s Eye” series for current information.

SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 11 a.m.

Matt Magee, artist, Phoenix

Matt Magee
Photo courtesy of the Kimbell

Moderated by George T. M. Shackelford, deputy director

Matt Magee moved to Arizona in 2012, after 30 years living in New York City, where he pursued an MFA at Pratt Institute and managed the lower Manhattan studio of the painter Robert Rauschenberg. Magee has what one author has described as an “omnivorous practice.” His practice is varied in what he himself makes—whether in painting, printmaking, paper making, sculpture or photography—and in what he uses as materials—including, for example, such nontraditional supplies as aluminum cans, detergent bottles, plastic bags, mica, scraps of tires or rubber inner tubes. Working with his hands to craft the work of art, he nonetheless emphasizes accumulative iterative processes like stacking, repetition and sequencing, giving his sculptures, prints and paintings an imbedded language and personal history.

SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 11 a.m.

Bale Creek Allen
Photo courtesy of the Kimbell

Bale Creek Allen, artist, Fort Worth

Moderated by Robert McAn, head of donor relations, membership, and special events

Bale Creek Allen was born in California to native Texan artist parents. In 2021, he moved to Fort Worth from Austin, where he had lived since 1991. His artwork embraces many mediums, from bronze sculpture, painting, photography, neon and woodwork to the spoken word, music and theater. Among his best-known works are tumbleweeds, tire treads and other detritus objects that he found while traveling the open road, painstakingly cast into bronze sculptures with a range of finishes, from gold to nickel. Whatever the medium, Allen, with a keen eye for composition and exquisite craftsmanship, reveals the inherent and suggestive narrative qualities of familiar objects. Allen received a degree from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Alongside his own studio practice, he operated Gallery 68 in Austin from 1995 to 2000 and opened BCA Gallery in 2016, which is now located in Fort Worth’s Near Southside.

SATURDAY, MAY 20, 11 a.m.

Mihee Nahm, artist, Grapevine

Mihee Nahm
Photo courtesy of the Kimbell

Moderated by Jennifer Casler Price, curator of Asian, African, and Ancient American art

Mihee Nahm creates densely layered oil paintings depicting everyday flora she photographs on daily walks. Formal elements such as color, texture, light, shape and form are selected and often digitally altered to communicate Nahm’s visual attraction while evoking a sense of longing. Starting with acrylic on a small scale, these images are drawn, and then a few are selected for life-sized renderings in oil. This labor-intensive way of creation emphasizes Nahm’s primary goal of mimesis. Although each individual painting goes through various approaches of fabrication, the consistency of added layers is evident throughout her work. Nahm holds an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin and a BFA from the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Her work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions nationally. She also has attended residencies at the Vermont Studio Center and Brush Creek Foundation. She is currently an Affiliate Professor of Art at the University of Dallas.

The post “The Artist’s Eye” Celebrates 40 Years first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Shan Kuang to the Kimbell. She takes a place in the long lineage of outstanding conservators who have worked in one of the first purpose-built museum conservation studios in the U.S.,” said Eric M. Lee, director of the Kimbell. “We look forward to the remarkable projects Shan will take on at the museum and her future scholarly contributions to the field of conservation.”

Prior to joining the Kimbell in summer 2022, Kuang researched and conserved Italian works from a range of schools and periods, including paintings by Lippo di Benivieni, Vittore Carpaccio, Sebastiano del Piombo, Jacopo Pontormo, Guido Cagnacci and Canaletto. She additionally taught conservation graduate students in studio-classrooms and worked to create an interactive, open access website to house conservation images and technical studies of paintings from the dispersed Samuel H. Kress Collection, one of the most important collections of Old Master pictures in the United States.

The Kimbell’s Conservation Studio, courtesy of the Kimbell

“I look forward to working in a collaborative environment, for which the Kimbell is notable,” said Kuang. “It is a privilege to continue working on paintings of great quality, an opportunity afforded by the Kimbell’s incredible permanent collection and special exhibitions.”

