cover photo - Chrysler Museum of Art

Chrysler
The Members’ Magazine | Fall 2015
Envisioning
a New Chrysler
Museum of Art
board of trustees 2015–2016
“Progress is impossible without change,” George Bernard Shaw once
said. That quote might seem like a reproach to an institution that
lives to preserve and to conserve, an institution like the Chrysler
Museum of Art. We exist, in part, to take care of the beautiful
objects in our collections. Visitors want to come back year after year
and see that the painting they love is still there, exactly the same as
it was 10 years ago.
However, by being true to one of their key missions, museums
become vulnerable to inertia. They can become static, with the
objects virtually encased in amber—beautiful to behold, but
unchanging. If left alone, a museum loses its vibrancy. It becomes
boring and follows the path of withering irrelevance. To counteract
this influence and to fulfill our equally important educational
mission, we must insist on meaningful growth and change.
Earlier this year, the staff, volunteers, Trustees, and I embarked on a
“visioning” process to help us chart a dynamic future for the Chrysler.
We set out to build on the strengths of this wonderful Museum and
to make it even better. We also sought out opportunities for new
challenges. Throughout this exercise, we worked to reinforce the
culture of our Museum, where individuals are valued and welcomed.
From an initial group of goals and objectives for the coming
three to five years, we settled on six priorities. They are ambitious,
but achievable.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive and
realistic technology plan across the Museum
• Establish new educational programs and a dedicated
learning space for families and early learners
• Expand and upgrade the Glass Studio to allow for a
broader range of classes and increased participation
• Create a space for proper storage and study of works
on paper and small objects of art
• Organize and present a major exhibition with the
potential for national impact
• Devise and execute a long-term marketing strategy to address
both regional and national audiences in order to increase
audiences and awareness of the Chrysler.
These are big plans, but why trifle with little ones? Fulfilling them
will take work and sacrifice. I know we will achieve them, and the
result will be a significantly improved Chrysler Museum of Art—
true to its mission, but brave enough to change.
Lewis W. Webb III, Esq., Chair
Thomas L. Stokes, Jr., Vice Chair
Lelia Graham Webb, Secretary
Yvonne T. Allmond
Dudley Anderson, M.D., F.A.C.P.
Tony Atwater
Shirley C. Baldwin
Carolyn K. Barry
Kathleen Broderick
Deborah H. Butler
Susan R. Colpitts
Elizabeth Fraim
Edith G. Grandy
James A. Hixon
Marc Jacobson
Linda H. Kaufman
Pamela C. Kloeppel
Harry T. Lester
Suzanne Mastracco
Oriana M. McKinnon
Peter M. Meredith, Jr.
J. Douglas Perry
C. Arthur Rutter III
Lisa B. Smith
Bob Sasser
Richard Waitzer
Joseph T. Waldo
Wayne F. Wilbanks
chrysler magazine
Denis Finley,
Director of Communications
Cheryl Little, Editor/
Publications Manager
Ed Pollard, Museum Photographer
Jane Cleary, Graphics Manager
Megan Frost, Development Officer
Chrysler Magazine is a quarterly
publication produced for and
mailed to Chrysler Museum
Members as a benefit of their
generous support.
Update or verify your membership
information at http://reservations.
chrysler.org or contact Database
Manager Fleater Allen at:
Chrysler Museum of Art
One Memorial Place,
Norfolk, VA 23510
(757) 333-6287 | fallen@chrysler.org.
The Chrysler Museum of Art,
all rights reserved © 2015
on the cover
Erik H. Neil, Director
The Miracle of Saint George
and the Dragon,
also called “The Black George,”
early 1400s
Novgorod, Russia
Egg tempera on wood
British Museum, 1986,0603.1
Chrysler
The Members’ Magazine | Fall 2015
inside front cover
2
7
9
10 Tony Vaccaro
(American, b. 1922)
Georgia O'Keeffe,
Taos Pueblo, New Mexico,
April 1960
Photograph (gelatin silver print)
Collection of the
Chrysler Museum of Art
Gift of the artist
© Tony Vaccaro, used by permission
14
18
19 20 21 Horizons Hampton Roads
22 24 25 26 27 28
Tom Moore
(Australian, b. 1971)
Leafy Bird Boy, 2013
Blown glass
Photo by Grant Hancock,
courtesy of the artist
Director’s Note
featured exhibition
Saints and Dragons
in the galleries
Exhibitions on View
Spotlight Exhibition:
Beverly Fishman: In Sickness and In Health
Collection Connection:
Serial Thrillers: The Lure of Old Master
Print Series and Georgia O’Keeffe:
A Place of Her Own
chrysler news
Our Perry Glass Studio Turns 4
New Acquisition
Norfolk Society of Arts Lecture Series
New Staff
Introducing the Corporate
Leadership Alliance
Spring and Summer Events at the Museum
events and guests
Masterpiece Society News
CMA Keeps Charity Navigator’s Trust
Events for Members and Their Friends
Member-exclusive Art Travel
last look
The Opening Party—
Tseng Kwong Chi: Performing for the Camera
back cover
At The Museum Shop
2 | fall 2015
The Power of Art
Saints and Dragons at the
Chrysler Museum of Art
w
hen an icon of the Mother of God was
carried into Moscow in 1395, marauding
Mongols stopped dead in their tracks,
leaving the city unharmed.
After Duke Vasili III of Russia blessed his soldiers
with an icon of Christ in 1514, his army laid waste
to enemy troops occupying the city of Smolensk.
Hitler’s Nazi forces began to retreat from Moscow
in 1942 after Joseph Stalin, an avowed atheist,
reportedly flew an icon in a plane over the city.
These stories convey the power of the art on view
this fall in our exhibition Saints and Dragons: Icons
from Byzantium to Russia. The show presents
more than 160 extraordinary objects loaned by
the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, Mass., and
The British Museum, London. Many of these icons
seldom travel and several from The British Museum
have never visited America due to their fragility
and rarity. Their power, however, is unquestionable.
More than Mere Pictures
Visitors to the Chrysler often discover art’s beauty
and learn about an artist’s technique, but this
exhibition draws attention to another dimension
of art: its mystical power. Unlike ordinary images,
icons are considered sacred objects by Orthodox
Christians, who see them as a way of communing
directly with the divine. Icons may represent holy
figures and tell stories about their lives, but they
also convey the actual presence of those saintly
subjects. When the faithful venerate an icon, their
gaze is said to pass beyond the depiction, allowing
them to peer into the holy, as if looking through a
window onto heaven.
To modern art audiences, who often prize
originality, an icon’s imagery may seem derivative,
but that is actually the source of its strength. As
part of a tradition that spans millennia, icons are
derived from Church-approved prototypes—an
originating icon, often identified because it has
interceded in human activities or performed a
miracle. As such, icon painters are not meant to
introduce changes, much in the same way the
devout are not meant to alter the words of a sacred
text. This is no mere analogy. Indeed, Russians do
not describe icon-making as painting, preferring
the words písať perom, which means, “to write
with a pen.”
Although most icons are deliberately unoriginal,
every object in this exhibition tells a unique story.
The Byzantine Icon of St. John the Forereunner, for
example, is notable for its age—made around
1300, it is one of the oldest in the show. It is also
noteworthy for its subtly uncommon features.
Most images show him as an unkempt ascetic,
often emaciated with wild hair. This depiction
includes St. John’s traditionally disheveled hair,
but uses realistic shading and elegantly elongated
features that emphasize his noble character.
Similarly, the icon shown on this issue’s cover,
St. George from the early 1400s, includes atypical
imagery. Usually depicted on a white steed (as in
the later icon at right), The British Museum’s rare
icon is called “The Black George” since the saint
rides a dark horse. The object’s history is also
unusual. Discovered in 1959 in a small village in
northwest Russia, the panel had been repainted
for use as a barn window shutter. Conservators
removed many coats of paint, including a folk
image from the 1700s and a layer from the 1600s,
before discovering the saint. Owned by the wife
of a dissident Russian author, the icon travelled
with them to Western Europe when they were
allowed to leave the country in 1973.
Saints and Dragons also includes a number of
icons made famous for performing miracles. For
example, multiple versions of The Mother of God
of the Sign will be on view, one of which has an
elaborate gilded silver oklad, or covering. The icon
became a powerful symbol of protection after it
defended the city of Novgorod in 1170. When four
united armies stormed the city, the Archbishop of
Novgorod prayed for three days until he heard a
voice emanating from an icon of Christ. It told him
Saint George and the Dragon,
ca. 1500
Russia
Egg tempera on wood
Museum of Russian Icons, R2003.5
in the galleries | 3
to install the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign
on the city wall. The attacking troops unleashed
a volley of arrows on the city and one struck the
icon, which turned away and wept. When the
Archbishop wiped away her tears, darkness fell
over the invading soldiers, who panicked and
blindly attacked themselves.
venerate the divine subjects revealed by the icons
rather than the icons themselves. Empowered by
the newfound approval, icon-making exceeded
its earlier glory, and artists responded to a craze
for rare and expensive materials by adorning icons
with gold, ivory, and pearls made available through
Byzantium’s extensive trade networks.
