YOUR VIEW AND ROOM FOR DEBATE
Most everyone recognizes the beauty and enjoyment that the arts contribute to our lives. Whether it’s an exquisite painting, a powerful symphony or a moving dance performance, the arts inspire us with a seemingly unending capacity for creativity and beauty.
The arts can also engage us on much deeper level. They provide a passport to see the world, an opportunity to understand and appreciate cultural difference and the perspectives of others, and a possible forum to discuss difficult and prevalent social issues.
In the last several years, the Allentown Art Museum has partnered with many in the presentation of some extraordinary opportunities to encounter great art and the ideas they contain. These opportunities represent a conscious dedication to a continuum that starts with the presentation of often-astonishing works and extends to the often-uncomfortable (but necessary) exploration of contemporary issues and ideas.
During the last year, we shared the beauty and grace of the early days of our country with exquisite works from the Hudson River School of painters who captured the American landscape in the glow of a new 19th-century art movement. The stunning beauty of the rivers, forests and rocky cliffs of the Catskills, Adirondacks and White Mountains were captured by a group of artists who have been called our first conservationists and who defined the uniqueness of the early years of the American experiment within the beauty of her flora and fauna.
“Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment” opened our eyes to a changing, struggling, dynamic world seen through the lenses of 11 female photographers as they traveled, explored and photographed compelling stories about people and places from Yemen to the New Jersey shore. This generation of female photojournalists told impactful stories from wartorn countries like Libya and Afghanistan to the rain forests of New Guinea.
World-renowned artist Yinka Shonibare, a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, visited our galleries in March, where he unveiled Girl Balancing Knowledge III, a Museumcommissioned sculpture that thrilled and fascinated us. During an hourlong interview (a video of the interview was shot by PBS39 and can be viewed on our website and YouTube channel), we discussed the influence of his work and the arts in general, on how the world views education, colonialism and race. With many in our community there arose discussions on the idea of art being a gateway to the world beyond ourselves and a powerful educational tool for social change and the improvement to our quality of life.
The beauty and impressive skills of these artists who have made their world our world left us in awe of their visions, their bravery, their political and cultural expressions, and poetic thoughts. Their art, their imagery, their voices have supported the museum’s responsibility and promise to the community to “inspire, teach, engage and transform our Valley,” an integral part of the museum’s strategic plan revealed in 2017.
To build on that responsibility, we are presenting an impressive calendar of exhibitions and programming for 2019 that is exemplified by one the most moving exhibitions ever displayed in our galleries.
Opening this January is “Carrie Mae Weems: Strategies of Engagement,” a powerful selection of the artist’s photography and multimedia presentations created over the last 30 years. Weems, who was referred to by one art critic as “a superb imagemaker and a moral force, focused and irrepressible” and is considered one of the most influential photographers in America, works in fabric, video and audio as well as photography. Her art is a reflection of her critical explorations of history, focused particularly on racial equality and social injustice. Her works include delicate installations of suspended fabrics with images, video, photography, the use of historical images, poetry and sound.
Surrounding the Weems exhibit will be films, lectures, music, performances and opportunities that draw from the creative force of Weems’ work. Her work offers everyone the opportunity to move beyond the expected role of a museum and not only see the works but engage in a multimodal experience involving the community, artists, friends and relatives in discussion, discovery, creativity and the exploration of images and ideas.
A little more than a year ago at this time, the museum committed to change how we see art by focusing on bringing real and transformative change to the community through the arts. Now, the museum provides a platform that embraces contemporary expression and traditional fine arts with community engagement and cultural and social dialogue with schools, community organizations, neighborhoods and businesses.
Our Lehigh Valley has changed significantly in the last 20 years. Our art institutions need to evolve, too, and reflect and appreciate the diversity of our residents, ideas that are relevant to all, and to evolve into a location for exploration, learning and entertainment. The Allentown Art Museum is committed to using the arts as a catalyst to invigorate and strengthen our community. We can’t think of something more beautiful than that.