Kuang holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Yale University and completed her graduate training in the conservation of easel paintings at the University of Cambridge’s Hamilton Kerr Institute. She held a post-graduate internship at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. and work placements at the Royal Collection Trust, Simon Bobak Conservation, and Yale University Art Gallery. Kuang will continue to build on her expertise in Old Master paintings – including the present conservation and study of Jupiter Among the Corybantes by Giuseppe Maria Crespi – and will help assume the care of American paintings from peer institutions.

While the Kimbell’s conservation studio primarily cares for the museum’s internationally renowned permanent collection, it also serves as a critical resource for the North Texas museum community and other museums and private collections across the country. The department’s setup comprises specialized equipment used for technical analysis of art works, including a camera for infrared reflectography and an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanner. Kuang joins Peter Van de Moortel, who joined the Museum in 2017 and was appointed Chief Conservator in 2021.

“Shan Kuang has distinguished herself in the field of paintings conservation and is a key addition to the department,” said Van de Moortel. “She brings not only experience and valuable insight to the role of conservator, but enthusiasm and warmth. It is a pleasure to welcome her to the Kimbell and the Fort Worth community.”

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Maya mythology is rich and complex — to date, its cast of divine protagonists, as represented through dense iconography, has not been the focus of an exhibition. For the ancient Maya, gods were born, lived as infants, reached their peak of maturity and influence, aged and ultimately perished, some to be born anew. This exhibition examines depictions of deities and unpacks the complex imagery that revealed such godly identities and divine aspects.

“Lives of the Gods offers an unprecedented view into the world of the ancient Maya and an exciting opportunity to expand our understanding and appreciation of Maya art. These impressive loans from our esteemed collaborators from Mexico, Guatemala and international museums showcase the awe-inspiring world where the earthly and divine intersect in powerful statements about the universal order,” said Eric M. Lee, director of the Kimbell Art Museum. “We are delighted that the Kimbell will once again present a seminal exhibition of Maya art — especially during the museum’s 50th anniversary year.”

Codex-Style Vessel
Guatemala or Mexico
700-750 A.D.
Ceramic, pigment. H. 3 3/4 × Diam. 4 1/8 in. (9.5 × 10.5 cm)
Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas (AP 2004.04)

Maya artists gave form to the gods in remarkably imaginative ways, through works of astonishing visual complexity and aesthetic refinement. Exquisitely carved sculptures were believed to embody divine power and presence; skillfully carved ornaments of jadeite, shell and obsidian once adorned kings and queens, symbolically connecting them to supernatural forces; and finely painted ceramics reveal the eventful lives of the gods in rich detail.

Notably, Lives of the Gods brings to the forefront new discoveries and understandings of Maya culture. Recent advances in the study of Maya hieroglyphs have made it possible to identify the names of dozens of artists from the Classic period, and this marks the first time in a major exhibition that any of their names will be identified on the accompanying exhibition labels. While artist signatures are scarce on ancient art across the world, Maya sculptors and painters did sign their works, sometimes prominently, on beautifully carved stone monuments and delicately ornamented vessels. Lives of the Gods will include four works by named individuals, as well as several examples attributed to Maya painters.

“One of the fascinating things about this exhibition is the number of works with artist’s signatures or attributions — a visual record indicating that Maya artists and scribes were held in high esteem and recognized as important in their own time,” said Jennifer Casler Price, curator of Asian, African and Ancient American art at the Kimbell.

“Also, to have an exhibition where nearly half of the works have never been exhibited in the United States is truly astounding. This is a unique opportunity to not only see, but to discover several iconic works of Maya art, such as the massive carved limestone Stela 51 from Calakmul, Mexico, but to discover recently excavated works as well, like the set of five beguiling, ceramic lidded bowls adorned with animal heads from El Zotz in Guatemala.”

