When the clock struck midnight on August 15, 1947, India’s independence from British rule fueled a revolutionary art movement that continued through the economic boom of the 1990s. Newly unfettered by traditional cultural expectations, three generations of Indian artists embraced their individual identities, stayed true to their roots and embraced the world’s artistic community.
Nearly 60 works by 23 leading artists were selected from PEM’s Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection — internationally recognized as one of the largest and most important collections of modern Indian art outside of India. They are presented alongside conversational groupings of key works by more familiar artists including Paul Cézanne, Marc Chagall and Andrew Wyeth, lending context to the development of this movement in the wider world of modern painting. Dates are February 2, 2013 – April 21, 2013
FreePort [No. 006]: Nick Cave
March 2, 2013 – May 27, 2013
Artist and designer Nick Cave creates category-bending Soundsuits. Equal parts sculpture, costume and performance, Cave’s larger-than-life-size creations take on a life of their own. Constructed from a colorful bricolage of materials including twigs, sisal, beads, sequins and feathers, Cave’s Soundsuits are faceless and otherworldly, obscuring the wearer’s identity, gender and class. For the installation at PEM, three never-before-seen Soundsuits commissioned by PEM will make their debut along with an immersive film projection.
Toshio Shibata
April 20, 2013 – Fall 2013
One of Japan’s preeminent landscape photographers, Toshio Shibata (b. 1949) is known for exploring the delicate balance between human-made structures and nature. Photographing erosion control barriers, water catchments, roads, dams and bridges, he examines the unique appearance of such structures in his native land. Through his lens, riverbeds can look like origami, and waterfalls resemble kimono.
This exhibition of 28 large-format works will be the artist’s first solo show in an American museum since 1995. Long recognized for his striking black and white prints, the artist has been working increasingly in color. His color pictures will make their American museum debut at PEM. Shibata was recently featured in a two-person show at the National Arts Center, Tokyo, and in a solo retrospective at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum
In Conversation: Modern African American Art
June 1, 2013 – September 2, 2013
Created at significant social and political moments in America, this spectacular selection of 100 paintings, photographs, sculpture and prints by 43 prominent African American artists invites conversations about art, identity and the rights of the individual.
Key works by artists including Allan Rohan Crite, Sargent Johnson, Renée Stout, Roy DeCarava, Romare Bearden, William H. Johnson and Norman Lewis address a range of subjects including the African diaspora, jazz, nature, the persistent power of religions, identity and the rights of the individual from the Harlem Renaissance through the Civil Rights era, and beyond.
Fabergé, From the Collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
June 22, 2013 – September 29, 2013
The name Fabergé is synonymous with refined craftsmanship, jeweled luxury and the Russian imperial family. More than 230 singular treasures created by the House of Fabergé in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are featured, including enameled clocks, gold cigarette cases, hardstone carvings, ruby encrusted brooches and four signature imperial eggs made for Nicholas II and the Romanov family. This exhibition, organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, explores ideas of luxury, innovation, entrepreneurship and imperial patronage while providing insight into Peter Carl Fabergé’s life, business and legacy.
ABOUT THE PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM
The Peabody Essex Museum presents art and culture from New England and around the world. The museum’s collections are among the finest of their kind, showcasing an unrivaled spectrum of American art and architecture (including four National Historic Landmark buildings) and outstanding Asian, Asian Export, Native American, African, Oceanic, Maritime and Photography collections. In addition to its vast collections, the museum offers a vibrant schedule of changing exhibitions and a hands‐on education center. The museum campus features numerous parks, period gardens and 22 historic properties, including Yin Yu Tang, a 200‐year‐old house that is the only example of Chinese domestic architecture on display in the United States.
HOURS: Open Tuesday‐Sunday and holiday Mondays, 10 am‐5 pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
ADMISSION: Adults $15; seniors $13; students $11. Additional admission to Yin Yu Tang: $5. Members, youth 16 and under and residents of Salem enjoy free general admission and free admission to Yin Yu Tang.
INFO: Call 866‐745‐1876 or visit our Web site at www.pem.org
The Dynamic And In-Demand Erinn V Maison
It’s a natural segue, then, for Erinn to have created her own product line. She already designs custom furniture for her clients; now she is able to make that level of taste available to a wider audience. With that, Erinn debuted her first showcase/showroom Erinn V Maison in November 2011 – which features her 40–piece furniture collection retail debut alongside a handpicked collection of rugs, lighting and accessories with a comprehensive online retail counterpart, now making the Erinn V Maison brand available nationwide.