From Byzantium to Russia
In addition to exploring the sacred power of
icons, Saints and Dragons traces how religious and
political power shifted throughout Eastern Europe.
The icons on view reflect subtle variations in style
and ornament that help map the centers of icon
production as they moved from the Byzantine
Empire to Russia, illuminating the history of the
Orthodox Church.
The Orthodox Church began sending missionaries
to the Balkans and as far north as modern-day
Russia, and they carried icons with them as they
spread the faith. In 988, Prince Vladimir of Kiev
(958–1015) converted his kingdom (present-day
Ukraine and southwestern Russia) to Christianity.
Seeking to unify his kingdom, Vladimir decided to
establish a single state religion. He sent emissaries
abroad to meet with Muslims, Jews, Western
Christians, and Orthodox Byzantines so he could
decide which faith to adopt. When his emissaries
returned from the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople,
they recounted their mystical experience viewing
icons in the cathedral. “We didn’t know whether
we were in heaven or on earth, for such beauty
is not found on earth,” they reportedly told the
prince. “Certainly God lives among these people.”
Vladimir made Christianity the state religion and
invited icon painters from the south to teach
Russian artists their craft.
Icon painting originally flourished in
Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). The city
became the capital of the Roman Empire in 330,
when Rome’s first Christian emperor, Constantine
(272–337), moved his government to a small Greek
village and named it after himself. After Rome
was sacked by the Gauls in 387 and the Visigoths
in 410, the Western Empire collapsed, but the
Eastern Empire, then known as Byzantium, thrived.
Strategically positioned on waterways connecting
Europe and Asia, the capital would come to be
thought of as the New Rome, attracting artists
from throughout the Empire. Melding the
ancient arts of Rome and Greece with Orthodox
Christianity, Byzantine Christians developed icons
whose grace can be traced to classical models.
Saint John the Forerunner,
ca. 1300
Constantinople, Turkey
Egg tempera on wood
British Museum, 1986,0708.1
Image Not Made By Hands,
ca. 1680
Crete
Egg tempera on wood
Museum of Russian Icons, R2014.5.6
4 | fall 2015
As Byzantium prospered, icon production
blossomed and imperial workshops outfitted
palaces and churches. In the 700s, however, icon
production came to a halt after ruling emperors
decreed that icons were “graven images” and
thus biblically forbidden. Icons were publicly
destroyed, and bloody fighting broke out between
factions until 787, when Church patriarchs devised
a theological solution that allowed icons. They
declared that worshipers would henceforth
The Byzantine influence on Russian kingdoms
continued even as the Empire began to crumble.
Venetian crusaders en route to the Holy Land
attacked Constantinople in 1204, sacking its
churches and looting their holy objects. By the
time Constantinople was reclaimed in 1261, the
Empire’s territories had fragmented. In the north,
though, Orthodoxy and icon painting continued to
spread, and when the Byzantine Empire collapsed
in 1453, Moscow took over the responsibility of
maintaining the Church and creating sacred
images. After 1472, when Ivan III (1440–1505)
married Sophia (née Zoe) Palaiologina (ca. 1440–
1503), the niece of the last Byzantine emperor,
Moscow could claim to be the Third Rome and
Byzantium’s heir.
Mother of God with Saints,
also known as The Wernher Triptych, 900s
Byzantine
Ivory
British Museum, 1978,0502.10
Ivories from The British Museum
Come to the Chrysler
Saints and Dragons at the Chrysler Museum of Art will include
a special treat—six additional icons from the collection of
The British Museum in London. These rare works were unable
to appear in the exhibition when it debuted at the Museum
of Russian Icons in Clinton, Mass.
Why?
These icons are made of ivory—and recent laws restrict
caption
international travel on the movement of elephant ivory.
Though the measures are designed to help reduce illegal
wildlife trafficking and trade in the rare commodity, even
ancient cultural objects made of ivory require special
permission to enter the United States.
Even centuries ages ago when these icons were created,
ivory was a rare luxury item. The elite, some churches, and
the most devout of pilgrims traveled from Egypt or Syria to
Constantinople. There artists would purchase the costly tusks
and carve them for commissions. And just as the ancient trade
routes did not always offer an easy journey, so international
travel for ivory artworks poses challenges in our century.
Today, not all ivories are granted export licenses to travel
abroad. Though The Museum of Russian Icons had requested
these ancient works for its exhibition, the detailed
documentation and permissions process often takes time. With
the help of museum professionals and government officials on
both sides of the Atlantic, especially those in the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, the Chrysler was able to gain the approvals to
include the ivories in our expanded version of the exhibition.
The Chrysler is honored to be the first and only American
museum ever to display these six sacred masterworks in ivory
from the renowned collection of The British Museum. Their
inclusion helps make Saints and Dragons a once-in-a-lifetime,
must-see exhibition.
Saints and Dragons
Programs
and Events
All programs are free,
unless noted. R.S.V.P. for
ticketed events at
reservations.chrysler.org.
At The Museum Shop
Find great merchandise
featuring both saints and
dragons. Museum Members
save 10% on all their purchases.
Icons Then and Now |
Gallery Talk
Sunday, November 8 | 1 p.m.
Learn the storied history of
these sacred artworks from
experts at The Museum of
Russian Icons—CEO and
Curator Kent dur Russell and
founder Gordon Lankton.
In Concert: The RimskyKorsakov String Quartet
Sunday, November 8
2 p.m. | Kaufman Theater
Enjoy classical favorites by
Rachmaninov, Stravinsky,
Mozart, and more as we
welcome these acclaimed
performers from
St. Petersburg, Russia.
Cost: Free for Museum
Members, $10 for all others.
Advance tickets are required.
Saints and Dragons:
Icons from Byzantium
to Russia is organized by
The Museum of Russian
Icons, Clinton, Mass., in
cooperation with The
British Museum, London.
6 | fall 2015
Iconic Mosaic | Glass
Studio Workshop
The Art of Gilding
Workshop
Saturday, December 12
10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Make a gold-leaf panel using
The Perry Glass Studio, 745
the ancient method of water
Duke Street, Norfolk
gilding with 24-karat gold,
Transform small bits of cut
then
embellish it with Russian
flat glass into a coldworked
calligraphy.
Alexis Duncan
panel inspired by Russian
from
Albany,
N.Y., a Russian
iconography (ages 16+).
Cost: $90 for Museum Members, Orthodox priest and trained
iconographer, is your guide.
$115 for all others.
All supplies are included in the
price (ages 14+).
Windows onto Heaven
Cost:
$75 for Museum Members,
Wednesday, November 18
$100
for
all others.
1 p.m.
Saturday, November 14
10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Join us for an insightful
walk-and-talk through our
fall keynote exhibition. Father
George Bessinas, Proistamenos
of Norfolk’s Annunciation
Greek Orthodox Cathedral,
discusses the use of icons in the
Orthodox faith as he leads this
tour of the show.
Sounds of the Saints
Saturday, December 19
1 p.m.
Celebrate St. Nicholas and
the holiday season with
an enlightening Saints and
Dragons presentation and a
special choral performance.
Father George Bessinas of
Annunciation Greek Orthodox
Cathedral presents an
illustrated talk about Orthodox
traditions involving icons. Later,
the cathedral’s chanters, choir,
and youth choir fill the air with
traditional and contemporary
songs in English and in Greek.
Mother of God Kazanskaya, 1600s
Moscow, Russia
Egg tempera on wood with silver and enamel
The British Museum, 1895,1224.1
The Mother of God Kazanskaya from the 1600s
demonstrates the merging of these Byzantine
and Russian traditions. Although based on a
Byzantine prototype, this particular iteration of
the icon appeared in Russia in 1579 after liberation
of the city of Kazan. A recurrent vision appeared
to a young girl, Matrona, which led her to a
burnt house. In the ashes she discovered the
icon in perfect condition, buried there earlier to
protect it from the invading Tatars. Inspired by
the discovery, the faithful built a monastery at
the site—and the miraculous icon housed there
became known throughout Russia as a protector
of the countryside. While the gilded silver
covering is embellished with jewel-like enamel
filigree popular in 17th-century Russia, the icon
includes an inscription in Greek that reads, simply,
“Mother of God.”
A Living Tradition
The power of Saints and Dragons continues
to thrive in Hampton Roads. In planning this
important exhibition, the Museum has enjoyed
making connections with the local Orthodox
community, including members of St. Joseph of
Optina Russian Orthodox Church in Virginia Beach
and Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral
in Norfolk. To demonstrate the ongoing power
of this tradition, the show will include liturgical
vestments adorned with icons, as well as videos
of icons being used in contemporary services.