K’in Lakam Chahk and Patlajte’ K’awiil Mo[…] (Maya sculptors, active 8th century)
Throne 1
Piedras Negras, Petén, Guatemala,
785 A.D.
Limestone. (Approx.) H. 59 1/16 × W. 78 3/4 × D. 78 3/4 in. (150 × 200 × 200 cm.)
Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, Guatemala City, Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes de Guatemala (MUNAE 614; Registry 1.1.1.709 ab)

The exhibition is organized thematically, following the arc of the lives of the gods and their place within a cosmological framework. The first section of the exhibition, “Creations,” will present mythical episodes related to the origin of the world. On August 11, 3114 B.C., before the advent of cities and writing in this part of the world, inscriptions tell us that the deities “were set in order,” and the gods placed stones in mythical locations. Maya kings replicated these divine actions at celebrations marking the ends of calendrical periods, each calculated at regular intervals from 3114 B.C. Featured here will be the Kimbell’s pair of elaborate censer stands (ca. 690–720, probably from Palenque), adorned with stacked masks that portray gods with both human and animal elements. During religious rituals, gods rested on these stands, which were thought of as their embodiments.

“Day” will explore the balance between the gods of the day, such as the Sun God K’inich, and the nocturnal gods like the Jaguar God in the section “Night,” to follow. The sun was associated with life-giving forces, and rulers who identified closely with this power would often add the title K’inich to their name. Many deceased kings were portrayed as glorious new suns rising in the sky, overseeing their successors’ performance of royal duties. Equally imposing and dignified, Maya artists created imaginative and terrifying images of nocturnal deities. Jaguars — who figure prominently in imagery of the night gods — are powerful nighttime hunters in the Maya area, and therefore jaguar gods and goddesses all displayed an aggressive, warlike personality. There were also beautiful and often suggestive nocturnal deities such as the Moon Goddess, who was sometimes identified in texts as the sun’s wife or mother, represented in various narratives on vessels throughout this section.

The “Rain” section will feature depictions of two important and interrelated gods — the powerful rain god, Chahk, and the god of lightning, fertility and abundance, K’awiil. Rain gods were venerated throughout the Maya region, and acts of appeasement to them were, and still are, critical for the well-being of communities. A highlight will be a tripod plate (7th–8th century) that depicts Chahk waist-high in water, with the Maize God emerging from a waterlily in the depths below and celestial beings hovering above him.

Maize God
Copan, Honduras
715 A.D.
Limestone. H. 35 1/16 × W. 22 1/4 × D. 11 13/16 in. (89 × 56.5 × 30 cm)
British Museum, London (Am1923,Maud.8)

The section on “Maize” chronicles this god’s life, death and rebirth through an assemblage of stunning and inventive masterpieces. The Maize God represented the beauty of the Maya staple crop and is often depicted by Maya artists as an eternally youthful, graceful being. The Maize God was also associated with two of the most valuable items in ancient Maya economies — jade and cacao. Episodes from the Maize God’s mythical saga appear on some of the ancient Americas’ finest ceramic vessels.

“Knowledge” will delve into the work of the scribes, who spent long years learning the intricacies of Maya writing and employed hundreds of signs in varied combinations, which can be seen throughout the exhibition — including on an exquisite vessel depicting two scenes of an old god instructing young pupils from the Kimbell. Only four of the books created in the pre-Hispanic period have endured to the present day, but texts that survive on relief sculptures and delicately painted ceramics provide a resource for understanding Classic Maya alliances, conquests and spiritual beliefs.

The final section, on “Patron Gods,” will include a striking series of works depicting kings and queens taking on various aspects and attributes of the gods. Maya artists created monumental sculptures to celebrate events and depict the perceived connection between rulers and the gods. Freestanding slabs known as stelae stood in the large plazas of Maya cities, and some of these sculptures bear the signatures of sculptors. Also on display will be a remarkable lintel — a horizontal support spanning a doorway — made of zapote wood. There are few Maya works carved in wood in antiquity that survive to the present day, and this lintel represents a celebration in the wake of the victory of Tikal (and its king Yihk’in Chan K’awiil) over rival Naranjo.

