Tag Archive for: Aesop’s Fables

New from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service

Special thanks to SITES’ Scheduling Department for this guest post.  

SITES Quarterly Corner | November 2012 sites.si.edu

Whether you are a new or veteran Affiliate, one of the best ways to maximize your unique relationship with the world’s largest museum and research complex is to host a Smithsonian exhibition. SITES has a plethora of exciting new offerings in the works, and we’re pleased to give the Affiliate network the scoop before widely publicizing them. Contact us for more detailed information or click on the links below.


Jacob Lawrence Illustrates Aesop’s Fables

Jacob Lawrence, 1969. The Ant and the Grasshopper from Aesop’s Fables. Image Courtesy DC Moore Gallery, New York.

The classic Aesop’s Fables seen through the eyes of one of most important American artists of the 20th century. In 1969, Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) created a series of twenty-three lively ink drawings of Aesop’s Fables, which interpreted the ancient tales for a contemporary audience. As a socially engaged American artist who created powerful narratives of American history and historical figures, Lawrence often explored themes of social justice and ethical conduct. His drawings depict timeless stories, teaching morals in a simple, understandable way. Tour begins: 2014

Contact: Ed Liskey, liskeye@si.edu, 202.633.3142

  

 

Asian Pacific Americans

Princess Kaiulani, the last princess of the Kingdom of Hawaii prior to annexation.

Asian and Pacific Americans make up more than 5% of the U.S. population –over 17 million people–and those numbers are growing. In the first exhibition of its kind, the Smithsonian celebrates Asian Pacific American history across the multitude of incredibly diverse cultures, and explores how Asian Pacific Americans have shaped and been shaped by the course of our nation’s history. Rich with compelling, often surprising stories, the exhibition takes a sweeping look at this history, from the very first Asian immigrants to the influx of highly skilled workers many decades later.Tour begins: September 2014

Contact: Minnie Russell, russellm@si.edu, 202.633.3160

 

Patios, Play Sets, and the Invention of the American Back Yard

An American family enjoys their yard. Image courtesy AAG collection.

Retreats for recreation, entertainment, dining, and relaxation, the American back yard combines the comfort and convenience of living rooms with the freedom of the open air. Patios. examines the growing popularity of outdoor living since the mid-20th century with a look at fascinating social trends like the transition from the front porch to the back yard patio, the rise of the do-it-yourself homeowner, and the use of “chemical warfare” to achieve the perfect lawn. Featuring rare, vintage photographs, along with pop-culture references and period advertisements, this exhibition will be a fun stroll through America’s back yard. Learn more here.

Tour begins: April 2014

Contact: Ed Liskey, liskeye@si.edu, 202.633.3142

Women, Art, and Social Change: The Newcomb Pottery Enterprise

Newcomb Pottery Vase, c. 1931. Low relief of stylized Pitcher plant. Aurelia Arbo, decorator; Jonathan B. Hunt, potter. Collection of the Haynie Family.

This major exhibition of Newcomb pottery and crafts features 175 exceptional works of pottery, metalwork, bookbinding, and textiles from important public and private collections. Enriched by new scholarship, historical photos and archival materials, the exhibition looks beyond the beauty of the works and illuminates the philosophy of the Newcomb Art School, the women and educators who embodied it, and its place in the American Arts & Crafts movement. Learn more here.

Tour begins: June 2014

Contact: Minnie Russell, russellm@si.edu, 202.633.3160

Visit our website to search for exhibitions by subject, size, or fee. Or contact us at 202.633.3140 or sites_schedule@si.edu.

On the horizon at SITES

Our friends at the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) are working on some great upcoming exhibitions, debuting in 2014.  Book early!

The Newcomb Pottery enterprise ‘played a significant role in promoting art, education, and employment for the betterment of women,’ particularly Southern women.

Women, Art, and Social Change: The Newcomb Pottery Enterprise, organized by the Newcomb Art Gallery and SITES, brings together more than 175 objects representing 45 years of uncommon achievement in American arts and crafts from 1895-1940.

For the first time in 30 years, Americans will experience a major exhibition of Newcomb treasures from the gallery at Tulane University and other prominent collections.  The exhibit will feature recent acquisitions and dazzling examples of the iconic pottery as well as lesser known textiles, metalwork, jewelry, bookbinding and historical artifacts.Decorative yet useful, iconic yet varied, richly imagined and precisely crafted by hand–the objects alone tell an eloquent story. Women, Art, and Social Change: The Newcomb Pottery Enterprise offers new insights into the Newcomb community–the philosophy, the friendships, the craftsmanship, and the extraordinary women who made an enduring mark on American art and industry. 

Exhibition at a glance:
– Approximately 150 objects including pottery, metalwork, jewelry and textiles
– Approximately 4,000 – 4,500 square feet
– $65,000, per 12-week booking period
– Tour begins: Fall 2014
– Contact: Minnie Russell, russellm@si.edu, 202.633.3160.

SITES is pleased to announce plans for the national tour of Aesop’s Fables by Jacob Lawrence, an exhibition featuring 23 illustrations of these classic moral stories by this renowned American artist.  In 1969 Lawrence created this series of lively ink drawings to illustrate and interpret Aesop’s Fables for a contemporary audience.  Fables such as “The Tortoise and The Hare”, “The Ant and The Grasshopper”, and “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” are known and loved world-wide and are still often used to entertain and educate young children. 

Exhibition at a glance:
– Featuring 23 large-format pigment prints on watercolor paper, illustrated fable panels
– Requires about 200 running feet
– Tour begins: 2014 
– Contact:  Ed Liskey, liskeye@si.edu, 202.633.3142.


Nature’s Best Photography:  Windland Smith Rice International Awards 
showcases the wonders of the natural world in all of its breathtaking forms and environments.  From endangered species, animals that live in the ocean and in the air and the smallest animals to images of people in nature, the power of nature, plant life and amazing landscapes, the exhibition features an award-winning survey of nature photography.  This collection of 48 large-format prints combines art with adventure to take you on a photographic journey into the wild. 

   Exhibition at a glance:
   – Featuring 48 large-format prints
   – Requires about 250 running feet
   – Tour begins: early 2014
   – Contact:  Amanda Cane, canea@si.edu, 202.633.3109.