The show also will be opened with a blessing by
the Rev. Father George Bessinas of Annunciation
Greek Orthodox Cathedral. As sacred images,
works of art, and historical artifacts, the icons in
Saints and Dragons have many stories to tell—and
an enduring power that will appeal to everyone.
—Seth Feman, Manager of Interpretation
Exhibitions
Serial Thrillers: The Lure of
Old Master Print Series
Saints and Dragons: Icons
from Byzantium to Russia
On view through
January 10, 2016 in the
Waitzer Community Gallery
(G. 103)
Discover the classic appeal
of European woodcuts,
engravings, and etchings
produced as series between the
15th and 18th centuries by some
of the world’s greatest detail
artists, including Albrecht
Dürer, Andrea Andreani, Ludolf
Bakhuizen, and more. These
sets of prints, acquired for
the Chrysler by Chief Curator
Emeritus Jeff Harrison, offer
wonderful workmanship, rich
narratives, and complex visions
of time, space, movement, and
morality through the wide
variety of stories they tell.
On view through
January 10, 2016 in the
Norfolk Southern Special
Exhibitions Gallery
(Gs. 101–102)
Our fall keynote show comprises
more than 160 extraordinary
icons and artifacts of religious,
historical, and artistic
importance that rarely leave
the collections of The British
Museum and the Museum of
Russian Icons. These compelling
works explore the sacred art of
the Orthodox Church from its
origins in ancient Byzantium
and through the storied history
of Christianity in Russia and
beyond. The show marks
the first time that The British
Museum has loaned several of
its most spectacular icons to
any American museum, making
this exhibition a must-see
for 2015.
For more on this intriguing focus
exhibition, see our story on
pages 12–13.
Andrea Andreani
(Italian, 1558/59–1629)
The Sacred Fires and
Sacrificial Animals
from The Triumph of Julius Caesar,
1593–99
Woodcuts
Museum purchase with funds
provided by Members of the Mowbray
Arch Society: Mr. and Mrs. C. Chadwick
Ballard, Dr. and Mrs. Ludwig Diehn,
Mr. Leslie H. Friedman, Mr. and Mrs.
Lee A. Gifford, Ms. Janet Hale-Hamlin,
Ms. Betty Wrenn Hoggard, Mr. and
Mrs. Harry Lester, Mr. and Mrs. John
F. Marshall, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Arnold
B. McKinnon, and Mr. and Mrs. Rolf
Williams, with additional funds
provided by Mr. Jack F. Chrysler, Jr.
In The Box: Kota Ezawa
Opening the evening of
Third Thursday, October 15
in The Box
Reimagine the familiar as our
new-media gallery welcomes
the San Francisco artist known
for his animated audiovisual
mash-ups of popular culture
and art history. Enjoy his
lightbox take on the iconic
Earth From Moon, as well as
two recent video works. City of
Nature presents unpopulated
nature scenes from more than
20 feature films in paint-bynumber-kit style, while
Beatles über California remixes
footage of the Fab Four’s 1964
Ed Sullivan Show appearance
with a 1979 punk soundtrack by
Dead Kennedys.
Kota Ezawa’s In The Box exhibition
works are on loan from Murray Guy,
New York.
Kota Ezawa (German, b. 1969)
Beatles über California, 2011
Still from black and white video
with sound
© Kota Ezawa
in the galleries | 7
AT THE HISTORIC HOUSES
Beth Lipman (American, b. 1971)
Adeline’s Portal (detail), 2013
Blown, fused, cast, sculpted,
flame-worked, cut, and etched
glass (with other materials)
Museum purchase with funds
provided by the Friends of the
Historic Houses
The NEON Festival:
The Chrysler Illuminates
for New Energy Of Norfolk
The evenings of Third
Thursday, October 15 and
Friday, October 16
Let there be light! The Museum
celebrates its role as the anchor
of Norfolk’s new arts district
with a grand illumination of our
Italianate Brock Building façade.
Hampton Roads’ own Blue Steel
Lighting Design collaborates
with the Chrysler to create a
powerful weekend projection
of pure color to light up the
darkness and to symbolize the
enlightenment of hearts and
minds through the arts.
Arshile Gorky:
Between Worlds
Gustav Klimt:
Baby (Cradle)
Georgia O’Keeffe:
A Place of Her Own
Closing October 18 in the
McKinnon Wing of Modern
and Contemporary Art
(G. 223)
Arshile Gorky ranks among the
most inventive and eclectic of
American modernist painters.
Beginning his career in the
1920s as a figurative artist, he
ultimately devised a complex
biomorphic surrealist style that
by the early 1940s placed him
in the vanguard of Abstract
Expressionism. Our third
Collection Conversation brings
together paintings from both
the Chrysler and National
Gallery of Art to trace the
creative arc of this singular
modernist genius.
Ongoing in the Roberts
Wing | 20th-Century |
Modern Art Gallery (G. 219)
Gustav Klimt stood at the
creative pinnacle of the
Austrian Art Nouveau. His
densely worked, jewel-like
portraits and complex
allegorical canvases captured
the mystery and heightened
sensuality of late 19th-century
Viennese society. Among his
most unusual works, Baby
depicts an infant lying in a
cradle, his tiny head just visible
beneath billowing layers of
brightly-hued coverlets.
Opening October 21
in the Roberts Wing |
20th-Century Art Gallery
(G. 222)
The enchanting works of
Georgia O’Keeffe headline our
final Collection Conversation
exhibition with the National
Gallery of Art. Her seductive,
close-up depictions of plants
and flowers shocked early
viewers, but ultimately
earned respect from the
established art world. Later
landscapes—some personal,
others panoramic—revealed
her persistent interest in shape,
contrast, and mood. Come face
to face with 10 masterworks,
including loans from local
collectors, and trace the
brilliant six-decade career of
this trailblazing modern artist.
There’s more about this
exhibition from Curator Alex Mann
on pages 10–11.
Willoughby-Baylor House
601 E. Freemason St., Norfolk
Tidewater Wildflowers:
Watercolors by Bessie Tyler
Ongoing on the first floor
The Norfolk Rooms
Ongoing on the second floor
in the Norfolk History Museum
Moses Myers House
323 E. Freemason St., Norfolk
Moses Myers:
Maritime Merchant
Barton Myers:
Norfolk Visionary
Adeline’s Portal
by Beth Lipman
These permanent installations are
supported by a generous gift
from the late T. Parker Host, Jr.
8 | fall 2015
Georgia O’Keeffe
(American, 1887–1986)
East River, New York No. 2, 1927
Pastel on paper
On loan from a private collection
© The Georgia O’Keeffe
Foundation/
Artists Rights Society (ARS),
New York
Arshile Gorky (American /
b. Armenia 1904–1948)
Still Life, ca. 1930–31
Oil on canvas
Bequest of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
© Estate of Arshile Gorky /
Artists Rights Society, New York
Tseng Kwong Chi:
Performing for the Camera
Closing December 13
in the Focus Gallery,
the McKinnon Wing of
Modern and Contemporary
Art, and the Frank
Photography Galleries
(Gs. 228, 229, and 223)
Photographer, party-crasher,
political gadfly, and poser:
Tseng Kwong Chi had a
penchant for performance,
as well as the camera (and
the connections) to chronicle
Manhattan’s arts-and-club
scene in the 1980s. This first
traveling museum retrospective
combines the artist’s droll East
Meets West and Expeditionary
Series and collaborations with
Keith Haring with powerful,
less-known images with social,
identity, and philosophical
implications. Though Tseng
died of AIDS in 1990 at the age
of 39, his conceptual creativity
and visual satires influence new
generations of artists.
Tseng Kwong Chi
(Canadian, b. Hong Kong,
1950–1990)
Hollywood Hills, 1979
from the series East Meets West
Vintage gelatin silver print,
printed 1983
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum,
New York.
Purchased with funds contributed
by the Young Collectors Council,
1997, 97.4521
New on view in October:
Tseng’s signature Mao suit
joins our exhibition, fresh
from its engagement in China:
Through the Looking Glass at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This issue’s Last Look chronicles
our blowout opening party for
the show. Relive the fun on
pages 28–29.
Tseng Kwong Chi: Performing
for the Camera is organized by the
Chrysler Museum of Art and the Grey
Art Gallery at New York University. The
exhibition was conceived and curated
by the late Amy Brandt, McKinnon
Curator of Modern and Contemporary
Art at the Chrysler Museum of Art, and
is presented in her memory.
