Taft Museum of Art Calendar of Events June 2010

Calendar of Event - June 2010

Special Exhibitions
TruthBeauty: Pictorialism and the Photograph as Art, 1845–1945
Though August 8
The photographs of the pictorialist movement are among the most spectacular works in the medium’s history. The works in this exhibition rival paintings with expertly crafted, one-of-a-kind images. Included are works from George Eastman House by Julia Margaret Cameron, Frederick Evans, Alfred Stieglitz, Clarence White, Edward Steichen, and early works by Edward Weston and Ansel Adams.

Pictorialism was both a movement and a style of photography that produced spectacular images over a century’s time. When photography was invented in the early part of the 19th century, most people considered it a faddish mechanical trick and very far from fine art. Some early photographers, however, sought to elevate the medium to the status of painting by emulating the compositions, symbols, visual effects, and moods of painting. This international movement peaked in the years between 1895 and 1925.

Tracing this influential vein of photography, this exhibition includes 118 vintage masterpieces from well-known photographers such as Alvin Langdon Coburn, F. Holland Day, Robert Demachy, Gertrude Käsebier, and Heinrich Kühn. Also featured are surprising early works by such photographers as Edward Weston, Imogene Cunningham, and Ansel Adams, who are widely known as modernists but began as pictorialists.

TruthBeauty is a smaller version of the exhibition by the same name produced by Vancouver Art Gallery. Both versions were curated by George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film, from which the works in the exhibition were selected.

Turner Watercolors from the Taft Collections
Through July 25
Along with two major oil paintings, one from early in his career and one late, the Taft Museum of Art holds ten watercolors by Joseph Mallord William Turner (British, 1775–1851). Spanning the first half of the 19th century, these watercolors depict landscapes of Switzerland, Germany, England, Scotland, and Italy. Historically, they broke new ground in the artistic fields of book illustration, travel views, and the watercolor medium itself.

Programs & Events

Sundays, 1:30 p.m.
Highlights of the Taft
After lunch or before a concert on Sunday afternoons, join a Taft docent for a tour of the highlights of the Museum’s world-renowned collection. Free with Museum admission. No reservations are taken. For information call (513) 684-4515.

Saturday, June 5, 1:30 p.m.
Gallery Talk: TruthBeauty with Lynne Ambrosini, Chief Curator
Talk a special walk through the exhibition Pictorialism and the Photograph as Art, 1845–1945 with the curator. Free with Museum admission. RSVP: (513) 684-4515.

Sunday, June 6, 2–4 p.m., Essex Studios, Walnut Hills
Art in the Afternoon: Trish Weeks, landscape painter
A graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, Weeks built a successful career as an interior designer before embarking on a career in painting. Her landscape paintings reflect her interest in creating a vibrant, colorful, tactile experience that has been described as “a dance with color.” She has received awards in numerous local, regional, and national exhibitions and has been represented by galleries in Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina, and New Mexico. Now in its eighth season, this series of Sunday-afternoon salons features local artists offering insights into their careers and work as they share their passions with their audience. Addresses and directions to specific venues will be provided upon registration. Cost for this session is $12 for members, $15 for nonmembers. Reservations are required. Call (513) 684-4524 or order online at www.taftmuseum.org

Presented by the Robert S. Duncanson Society
Fine Arts Fund Partner: Fifth Third Bank

Sunday, June 6, 2 p.m.
Chamber Music Series: Italian Festival
The 57th-annual Chamber Music Series wraps up with a special concert presented outdoors under the tent on the terrace. Dottie Davis, Richard Perotsky, Sylvia Mitchell, and others perform the music of an Italian festival. In every nation, there are tunes that most citizens recognize. In Italy, there are about 20 such tunes, which are published in a folder to mark special celebrations such as weddings. The players in the community get out their instruments, and everybody joins in. This “Italian” band features violin, mandolin, clarinet, trumpet, and piano and will warm up the audience with waltzes, ballads, popular songs, and even a tarantella. This concert is FREE. No reservations are taken. For information, call (513) 684-4515.

Sponsor: The Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation
Fine Arts Fund Partner: American Financial Group & Related Entities
Organized in cooperation with the Cincinnati Musicians’ Association

Wednesdays, June 9, 12:45 p.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Taft in 10: European Vacation: Fortuny’s Arab Guard
Come for lunch—stay for a quick (sound) bite in the galleries. Enjoy an informal ten-minute conversation every Wednesday as we serve up some of the Museum’s many masterpieces as well as some lesser-known nibbles. Free with Museum admission or lunch in the café. Find more information at http://www.taftmuseum.org/pages/taftinten.php.