The extraordinarily rich array of exceptional sculptures, vessels and precious ornaments in the exhibition demonstrate the intimate relationship between Maya royalty and the gods, underscore the role of religion in the establishment and maintenance of Maya political authority and are a testament to the imaginative and technical virtuosity of Maya artists.

Monument 155 (Captive Impersonating Jaguar Deity)
Tonina, Chiapas, Mexico
ca. 700 A.D.
Sandstone. H. 22 7/16 x W. 18 1/8 x D. 4 5/16 in. (57 x 46 x 11 cm)
Museo de Sitio de Toniná, Mexico, Secretaría de Cultura– Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (10- 588895; Public Registry 1AMA00366979)

Lives of the Gods continues the Kimbell’s dedication to collecting and exhibiting objects that tell the stories of cultures from around the world. The exhibition follows the Kimbell’s history of important presentations of ancient American art, including The Blood of Kings: A New Interpretation of Maya Art (1986), Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea (2010–11), and Wari: Lords of the Ancient Andes (2013). Additionally, four objects from the museum’s permanent collection — a pair of impressive censers stands and two intricately painted vessels — are part of this landmark exhibition.

Lives of the Gods is a partnership between the Kimbell Art Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the exhibition is on view through April 2, 2023. The Kimbell hosts the second and final presentation of this landmark exhibition during its 50th anniversary year of celebration.

The post The Kimbell Presents the Lives of the Gods first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

On view for free in the Kimbell’s Louis I. Kahn Building from July 19 to October 9, 2022, SLAY: Artemisia Gentileschi & Kehinde Wiley places the two stunning paintings in dialogue with one another, revealing shared narratives and ideas across time and culture. The subject of the two paintings, which appears repeatedly throughout art history, is taken from the apocryphal Old Testament Book of Judith. A Jewish town is under attack by the Assyrian army, led by the general Holofernes. Judith, a local widow, dresses in finery and visits the enemy camp with her maidservant under the pretense of helping Holofernes defeat the Israelites. After he falls asleep, she cuts his head off with his own sword. The army flees in the aftermath, and the Jewish people are liberated by Judith’s courageous act.

Kehinde Wiley (American, born 1977)
Judith and Holofernes
2012
Oil on linen
Framed: 130 1/2 x 99 7/8 in (331.5 x 253.7 cm)
Purchased with funds from Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hanes in honor of Dr. Emily Farnham, by exchange, and from the North Carolina State Art Society (Robert F. Phifer Bequest), 2012
2012.6
© Kehinde Wiley. Courtesy of the North Carolina Museum of Art and Sean Kelly, New York

These two paintings of women in acts of courageous defiance and female empowerment stimulate discussion around gender, race, violence, oppression and social power—all of which have remained relevant from the 17th century to now. “The dynamics of power, the struggle for freedom and the triumph of the disenfranchised are fundamental themes in art and literature through the ages. Seeing these paintings together helps to sharpen our sensibilities and broaden our vision,” says Nancy E. Edwards, curator of European art and head of academic services at the Kimbell.

Gentileschi’s Judith and Holofernes returns to the Kimbell for the first time since its appearance in the 2020 special exhibition Flesh and Blood: Italian Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum. This painting is both a powerful statement of Gentileschi’s skill as an artist—which gained her much recognition during her lifetime—and a testament to the personal and professional adversity she overcame in establishing a successful painting practice at a time when the field was almost entirely male dominated.

Artemisia Gentileschi (Rome 1593–Naples c. 1653)
Judith and Holofernes
1612–17
Oil on canvas
159 x 126 cm
Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte
Inv. Q 378

Wiley is best known for his monumental portraits of young Black men placed in historical poses and settings adapted from Old Master paintings. He consistently addresses issues of race within art history while also commenting on contemporary culture, gender, identity, power and inequality. Judith and Holofernes, from Wiley’s first series of paintings to feature female subjects, is the first of the artist’s works to be displayed at the Kimbell. As in his earlier series, the artist used “street casting” to find his models. Wiley references a 17th-century painting by Giovanni Baglione, Judith and the Head of Holofernes, with the victor’s triumphant stance.