Beverly Fishman: In Sickness and In Health
On view through January 3, 2016
in the Glass Project Space (G. 118)
Beverly Fishman’s work in painting,
resin, and glass, currently on view at
the Chrysler Museum of Art, is visually
captivating with its supersized forms
and outrageously combined colors.
Catching a mere glance of it out of
the corner of your eye as you enter
the Glass Galleries will lure you
in for a closer look. This is exactly
what Fishman is after—to seduce
you visually while proclaiming an
important message and protesting
the influence of a large industry.
In Sickness and In Health poses
challenging questions about a culture
addicted to the idea of “better
living through chemistry.” Her colorful “pills” are a provocative
commentary on the world of modern medicine and the complicated
relationship between a $500-billion pharmaceutical industry and
our inherent yearning for good health.
In Sickness and In Health
installation images by
Ed Pollard,
Museum Photographer
While trained as a painter, Fishman recently turned to glass, a
material she sees as particularly alluring and appropriate to illustrate
marketing tactics employed by the pharmaceutical giants. The
exhibition asks us pointed questions about how we respond to
corporate marketing that suggests pharmaceutical dependency as
a solution to our physical and psychological problems. Is this culture
of chemistry making us healthy, or is it creating, as one of Fishman’s
titles suggests, an Artificial Paradise?
—Diane Wright, Barry Curator of Glass
in the galleries | 9
|
“I Hate
Flowers”
Listening
to Georgia
O’Keeffe
Georgia O’Keeffe:
A Place of Her Own is on
view from October 21, 2015
through January 3, 2016.
“I hate flowers,”
Georgia O’Keeffe
allegedly told
a reporter in 1954.
“I paint them
because they're
cheaper than
models and they
don't move!”
10 | fall 2015
When I first read this quote, I laughed. Can this
be true? Perhaps more than any other subject,
O’Keeffe is known for her large, colorful—almost
surrealist—paintings in which writhing flower
forms explode across the canvas. Four of these,
all Jack-in-the-Pulpit flower studies, are at the
heart of the exhibition Georgia O’Keeffe: A Place
of Her Own, the fourth and final in our Collection
Conversations series presenting Chrysler treasures
alongside masterpieces from the National Gallery
of Art in Washington, D.C. The originality and
power of these works define O’Keeffe’s reputation
as a pioneering modern artist. So did she really
hate flowers?
Questions of personal taste aside, flower painting
has a long and illustrious history. From Dutch
Baroque still lifes to Impressionist pictures
of gardens (seen gloriously in last summer’s
exhibition The Artist’s Garden), generation after
generation has looked to the colors and shapes of
orchids, irises, and roses for challenging subjects
that promised to delight viewers. O’Keeffe
described in her 1976 memoir how a high school
art lesson in flower drawing first taught her to
notice details. Our exhibition illustrates this with
a rare student work by O’Keeffe: a pastel study
of flowers.
Georgia O'Keeffe
(American, 1887–1986)
Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. IV, 1930
Oil on canvas
National Gallery of Art
Alfred Stieglitz Collection,
Bequest of Georgia O'Keeffe
1987.58.3
Georgia O’Keeffe
(American, 1887–1986)
Black Door with Red, 1954
Oil on canvas
Collection of the
Chrysler Museum of Art
Bequest of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
© The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum /
Artists Rights Society, New York
The artist made flowers a specialty in the 1920s
while dividing her time between New York City and
the summer home of her husband, Alfred Stieglitz,
upstate near Lake George. During long walks in the
countryside she gathered leaves, mushrooms, and
flowers. Her paintings zoom in on these subjects,
drawing our attention to the irregularities in nature.
Back in the city, she made large paintings of these
intimate objects to share particular forms and
details. “I’m going to paint it big,” she wrote to a
friend in 1923, describing her latest flower paintings,
“so they will have to look at it.”
Critics loved these new works. My favorite review
is by fellow painter Charles Demuth, written in
1927: “Flowers and flames. And colour. Colour as
colour, not as volume, or light,—only as colour.
The last mad throb of red just as it turns green,
the ultimate shriek of orange calling upon all the
blues of heaven for relief or for support; these
Georgia O’Keeffe is able to use. In her canvases
each colour almost regains the fun it must have
felt within itself, on forming the first rain-bow.”
Others, however, interpreted the flower paintings
as expressions of the artist’s femininity. “O’Keeffe
gives her perceptions utterly immediate,
quivering, warm,” wrote critic Paul Rosenfeld
in 1924. “She gives the world as it is known to
woman. No man could feel as Georgia O’Keeffe
and utter himself in precisely such curves and
colors; for in those curves and spots and prismatic
color there is the woman referring the universe to
her own frame, her own balance, and rendering
in her picture of things her body’s subconscious
knowledge of itself.”
O’Keeffe bristled when reviewers described her
flower paintings as a type of self-portraiture. “You
hung all your own associations with flowers on
my flower,” she complained in 1939, introducing
her latest exhibition, “and you write about my
flower as if I think and see what you think and see
of the flower—and I don’t.”
Perhaps it was this critical back-and-forth, this
ongoing debate about hidden symbolism in the
Jack-in-the-Pulpits, that prompted the artist to
declare, “I hate flowers.” Was this an attempt to
assert control over the meaning of her work, to
take authority back from the (mostly male) art
critics? Or was there some truth to her statement?
Later in life O’Keeffe moved to a ranch near Taos,
New Mexico and studied the desert landscape and
adobe architecture of the Southwest. Though she
continued to paint flowers, other images, such a
single wall of her patio, developed into series, as
seen in the Chrysler’s stunning Black Door with
Red from 1954. Spanning six decades of O’Keeffe’s
illustrious career, our exhibition offers an
introduction to the variety of subjects that caught
the eye of this revolutionary painter, often paired
with quotes from the artist’s memoirs. Despite the
elegant simplicity of these pictures and the poetic
minimalism of her words, however, I suspect that
there are complex layers of meaning between the
lines and inside each work, associations and ideas
that forever will remain mysterious.
And I wager, regardless of whether Georgia
O’Keeffe truly liked or hated flowers, this proud
artist absolutely loved each one of her paintings.
—Alex Mann, Brock Curator of American Art
collec tion connec tion | 11
|
Serial
Thrillers
The Lure of
Old Master
Print Series
Serial Thrillers is on
view through
January 10, 2016.
The Chrysler’s European collection is justly famed for its
rich arr ay of paintings and sculpture, but it also contains
an impressive number of Old Master prints. These woodcuts,
engr avings, and etchings were produced bet ween the
15th and 18th centuries, when those gr aphic forms reached
extr aordinary heights of technical and artistic perfection.
12 | fall 2015
Among the Chrysler’s print treasures are iconic
masterpieces such as Albrecht Dürer’s 1498
engraving of The Virgin and Child with the Monkey.
Here, in a single, self-contained image, Dürer
brilliantly summed up the age-old Christian
promise of salvation through Christ and his
mother and his deliverance of the faithful from
sin (symbolized by the chained monkey).
At the same time he was creating single sheets,
Dürer, like many printmakers, was investigating
the rich potential of print sets, multi-sheet series
that, by virtue of their multiple parts, offered
more expansive narrative possibilities and
broader, more complex visions of time, space,
movement, and idea. Consider his Large Passion,
where one of the central stories of the Christian
faith—the final sufferings, death, and resurrection
of Christ—is fully and richly recounted in a
succession of 12 incomparable woodcuts.
Equally rich is Andrea Andreani’s nine-part
woodcut series, which together presents in
continuous format a Roman triumphal procession,
one that seems to parade before your eyes as
you move from left to right. The triumph is that
of Julius Caesar (100–44 b.c.e.), who returns with
his army after defeating the Gauls. The procession
begins with his trumpeters and standard-bearers.
It continues with trophy- and treasure-bearers,
prisoners of war and musicians, before ending
with Caesar riding in his chariot. Behind him a
youth dressed as the winged Victory bestows a
laurel crown, while another upholds a placard
inscribed with Caesar’s famous statement, veni,
vidi, vici: “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Reflecting
the Renaissance fascination with Roman antiquity,
Andreani’s multi-print format allows him room
for a wealth of historical detail and a compelling
sense of forward movement.
Drawn from the Chrysler’s collection, the seven
print sets in Serial Thrillers celebrate the wide
range of expressive and artistic possibilities
unique to this graphic form. You’ll see the seasons
unfold, a greedy man learn his fate, and a French
royal wedding celebration proceed through the
gilded halls of Versailles. Multi-print sets invite
active engagement as their subjects unfold from
one print to the next. We invite you to begin the
dynamic process of discovery.
Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528)
facing page :
The Last Supper
above details
top, left to right
The Flagellation,
The Carrying of the Cross,
bottom , left to right
The Crucifixion,
The Resurrection
From the series The Large Passion,
ca. 1497–1511
Woodcuts
Gift of the Mowbray Arch Society,
2004
—Jeff Harrison, Chief Curator Emeritus
collec tion connec tion | 13
|
The Perry
Glass
Studio
Performing
Well
E
xperts say a child’s personality is largely
formed by age 5, so we’re happy to
report that the future looks bright for
our energetic 4-year-old.