Friday, June 11, 1:30 p.m.
Gallery Talk: TruthBeauty with Lynne Ambrosini, Chief Curator
Talk a special walk through the exhibition Pictorialism and the Photograph as Art, 1845–1945 with the curator. Free with Museum

Saturday, June 12, 10 a.m.–12 p.m., Taft Museum of Art
Families Create: Photo Fun in the Sun
Visit the TruthBeauty photography exhibition and use daylight to create your own unique photographs on special paper. Explore the world of art through gallery visits and activities designed for children ages 5–12 and adults to learn, create, interact, and have fun together. Cost for each program: $8 for members and Cincinnati Arts Association members, $12 for nonmembers (includes Museum admission) Reservations are required. Call (513) 684-4524 or order online www.taftmuseum.org/familiescreate.htm

Sponsor: Charles H. Dater Foundation. Weston Art Gallery Families Create! Program Sponsor: Whitney and Phillip Long. Fine Arts Fund Partner: Duke Energy Corp.

Saturday, June 12, 1:30 p.m.
Drop-in Tour: TruthBeauty: Pictorialism and the Photograph as Art, 1845–1945
On Saturday afternoons, Taft docents will lead a tour of this special exhibition.

Sunday, June 13, 2–4 p.m., Mount Healthy
Art in the Afternoon Cynthia Lockhart, fiber artist
With a career spanning 29 years in art, design, and academia, Lockhart creates dynamic and spirited art quilts emphasizing color, shape, and texture and combines diverse influences from nature to fashion and African art. She exhibits nationally and internationally in museums and galleries. A native of Cincinnati, she holds a master’s degree in design from the University of Cincinnati, where she is professor of professional practice and teaches cooperative education courses for fashion design and product development students. Now in its eighth season, this series of Sunday-afternoon salons features local artists offering insights into their careers and work as they share their passions with their audience. Addresses and directions to specific venues will be provided upon registration. Cost for this session is $12 for members, $15 for nonmembers. Reservations are required. Call (513) 684-4524 or order online at www.taftmuseum.org

Presented by the Robert S. Duncanson Society
Fine Arts Fund Partner: Fifth Third Bank

Wednesdays, June 16, 12:45 p.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Taft in 10: Father’s Day: Meet the Taft and Sinton Dads
Come for lunch—stay for a quick (sound) bite in the galleries. Enjoy an informal ten-minute conversation every Wednesday as we serve up some of the Museum’s many masterpieces as well as some lesser-known nibbles. Free with Museum admission or lunch in the café. Find more information at http://www.taftmuseum.org/pages/taftinten.php.

Saturday, June 19, 1:30 p.m.
Drop-in Tour: TruthBeauty: Pictorialism and the Photograph as Art, 1845–1945
On Saturday afternoons, Taft docents will lead a tour of this special exhibition.

Sunday, June 20, 1–4 p.m.
Third Sunday Funday: Dad’s Day Out
Dad doesn't need another tie or socket set, so how about giving him some quality time? Look for dads in art, hear some stories about funny or famous dads, get your family picture taken and make an artistic frame, and play miniature golf in the garden. Bring the whole family to the Taft Museum of Art on the third Sunday of each month this summer to explore, create, and play, all for free! Activities including self-guided tours, art-making, storytelling, and games are ongoing, so stop in when you have time and stay as long as you like.

These programs are FREE. No reservations taken. For more information, call (513) 684-4524

Sponsor: The Charles H. Dater Foundation
Free Sundays are made possible by a grant from the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation.

Wednesdays, June 23, 12:45 p.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Taft in 10: Bird Watching: Chinese Ewer in the Shape of a Phoenix
Come for lunch—stay for a quick (sound) bite in the galleries. Enjoy an informal ten-minute conversation every Wednesday as we serve up some of the Museum’s many masterpieces as well as some lesser-known nibbles. Free with Museum admission or lunch in the café. Find more information at http://www.taftmuseum.org/pages/taftinten.php.