“At the Kimbell, we believe that art enables us to better understand ourselves and our world,” says Eric M. Lee, director of the Kimbell Art Museum. “We invite visitors to SLAY to explore the paintings’ pictorial power and their ability to communicate critical issues across time, place and culture.”

Organized by the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Kimbell Art Museum and The Museum Box, this focus exhibition coincides with the special exhibitions The Language of Beauty in African Art, on view through July 31, 2022, and Murillo: From Heaven to Earth, on view September 18, 2022, to January 29, 2023, as well as with the Kimbell’s 50th Anniversary celebration, from October 4 to 8, 2022.

DATES

July 19–October 9, 2022
Subject to change

VISITOR INFORMATION

Admission to SLAY: Artemisia Gentileschi & Kehinde Wiley is free.
Admission to the museum’s permanent collection is always free.

The Kimbell Art Museum is open Tuesdays through Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Fridays, noon–8 p.m.; Sundays, noon–5 p.m.; closed Mondays, New Year’s Day, July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas. For general information, call 817-332-8451.

RELATED PROGRAMS

Members’ Exhibition Tours
Guests of Honor: Modigliani, Gentileschi, and Wiley

Learn about current guests of honor during docent-guided tours that provide historical context, discuss overarching themes and highlight individual artworks. Members may invite one nonmember guest.

SATURDAYS, JULY 23 and AUGUST 20, 2–3 p.m.

Kahn Building
Free; registration required
Space is limited.

Films

Revolutionary Painters across the Centuries: Gentileschi and Wiley

SELECTED SUNDAYS, 2–3 p.m.

Kahn Auditorium
Free; no registration required
Seating is limited.

AUGUST 14

Michael Palin’s Quest for Artemisia (2015, 60 min.)

A recent documentary from the BBC explores the life of 17th-century painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Actor, writer and documentarian Michael Palin travels throughout Italy to unearth the artist’s finest paintings and the complex challenges she faced as a woman centuries ahead of her time. Against all odds, Gentileschi achieved success in a male-dominated world, and her work eventually became sought after in courts across Europe. Today, she is recognized as one of the greatest painters of the Baroque age and indeed one of the most important women painters in the history of art.

AUGUST 28

Kehinde Wiley: An Economy of Grace (2014, 60 min.)

This intimate portrait of one of this generation’s most accomplished visionaries follows Kehinde Wiley as he embarks on a series of classical portraits of African American women whose poses are based on historical paintings. It documents the project as it unfolds—from concept to canvas and from casting models from the streets of New York to enlisting the fashion house Givenchy to create couture gowns for each woman.

The post Courageous Defiance and Empowerment at the Kimbell first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

To celebrate its golden anniversary, the Kimbell Art Museum is inviting visitors – past and present – to share the memories they have made at the museum since its public opening in 1972. Submissions will inspire the development of Kimbell Stories, a limited documentary web series that the museum says will explore the extraordinary power of art and design.

“For nearly half a century, the Kimbell has welcomed visitors from Fort Worth and around the world to experience incredible art in an unparalleled setting,” Kimbell Art Museum Director Eric M. Lee said in a news release. “During this landmark anniversary, we want to acknowledge and celebrate the very people who have shaped the Kimbell into the enduring place of inspiration that it is today.”

From first dates and engagements to impactful art encounters and experiences, the Kimbell’s iconic architecture, outstanding permanent collection and influential special exhibitions have served for 50 years as the backdrop for visitors’ important moments and milestones – and the Kimbell continues to be a place where meaningful experiences can happen.

Kimbell Stories will showcase a diverse collection of memories and celebrate the transcendent power of art, all through the eyes of museum visitors.

The museum is accepting submissions to be considered for inclusion in Kimbell Stories through May 31. Museum-goers with personal stories to share are encouraged to submit them online at kimbellart.org/50.