The Chrysler Museum Glass Studio opened in
November 2011, inaugurated with an appearance
by one of the most important figures in the
history of the Studio Glass Movement. Maestro
Lino Tagliapietra has been followed since by a
Who’s Who of glass artists, from acknowledged
masters and pioneers to some of the top artists
working today, including emerging contemporary
talents whose experiments with glass are creating
new aesthetics.
We’ve not only had world-class talent visit, we’ve
had nationally recognized talent on our own
staff. Our young assistants have honed their
skills and moved up and on to bigger and better
things literally around the world. Our Studio’s
bedrock husband-and-wife team, Julia and Robin
Rogers, are hailed for their glass sculpting, and as
their family has grown, so, too, has our family of
interactive glass figures outside the Studio door.
And our Studio Manager and Programming
Director, Charlotte Potter, has exhibited or
performed from New York to Norway. The word
performed is key here, as it was her vision from
14 | fall 2015
Opening Day to combine glass and performance
art, to leverage this beautiful, molten medium
into a full-blown spectacle. Potter created a
supportive, swing-for-the-fences environment
that encourages collective creativity—and the
artists have delivered in spectacular fashion.
How many ways can you perform with molten
glass? Studio artists have cooked with it, made
music with it, and used it for calligraphy. They’ve
performed magic tricks and optical illusions,
revisited history, and enlivened science. They’ve
set a lot of things on fire, and that’s another key.
There’s chemistry in the glass and its color, but
what all glass art has in common is the magic of
the flame.
In four years the creations have ranged from red
stilettos to lighthouses, oil drums to pumpkins,
ice cream cones to folklore demons. We’ve
seen glass rabbits, bug-eyed flies, jackalopes,
honeybees—even anatomically correct body
parts. We’ve seen Godzilla, Qbert, and the Lorax
all created live before a Studio audience.
The hot-shop performance floor has seen roller
hockey and open mic nights, fancy upscale
affairs, and pizza-and-beer pecha kuchas. Special
evenings have ranged from toga parties to honky
tonks, and a dress code that started with white
As we look to the future, it’s only fitting to
judge how we’ve done in meeting the original
launch goals. We wanted to give people a better
understanding of the glass art in the Museum
Collection by demonstrating the techniques
required, and that’s a box we emphatically
checked. We wanted to form partnerships for
educational purposes, and the success there can
And we’re just getting warmed up.
be found in glass students from Old Dominion,
The Glass Art Society recently chose the Chrysler
Virginia Wesleyan, Tidewater Community College,
to host its prestigious
and even the Governor’s
conference in 2017.
School for the Arts. We
Among the reasons
had a goal to engage
Envisioning the Future
for our selection
and inspire the next
of the Perry Glass Studio
were the strength
generation of glass artists,
In the four years since the Chrysler Museum of Art
of our renowned
and have done so in afteropened the doors of its Glass Studio, its innovative
glass collection, our
programming and popular appeal has made it a
school programs, summer
powerhouse Visiting
destination for glass enthusiasts not just locally, but
camps, and partnerships
nationally and internationally. As a result, we have
Artist Series, our
with Boys and Girls Clubs
recently been awarded the prestigious honor of
role as the anchor of
and Girl Scouts. We
hosting the Glass Arts Society Conference in 2017.
Norfolk’s burgeoning
volunteered to help create
NEON arts district, and,
a healing environment
With all of these milestones, the staff and trustees
perhaps most of all,
at a children’s hospital,
of the Museum have embarked on a strategic plan
our innovative Third
and it doesn’t get more
for the future of the Perry Glass Studio. A studio as
Thursday performance
satisfying than that.
active as ours needs to plan for routine maintenance
evenings. In June 2017,
of equipment, such as the furnace and complex
The official goal of this
more than a thousand
ventilation system. It also needs to couple those
Museum is to enrich
glass professionals and
plans with a vision for growth.
and transform lives, and
aficionados from around
The goal is to expand and upgrade the current facility
if you want to live that
the world will converge
to allow for a broader range of classes, increased
motto, take a glass class
in Norfolk to experience
participation, and a variety of new initiatives that
or attend a Third Thursday
Reflections from the
will keep the Studio engaging and relevant for years
performance. This is, after
Edge: Glass, Art, and
to come. New opportunities include:
all, a place where we’ve
Performance. We couldn’t
seen a young woman
• Upgrading the AV system to allow for live web
be prouder.
learn her cancer was in
streaming of classes, demonstrations, and visiting
All along, as the Studio
remission,
where we’ve
artists’ creation of new work
has gained in national
seen
a
performance
night
• A heat-resistant camera installed within the
prestige, the one
end with a marriage
glory hole to show visitors every aspect of the hot
constant has been
proposal, and a joyous
glassmaking process
you—our visitor. You’ve
celebration of yes. On any
• Dedicated spaces for moldmaking, woodworking,
gotten used to seeing
given day, we’re a Glass
and metalcrafting, making the Studio a destination
the asbestos fire suits
Studio—but on special
for artists talented in a variety of media
used to carry blistering
days, we’re a smile factory.
• A viewable space for cold glass processes such as
hot works to cooling
And that, as our T-shirts
engraving, stained glass, and fusing
ovens. You’ve come to
say, is what keeps us
• Artists’ studios for Visiting Artists and
know where the “Get
fired
up.
Artists-in-Residence
Fired Up” T-shirts come
• A student gallery for critiques and new educational
—Gary Marshall,
from. Through hundreds
partnerships
Museum Websmith
of classes and workshops
and more than a
• Equipment for new initiatives such as neon making
Photos by Ed Pollard, Museum
thousand daily demos at
Photographer; Museum Staff;
Follow us as we embrace our exciting new future!
noon, your support has
and Echard Wheeler for the
—Anne Corso,
been vital.
Chrysler Museum Glass Studio.
lab jackets has evolved into black T-shirts and
colorful tattoos. Our Studio has been a scene
played out to a rock ’n’ soundtrack, but musical
acts have ranged from opera to reggae, from
choral groups to one-man-bands and buskers.
It’s been a dazzling exhibition of creativity,
variety, and diversity.
Director of Education and Public Programs
16 | fall 2015
Visiting Artist Series
We conclude our 2015 series with
work by the award-winning
Australian artist known for his
fanciful hybrid forms and
mixed-media landscapes with
an environmental message.
Tom Moore |
October 15–18
Live Narrated Demos
Daily at noon
Special Third Thursday NEON
Festival Performance
October 15 | 8 p.m.
The Chrysler Museum of
Art and the Perry Glass
Studio extend special
thanks to the many
glass artists who have
contributed so mightily
to our success:
Visiting Artists
Lino Tagliapietra
Benjamin Moore
Dante Marioni
Janusz Poźniak
Debora Moore
John Miller
Einar and Jamex de la Torre
April Surgent
Laura Donefer
Gianni Toso
Fritz Dreisbach
Richard Marquis
Martin Janecky
Nancy Callan
Katherine Gray
Emilio Santini
Toots Zynsky
Tom Moore
Artists in Residence
Beth Lipman
Sarah Gilbert
Guest Instructors
Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen
Jasen Johnsen
Paul Marioni
Ali Rogan
Michael Rogers
Boyd Sugiki
Lisa Zerkowitz
Carmen Lozar
Christina Bothwell
Tim Tate
Ethan Stern
Helen Lee
Matthew Day Perez
Robert Mickelsen
Suzanne Peck
Matt Eskuche
Leo Tecosky
Ross Richmond
Randy Walker
Chad Clark
Guest Lecturers
Richard Whiteley
Nadège Desgenétez
Stine Bidstrup
Ed Schmid
Guest Demos
Hyunsung Cho
Simone Crestani
Pato Hebert
Pete Waldman
Special Projects
CUD: John Drury and
Robbie Miller
Kim Harty
Pinaree Sanpitak
Therman Statom
Saya Woolfalk
Leading Performers
Charlotte Potter
Robin Rogers
Julia Rogers
Hannah Kirkpatrick
Liesl Schubel
Josh DeWall
Laura McFie
Studio Assistantship Program
Burnt Asphalt Family
Sam Geer
Benjamin Wright
Brett Swenson
Deborah Czeresko
Skitch Manion
Bohyun Yoon
Jocelyne Prince
Christopher McElroy
The Jamestown Blowers
Mark Zirpel
Andrew Erdos
Grant Garmezy
Matthew Szösz
Etsuko Ichikawa
Bryan McGovern Wilson
Eddie Bernard
Alex Rosenberg
Angus Powers
Karen Donnellan
and students from
Alfred University
Christopher Duffy
Doreen Garner
Jes Fan
Working live in the
Glass Studio
Friday–Saturday | 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
and 2:30–5 p.m.