Thursday, June 24, 6 p.m.
Shutterbugs in Cinema: Motion Pictures and Still Photographers:
Rear Window, 1954 (112 minutes)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly
A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors and becomes convinced that one of them has committed murder. Inspired by the exhibition TruthBeauty: Pictorialism and the Photograph as Art, 1845-1945, enjoy three classic films in different genres. Explores how life and art intersect through the lens of the still photographer as leading man. Cincinnati Public Radio film critic Larry Thomas will introduce each movie and lead a discussion afterward. The exhibition will be open until each film begins. Film screenings are free. Optional box dinner is available for $12 with advance purchase. Reservations are recommended. Information: (513) 684-4515.

June 26, Weston Art Gallery, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Families Create! The Diorama in My Head
Meet the Weston Art Gallery’s Docentitos who will give you a tour of the exhibition, The House in My Head, and then create a fantastic diorama influenced by your own out-of–this-world musings. Explore the world of art through gallery visits and activities designed for children ages 5–12 and adults to learn, create, interact, and have fun together. Cost for each program: $8 for members and Cincinnati Arts Association members, $12 for nonmembers (includes Museum admission). Reservations are required. Call (513) 684-4524 or order online www.taftmuseum.org/familiescreate.htm

Sponsor: Charles H. Dater Foundation. Weston Art Gallery Families Create! Program Sponsor: Whitney and Phillip Long. Fine Arts Fund Partner: Duke Energy Corp.

Saturday, June 26, 2010, 1–3 p.m.
Teen Digital Photography Workshop
Learn ways to enhance your photographs and find out about editing software. Participants will visit the special exhibition TruthBeauty and take photographs using elements of composition and other techniques seen in the exhibition. Following a critique session, participants will learn how the editing software Picasa can improve their final images.

Please bring a fully charged digital camera, a blank memory card, a card reader, and your imagination! Instructor Lisa Britton is a professional photographer who teaches at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.

Reservations required. Call (513) 684-4513 or visit http://www.taftmuseum.org/pages/studioprograms.php

Saturday, June 26, 1:30 p.m.
Drop-in Tour: TruthBeauty: Pictorialism and the Photograph as Art, 1845–1945
On Saturday afternoons, Taft docents will lead a tour of this special exhibition.

Sunday, June 27, 2–4 p.m., Taft Museum of Art
Art in the Afternoon: Lillian Herbert, hair artist
A professional hair stylist for more than 30 years, Herbert uses clippings from her clients’ hair—collected over the past 25 years and representing a variety of ages and lifestyles—to create her images. For Herbert, the works serve as a tribute to her clients and express themes of love, marriage, tragedy, childbirth, success, and most importantly friendship. She has participated in exhibitions and in various arts events in the Dayton (OH) area. Now in its eighth season, this series of Sunday-afternoon salons features local artists offering insights into their careers and work as they share their passions with their audience. Addresses and directions to specific venues will be provided upon registration. Cost for this session is $12 for members, $15 for nonmembers. Reservations are required. Call (513) 684-4524 or order online at www.taftmuseum.org

Presented by the Robert S. Duncanson Society
Fine Arts Fund Partner: Fifth Third Bank

Wednesday, June 30, 12 p.m.
Taste of the Taft: On the Road Again
Ceci Wiselogel, Legend Lore Presenter
Reminisce about the early days of motoring from the 1920s to the ‘60s, reading the signs and visiting the roadside attractions along the way. The annual Taste of the Taft summer series of luncheon lectures moves to Wednesdays with a lineup of local luminaries making presentations on art, culture, history, and society. Programs take place under the tent on the terrace and include a box lunch. Feel free to come at 11:30 if you would like to eat before the program begins. Cost for this program is $22, includes Museum admission. Group rate for 8 or more: $17 per person. Reservations are required at least four days in advance. Call (513) 684-4515 or order online at www.taftmuseum.org

Sponsor: Stanley and Frances D. Cohen Lecture Series
Fine Arts Fund Partner: Western & Southern Financial Group

Wednesdays, June 30, 12:45 p.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Taft in 10: Twilight: Eclipse: Raise a Cup from Transylvania
Come for lunch—stay for a quick (sound) bite in the galleries. Enjoy an informal ten-minute conversation every Wednesday as we serve up some of the Museum’s many masterpieces as well as some lesser-known nibbles. Free with Museum admission or lunch in the café. Find more information at http://www.taftmuseum.org/pages/taftinten.php.

The Taft Museum of Art is at 316 Pike St., in downtown Cincinnati. The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for students and seniors and free for children under 18. The museum is free to all on Sundays. Call 513-241-0343 or visit the website at www.taftmuseum.org for additional information.