Submissions will be entered for a chance to win a year-long family membership to the museum. The winner will be announced on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Kimbell’s 50th Anniversary Family Festival & Celebration.

The Kimbell Art Museum is owned and operated by the Kimbell Art Foundation and is internationally renowned for its collections and its architecture. The museum’s 1972 building, designed by the American architect Louis I. Kahn, is widely regarded as one of the outstanding architectural achievements of the modern era. A second building, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, opened in 2013 and now provides space for special exhibitions, dedicated classrooms and a 289-seat auditorium. For more information, visit kimbellart.org.

Information for this article was provided by the Kimbell Art Museum. It was originally published by the Fort Worth Business Press, and is shared here with permission. 

The post Artful Anniversary first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Across Fort Worth and around the world, artists are responding to a year of massive upheaval with mural making. In a time of social distancing, murals have become medium and megaphone for critical conversations, community activism and public art. From downtown Fort Worth and the Near Southside to the Stockyards and beyond, murals with a message can be found on street corners and alleyways—and sometimes in unexpected places. Local artists and experts will discuss how murals intersect with power, protest and representation.

“Fort Worth’s vibrant arts scene has responded in remarkable ways to this turbulent year of pandemics, politics and protests,” said William Gibbons, associate dean of TCU’s College of Fine Arts. “Public art helps each of us process the fundamental challenges of our times, and it also has the power to bring us together as a community in a uniquely isolating moment.”

Letitia Huckaby, local photographer, artist and co-founder of Huckaby Studios; local artist Juan Velazquez of Velazquez Art; and Jan Ballard, instructor of graphic design at TCU’s College of Fine Arts, will join moderator Jerome Weeks, senior arts reporter and producer for Art&Seek, in this discussion.

“Since the program’s inception, State of the Arts has been an occasion to connect with our arts community,” said Eric M. Lee, director of the Kimbell Art Museum. “In this year of social distancing, that purpose seems more poignant than ever.”

This free one-hour event begins at noon. To register, go to www.artandseek.org/fortworthmurals. For more information, visit kimbellart.org.

Letitia Huckaby has a degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography from the Art Institute of Boston and her master’s degree from the University of North Texas in Denton. Huckaby has exhibited as an emerging artist at Phillips New York, the Tyler Museum of Art, The Studio School of Harlem, the Camden Palace Hotel in Cork City, Ireland and the Texas Biennial at Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum. Her work is included in several prestigious collections: the Library of Congress, the McNay Art Museum, the Art Museum of Southeast Texas and the Samella Lewis Contemporary Art Collection at Scripps College in Claremont, California. Huckaby was a featured artist in “MAP2020: The Further We Roll, The More We Gain” at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art and “State of the Art 2020” at The Momentary and Crystal Bridges Museum; both opened in the spring of 2020. She is currently a Fall 2020 Artist-in-Residence at ArtPace.

Juan Velazquez is a Fort Worth artist once known for practicing only traditional, fundamental oil methods. He adapted to the COVID pandemic by evolving into a muralist who uses spray paint as his medium. Velazquez has brought the community of Fort Worth together by creating murals that shed light on social issues and injustices.

Jan Ballard holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-­Champaign. Since joining the Texas Christian University faculty, she has taught and assisted in the development of courses, including Communication Graphics, Typography 1, 2, and 3, Corporate Identity, Publication Design, Professional Recognition, Portfolio and Marketing, and Senior Thesis. In 2019, she was honored to receive the TCU Deans’ Teaching Award. In the same year, she was honored by the Tenth District of the American Advertising Federation as Educator of the Year and was the first TCU female faculty member to be so honored. She is a core affiliate of Women and Gender Studies and an IdeaFactory Fellow. In 2018, she was featured in “Teaching Graphic Design History,” by Steven Heller, and in 2018, she was one of 60 international teachers featured in Heller’s “Teaching Graphic Design: Course Offerings and Class Projects from the Leading Graduate and Undergraduate Programs.”

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