Sunday | 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Artist Lecture
Sunday, October 18 | 4 p.m.
All events are free and
open to the public.
Delta is the official travel sponsor of
the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio.
Lodging provided by the
Rutter Family Art Foundation.
Tom Moore
(Australian, b. 1971)
Portrait of the artist with
Specimens from the Dominion
Series, including Pickle-Powered
Beacon and Glacial Logic, 2014
Blown glass
Photo by Grant Hancock,
courtesy of the artist
chrysler news | 17
|
NEW ON
VIEW
In Our Glass
Galleries
S
teffen Dam lives and works in the tiny fishing
village of Ebeltoft, Denmark, where he
and his wife, Micha Karlslund (also an artist
who works with glass), maintain their own glass
studio. Although Dam has been passionately
working in glass for more than 25 years, he
originally trained as a toolmaker—an education
that provided a thorough understanding of
mechanical construction. While working as a tooland die-maker, Dam built a ceramics studio. His
artistic pursuits eventually turned to glassmaking,
in part due to his discovery of Glas-håndbogen,
published in 1975 by Danish studio glass pioneer
Finn Lynggaard. Although he initially focused on
glassblowing, Dam’s work today includes a wide
variety of glass processes—casting, grinding,
and sculpting—and he incorporates techniques
involving metal and wood.
Steffen Dam (Danish, b. 1961)
The Owl of Minerva Takes Flight
in the Dusk, 2015
Glass (blown, sculpted, cast, fused,
engraved), metal, mock taxidermy,
and wood
Museum purchase
Image courtesy of
Heller Gallery, New York
18 | fall 2015
The Owl of Minerva Takes Flight in the Dusk,
recently acquired by the Chrysler Museum of Art,
shows us not only Dam’s master craftsmanship,
but also his fantastical and imaginative view of
the world. In one of his most ambitious projects
to date, Dam created a cabinet of curiosities,
or Wunderkammer, and filled it with imaginary
glass specimens. Then he perched a faux-owl
on top, looking down over his collection. Such
assemblages of natural and cultural curios
became popular in the mid-1500s and, like minimuseums, were meant to delight viewers while
increasing their knowledge about the world.
Although Dam says that none of his fanciful forms
can be found in nature, perhaps a life surrounded
by the sea has summoned jellyfish-like creatures
from his imagination. His love of the natural
world was nurtured in his formative years as he
thumbed through his grandfather’s illustrated
volumes on the natural sciences.
A modern-day philosopher, Dam channels his
expansive imagination into rigorous, thoughtprovoking questions. The title of his work comes
from the philosophy of Georg Hegel (1770–1831),
who believed that historical knowledge
(symbolized by the owl) only takes shape as we
look back from the end of time, or at “dusk.” We
hope you will spend time with this new work, now
on view in the Glass Galleries. Perhaps you will
ponder on these questions: What can we learn
from Dam’s fictional specimens? Do they help us
understand the past, or do they inspire
our imagination about the future?
—Diane C. Wright, Barry Curator of Glass
|
Norfolk
Society
of Arts
Lecture
Series
2015–2016
Wednesday,
October 21, 2015
The Norfolk Society
of Arts is pleased to
announce its slate
of distinguished
speakers for the year.
Each month’s even
begins with a coffee
reception in Huber Court
at 10:30 a.m., followed
by the free lecture in
the Museum’s Kaufman
Edward Hopper
(American, 1882–1967)
New York Pavements, 1924–1925
Oil on canvas
Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Theater at 11 a.m.
(The Mabel Brown Lecture)
Stéphane Aquin
Chief Curator, Hirshhorn
Museum and Sculpture Garden,
Washington, D.C.
The Hirshhorn Museum and
Sculpture Garden: A View
on the Art of our Times
from the National Mall
Known for its trademark
cylindrical building in the heart
of the capital, this Smithsonian
museum completes a yearlong
celebration of its 40th
anniversary. See how the
Hirshhorn’s unique perspective
gives you a 360-degree view of
modern and contemporary art.
Wednesday,
November 18, 2015
Cody Hartley, Ph.D.
Director of Curatorial Affairs,
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum,
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Behind the Black Door:
Understanding O’Keeffe’s
Abstractions
Though she’s one of the
pioneers of modern art,
Georgia O’Keeffe’s multilayered
work defies easy interpretation.
Venture into the artist’s great
canvas from the Chrysler
Collection to discover the
genius behind the obvious.
Wednesday,
January 27, 2016
Carter E. Foster
Steven and Ann Ames Curator
of Drawing, Whitney Museum
of American Art, New York
Edward Hopper:
Drawing, Painting,
Memory, Imagination
Wednesday,
February 24, 2016
Stephennie Mulder, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor of Islamic
Art and Archaeology, University
of Texas at Austin
A Heritage in Peril:
Saving the
Past in the Cradle of
Civilization
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Colin Bailey, Ph.D.
Director, The Morgan Library &
Museum, New York
History of The Morgan
Monday, April 18, 2016
Lindsay Pollock
Editor-in-Chief, Art in America
Contemporary Art in the
Post-Internet Age
The lecture will be followed
by a brief annual meeting and
a ticketed luncheon to benefit
the Chrysler Museum of Art.
The Norfolk Society of Arts
promotes and enhances the
cultural life of the South
Hampton Roads community
through lectures, special
events, and financial support
to the Chrysler Museum of Art.
NSA membership is open to all.
For more information about
membership or the Society,
please contact Edith Grandy at
(757) 621-0861 or EdithGrandy@
gmail.com.
Denis Finley
Director of Communications
It’s front-page news. Veteran journalist Denis
Finley is the Chrysler Museum of Art’s new
Director of Communications. The former editorin-chief of the award-winning Virginian-Pilot
brings unparalleled media expertise, as well as
hometown and national connections, to the
leadership team position.
“I am thrilled to have
an opportunity to do
meaningful work for one
of the premier cultural
institutions in Hampton
Roads. My extensive
background in media
intersects nicely with the
demands of the position.”
—Denis Finley,
Director of Communications
20 | fall 2015
After a national search, it’s perhaps ironic—but
fitting—that his new office is just blocks away
from the building in which he served for 30 years.
“With his impressive experience as an editor, writer,
and photographer with The Virginian-Pilot, Denis
brings an unsurpassed set of communications
skills to the Chrysler,” Director Erik Neil says.
advance photo editor, then earned a string
of promotions that culminated in his being
named editor-in-chief in 2005. Under his
leadership, The Pilot was each year named
the Commonwealth’s best newspaper by
the Virginia Press Association, and in 2007
and 2012 qualified as a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
The selection of such a highly regarded
professional signals the priority the
Museum places on communications in
planning for the future. Please join us in
welcoming Denis to the Chrysler!
Finley is responsible for designing, implementing,
and evaluating a comprehensive, integrated
communications program. Within his bailiwick
are marketing, branding, publications, graphic
design, and electronic vehicles such as the
Museum website and social media messaging.
He is charged with enhancing the visibility and
reputation of the Chrysler, its collection, and
its innovations at home and abroad. Other
key objectives are to raise awareness of the
Museum’s free general admission and to increase
participation in its many programs.
Michael Berlucchi
Community Engagement Manager
Everybody knows
Michael Berlucchi.
He’s served at
the Chrysler since
2011, first as a
Gallery Host, then
as the Museum’s
Special Events
Coordinator. In
our community, he’s an active leader in
Hampton Roads Pride, the Virginia Beach
Human Rights Commission, the Downtown
Norfolk Council’s Downtown 100, Hampton
Roads Business OutReach, and Equality
Virginia. Plus, he’s been named to Inside
Business’s Top Forty Under 40 for 2015.
All of this made him a perfect choice to
fill a newly created position within the
Museum’s Department of Education and
Public Programs.
The Philadelphia native (and die-hard Eagles
fan) holds a master’s degree (with high honors)
in journalism from the University of MissouriColumbia, where he was named College
Photographer of the Year. After graduation in 1987,
Finley joined the Pilot as a photojournalist. After
seven years in photography, he was promoted to
Berlucchi now serves the Chrysler as its
first Community Engagement Manager,
acting as the Museum’s “primary liaison”
to the community. His charge is to forge
partnerships that help us engage a diversity
of visitors from across Hampton Roads and
to develop new strategic initiatives to
“He knows the Hampton Roads community and
also understands national audiences,” Neil adds.
“He is a ‘heavy-hitter’ who will help us raise the
profile of the Museum regionally, nationally, and
internationally as we strive to make the greatest
positive impact in the arts and education.”
Photo by Glenn Bashaw, Images in Light
|
Photo by Steve Earley for The Virginian-Pilot, used by permission
New
Staff
Familiar
Faces
|
Introducing
The Corporate
Leadership Alliance
Business and Professional
Support for the
Chrysler Museum of Art
expand the Museum audience, particularly among
those in underserved constituencies.
The Chrysler Museum of Art has enjoyed the support not just of individuals, but of businesses
and corporations as well. Through corporate membership, we provide a way for businesses
to enhance the cultural life of their community, to be good corporate citizens, and to receive
recognition and benefits as our way of saying thanks.
“With his knowledge of the Museum, its
collection and its audiences, and his extensive
civic engagement, we couldn’t ask for a better
person to connect the Chrysler Museum with
the people of Hampton Roads,” says Anne Corso,
Director of Education. “Michael brings a wealth of
understanding to the position.”
The Chrysler is now proud to announce the new premier membership group for business
leaders supporting the Museum: the Corporate Leadership Alliance. Formerly the Business
Exhibition Council, the Members of this group contribute at least $5,000 annually to the
Chrysler, investing their resources in support of the Museum’s programs and exhibitions,
and maintaining the Chrysler’s leadership in the museum world.
Museum Director Erik Neil agrees. “I am
particularly pleased to have someone as
talented and experienced as Michael serving the
Museum as the new Community Engagement
Manager. This new position solidifies the Chrysler
as 21st-century museum—and one whose
commitment to serving the broadest segments
of its community is evidenced by its creation.”
In exchange for their partnership, Member companies and organizations will receive
benefits specifically tailored to their businesses. These include access to networking events,
logo recognition, and invitations to the annual Leadership in Arts Support Luncheon.
Please join us in thanking the current Members of the Corporate Leadership Alliance:
Congratulations to Michael on his promotion into
this important new position.
MASTERPIECE SOCIETY
Photo by Ed Pollard, Museum photographer
Elise Hemler
Special Events Coordinator
Not much fazes Elise
Hemler, the Museum’s
crackerjack new right
arm to Mary Collins.
When it comes to
planning perfect events,
interfacing with vendors,
preventing problems,
and managing conflicts,
this multitasker gets it all done with grace. Hemler
joined the Chrysler last July, having coordinated
events for the Sandler Center for the Performing
Arts. The fast pace of weddings, black-tie dinners,
theater rentals, and receptions suits her well.
She’s used to living on the fly: Hemler is a military
wife to a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot. Here at the
Museum, we’re happy to have Elise on board,
crafting and delivering customized excellence
for every client.
Birdsong Corporation
Delta Airlines
Dollar Tree Stores, Inc.
Harvey Lindsay Commercial Real Estate
Kaufman & Canoles
KPMG LLP
Marathon Development
McGuireWoods LLP
Monarch Bank
Newport News Shipbuilding
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Regent University
Signature
TowneBank Norfolk
Williams Mullen
Yupo Corporation America
For more information on how your business can participate in the Corporate Leadership Alliance
at the Chrysler Museum of Art, please contact Assistant Director of Development Homer Babbitt
at (757) 333-6298 or hbabbitt@chrysler.org.
chrysler news | 21
Summer
Events
The return of Camp
Chrysler delighted
kids in July. Works in
the Museum collection
inspired them to create
their own masterpieces,
and the Glass Studio
offered cold- and hotglass camps for tweens
and teens.
Photos by Gary Marshall,
Museum Websmith
Horizons Hampton
Roads returned for
a June visit with area
public school students in
a fun six-week summer
enrichment camp. A
few weeks later, the
Museum received some
artistic thank you notes
from the grateful kids.
Photos by Gary Marshall,
Museum Websmith
22 | fall 2015
Summer was in full bloom with The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism and
the Garden Movement, 1887–1920. Museum Members enjoyed a June 14 preview party
that gave them an exclusive first look at the stunning paintings, glass, photos, and
sculpture in the show. Other highlights included local garden clubs’ floral interpretations
of key works in the exhibition, a special lecture and book signing by Dr. Anna Marley
of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and a Community Gallery display (with living
sculptures and a painting by local artist Maizelle) by our partners at Norfolk Botanical
Garden. There, visitors snapped selfies for The Great Frame-Up, then saw their photos in
a video feed at the Museum. On average, more than 430 people saw The Artist’s Garden
each day, making it one of our most popular summer exhibitions ever.
Photos by Eleise Theuer for the Chrysler Museum of Art
The Academy of Music
returned to the Chrysler
for its annual promenade
performance. On July 17,
young violinists strolled
through the Museum’s
galleries, impressing
visitors with the beautiful
music they’d practiced
so carefully.
Photos by Gary Marshall,
Museum Websmith
summer events | 23
|
The
Masterpiece
Society
Unified
Generosity
and a
New Level
of Giving
Early in their histories, the Chrysler’s Masterpiece
This change, we are sure, will reduce confusion, as
Society and Mowbray Arch Society were two
well as clarify and simplify invitations and benefits
distinct groups whose generosity allowed
for the Museum’s most generous Members. Best
the Museum to pursue different projects: the
of all, no one who has maintained their level
exhibition of great art and the acquisition of great of giving will lose any benefits. The Mowbray
art, respectively. Over time, though, something
Arch Society has been a treasured part of our
interesting happened: the membership of the
philanthropic history for which we are incredibly
two groups grew to be identical. This was so
grateful. The Masterpiece Society is now more
much the case that by 2006
popular than ever before, and
Mowbray Arch Society events
its growing strength ensures
The Mowbray Arch Society held
became a benefit of supporting
that it will be an integral part
its final Spring Program under that
the Museum at the Masterpiece
of the Chrysler’s future.
Society level of membership.
name on May 14. The evening
24 | fall 2015
Despite past distinctions, these
two groups share an important
trust—a deep commitment
to educate their membership
and to enhance the Chrysler
Collection.
was dedicated to Jeff Harrison
The time has now come to
make official a change that
has been evolving for years.
Going forward, the dinners and
events that once were touted
as Mowbray Arch Society
occasions will now—proudly—
be cherished benefits of the
Masterpiece Society.
retiring Chief Curator regaled
and his curatorial legacy at the
Chrysler Museum of Art. After
cocktails in Mary’s Garden, our
Members with memorable
stories and art highlights from
his 33 years at the Museum.
Photos by Echard Wheeler
for the Chrysler Museum of Art
A New Level of Masterpiece
Society Membership
As engaged philanthropists, our
Masterpiece Society Members
give in different ways and in
different amounts. To date the
Masterpiece Society has offered
three levels of recognition for
annual giving: Sponsor ($3,000),
Patron ($5,000), and Benefactor
($10,000 or above). These gifts
represent money that not only
supports the Society’s annual
purchase of art for the Chrysler
Collection, but also provides
crucial operating support
|
Four (Stars)
for Three (Years)
Chrysler Again
Earns Highest Honors
from Charity Navigator
Trust is an essential part of
the Museum’s mission of good
stewardship, not just of the
works of art in our care, but
also of the financial resources
given to us by our Members,
donors, and supporters. As
such, the Chrysler staff and
volunteer leadership insist on transparency and sound monetary
management of the Museum’s budget.
for the Museum. In return, the Museum expresses
its thanks through an array of special events and
insider benefits.
Now, by popular demand, we are adding a new
top tier of giving and gratitude: the Avant-Garde
level. For those who wish to make a membership
gift of $25,000 or more per year, the Museum
will offer all the benefits of the preceding levels
of Masterpiece Society membership, as well as
additional benefits such as a personal dinner
with Director Erik Neil and exclusive art travel
opportunities. Though benefits are important
as our way of saying thanks, we appreciate that
those who choose to give at the Avant-Garde
level are truly motivated by a spirit of generous
and visionary philanthropy.
For more information on any level of Masterpiece
Society membership or to share the names of
friends and colleagues who would enjoy its
benefits, please don’t hesitate to contact me at
(757) 333-6298 or hbabbitt@chrysler.org.
—Homer Babbitt,
Assistant Director of Development
left page , clockwise
Jeff Harrison tears up at his
standing ovation; Deirdre Grainger,
Kim Wadsworth, Chrissy Johnson;
Lenora Mathews; Ted Galanides,
Chris Rowland
above top
Linda Pinkham, Chief Curator Jeff
Harrison, Masterpiece Society Chair
Mary Jane Birdsong, Bill Pinkham.
above bottom
Stephen and Ann Burke,
Susan and Michael Uremovich
That unflagging commitment has once again been recognized
by Charity Navigator, one of the leading charity-rating
organizations in the country.
In September, the organization awarded the Chrysler its third
consecutive four-star rating, with an overall score of 94.76 of
100. The coveted honor indicates use of best practices, good
governance, and consistent execution of mission, all the while
adhering to standards of fiscal responsibility.
The Museum’s first four-star rating coincided with the public
phase of our ambitious Capital Campaign and expansion, and
has continued through our Grand Reopening and the new
Chrysler’s first full year of operations.
Michael Thatcher, President and CEO of Charity Navigator, puts
this significance in context in his letter of congratulations.
“Only 13% of the charities we rate have received at least
three consecutive four-star evaluations, indicating that
Chrysler Museum of Art outperforms most other charities in
America. This ‘exceptional’ designation from Charity Navigator
differentiates Chrysler Museum of Art from its peers and
demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust.”
To view the Chrysler’s four-star listing or to learn more
about Charity Navigator and its methodology, visit www.
charitynavigator.org.
—Brian Wells, Director of Development
member exclusives | 25
Don’tMiss
Events for
Members
(and Their
Friends)
Flowers with Nicky Markslag
Sunday, October 11–Friday, October 16
Global Trends
Wednesday, October 14 | 9:30 a.m.
The internationally acclaimed arranger at
Keukenhof and the head of Flower Theater comes
from the Netherlands to Norfolk to bring your
floral artistry to a new level.
Special Occasions
Wednesday, October 14 | 1 p.m.
Thursday, October 15 | 9:30 a.m.
Demonstration and Lecture
Flowers for Dutch Royalty
Sunday, October 11 | 2 p.m.
Sticks and Twigs:
Use the Usual in an Unusual Way
Thursday, October 15 | 1 p.m.
From traditional Dutch classics to cutting-edge
trends, Markslag’s designs inspire all who love
flowers. Ticketholders may even win door prizes—
her stunning arrangements and their containers.
$20 for Museum Members, $25 for all others
Workshops | $100 per session
Each lesson includes hands-on instruction, as well
as flowers and a container. Workshop participants
also may join in creating arrangements on Friday,
October 16 for display in the Museum’s galleries.
Dutch Classics:
Traditional Hand-Tied Bouquets
Monday, October 12 or
Tuesday, October 13 | 9:30 a.m.
Contemporary Cutting Edge
Monday, October 12 or
Tuesday, October 13 | 1 p.m.
26 | fall 2015
Working with Exotic Flowers
Friday Finale | Friday, October 16
Our week of flowers culminates with beautiful
arrangements created today by workshop
participants with Nicky Markslag. Peruse the
Museum’s galleries to find six floral displays
among the Chrysler’s treasures.
For more information, visit chrysler.org , or enroll
online at reservations.chrysler.org.
Masterpiece Society Fall Program
The evening of Tuesday, October 27
At this Fall’s exclusive event for the Chrysler’s
Masterpiece Society, Andrew Raftery presents his
work as an educator and artist. The contemporary
printmaker, best known for his classically styled
burin engravings, will speak on Print Series and
Visual Storytelling. Masterpiece Society Members
will receive invitations by mail.
2016 Trips
for All
Museum
Members
|
Travel
the World
with the
Chrysler
New York,
Sicily,
Europe,
and Cuba
The Rich Heritage of
Southern Italy and
the Dalmatian Coast
Aerial view of Palermo, iStock photo
From trips up the East Coast to across the Atlantic Ocean, the
Chrysler Museum of Art is continually enhancing the variety of art
travel opportunities for all levels of membership. At the beginning
of the year we added a series of curator- and director-led trips to
New York available to Members at the Patron level and above.
In mid-November 2015, Brock Curator of American Art Alex Mann
will venture to New York with a group of Chrysler travelers for
The American Art Fair. Now in its seventh year, this annual show
is the only major art fair to focus on 19th- and 20th-century
American works, including landscapes, portraits, still lifes, and
sculpture. The trip also will feature behind-the-scenes art tours
and visits to private collections, as well as special guided group
tours of several museums.
In April 2016, Members at the Director’s Circle and above are invited
to join Museum Director Erik Neil and his wife, artist Luisa Adelfio,
on an exclusive art travel experience in Sicily. Travelers will cross
the island to visit cultural centers such as Palermo, Agrigento, and
Siracusa, with breathtaking sights in between. Between Luisa’s
fluency in Italian and her deep roots in the region and Erik’s research
on the aristocratic residences of Sicily, they are uniquely positioned
to lead special tours of homes and collections that are normally
closed to the public. Erik and Luisa are excited to share their
personal knowledge and passion for the island they know so well.
In addition, we have recently added three distinctive travel
opportunities for all Museum Members in 2016. We’ve partnered
with some of the best travel industry leaders to offer exclusive land,
rail, and small-ship cruise excursions around the world. Highlights
are noted on this page—and look for more details to arrive by mail.
For more information on Chrysler art travel programs at a variety of
membership levels, please visit Chrysler.org/membership/art-travelprogram or contact Donor Stewardship Manager Kerry Martinolich
at (757) 333-6318 or kmartinolich@chrysler.org.
April 28–May 6, 2016
Enjoy an exclusive seven-night
voyage from Rome to Dubrovnik
aboard Le Lyrial, a new small-ship
launched in Spring 2015. Its 122
exterior staterooms and suites and
many amenities will make you feel
like you’re sailing aboard your own
yacht as you explore these culturerich locales.
The Great Journey
through Europe
July 5–15, 2016
This extraordinary 11-day Grand
Tour of Europe lets you explore
the picturesque waterways, lakes,
mountains, and countryside of
Switzerland, France, Germany, and
The Netherlands. Cruise aboard the
deluxe Amadeus Fleet along the
most scenic sections of the Rhine
River. Ride aboard three legendary
railways—the Matterhorn’s
Gornergrat Bahn, the famous
Glacier Express, and Lucerne’s
Pilatus Railway.
Island Life of Cuba
October 20–November 7, 2016
Be among the first U.S. travelers
to experience Cuba during this
unprecedented, nine-day People
to People opportunity. See Old
Havana, Santa Clara, Matanzas, and
Pinar del Río. Enjoy comfortable
accommodations, interact with
local experts, and immerse yourself
in Cuba’s history, culture, art,
language, cuisine, and daily life.
fall 2015 | 27
|
Last Look
Tseng
Kwong Chi
Opening
Party
28 | fall 2015
Tseng Kwong Chi: Performing for the Camera opened with a bang of a bash on August 20
as the Chrysler became the scene at which to be seen. Museum Director Erik Neil unveiled
our acclaimed summer exhibition, dedicated to the memory of its curator, Amy Brandt.
The evening’s festivities included a Distinctive posh club atmosphere, an exhibition-themed
photo booth, contortionists from Todd Rosenlieb Dance, DJ Froxstarr, and a very special
gallery tour by the artist’s sister, Muna Tseng. The Chrysler welcomed more than 1,000 guests
to this Third Thursday, which was free to all thanks to Hampton Roads Pride and Hampton
Roads Business OutReach. And a free after-party at Work|Release gave revelers a venue
to continue the party into the early morning, in the spirit of TKC himself.
Photos by Eleise Theuer for the Chrysler Museum of Art
last look | 29
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One Memorial Place | Norfolk, VA 23510
(757) 664-6200 | chrysler.org
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AT TH E M US E U M SHO P
museum and
glass studio hours
Tuesday–Saturday
from 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
information
(757) 664-6200 | Chrysler.org
follow the chrysler
Sunday from noon–5 p.m.
Third Thursday til 10 p.m.
Wisteria is open during
Museum hours.
Free Parking
Wheelchair Accessible
historic houses hours
Saturday and Sunday
from noon–5 p.m.
Limited Accessibility
general admission
is free
and supported by Museum
Members!
Join the Chrysler on site,
on the phone at
(757) 333-6298,
or online at chrysler.org/
membership.
The Annual Museum Members’ Appreciation Sale
November 17–22: One Week Only!
Save 20% on all your holiday purchases during our special sale to thank
Museum Members for their support. Select from our eclectic range of
jewelry, stationery, fashion accessories, glass, and unique giftware—
and enjoy festive wrapping with our compliments. Shipping and phone
orders by credit card are available by calling (757) 333-6297.
Annual Gift Memberships
A year-long individual or household gift membership to the Chrysler
Museum of Art is the perfect present for the art lover in your life. Each
packet comes beautifully wrapped and can be mailed to you or to your
recipient for the holidays or another special occasion. Order your gift
memberships in The Museum Shop or from Development Officer
Megan Frost at (757) 333-6294 or mfrost@chrysler.org.
and @chryslermuseum
Subscribe to the Chrysler
Museum Weekly at
chrysler.org/email-signup.
Rather than recycle,
share this issue of
Chrysler with a friend.
The Chrysler Museum of Art is
partially supported by grants
from the City of Norfolk, the
Virginia Commission for the
Arts, the National Endowment
for the Arts, the Business
Consortium for Arts Support,
and the Edwin S. Webster
Foundation.