GIBBES MUSEUM OF ART
FALL 2023 PROGRAMMING
DAMIAN STAMER RUMINATIONS ON VIEW THROUGH OCTOBER 8, 2023
GALLERIES 2 & 3
THE BITTER YEARS DOROTHEA LANGE AND WALKER EVANS PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE MARTIN Z. MARGULIES COLLECTION
SEPTEMBER 8, 2023 – JANUARY 14, 2024
GALLERIES 8 & 9
EXHIBITION PREVIEW
FRIDAY, SEPT 8
9AM Fellows and Members
Originally a tribute to the 1962 Bitter Years photography exhibition curated by the illustrious Edward Steichen for the Museum of Modern Art, New York, this exhibition organized by the Martin Z. Margulies Collection features photographs by renowned American photographers Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, Marion Post Wolcott, Jack Delano, and others who launched their careers as documentarians of the Great Depression. Working for the Farm Security Administration (FSA), a branch of Roosevelt’s New Deal program, these photographers were hired to capture the social landscape of the country, highlighting the challenges facing Americans between 1935 and 1944.
This exhibition is co-curated by Katherine Hinds, chief curator, and Jeanie Ambrosio, associate curator, of The Martin Z. Margulies Collection at the Warehouse in Miami. The presentation at the Gibbes is supported by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Jane Smith Turner Foundation, and the Gibbes Women’s Council.
IMAGE: Ex-Slave with a Long Memory, Alabama. FSA (detail), 1938 (printed 1950s), by Dorothea Lange (American, 1895–1965); Gelatin silver print. Courtesy of Collection Martin Z. Margulies.
OMNISCIENCE A SCULPTURE BY FRED WILSON
OUTDOOR DEDICATION SEPTEMBER 29, 2023
OUTDOOR DEDICATION
FRIDAY, SEPT 29
Fred Wilson’s Omniscience is inspired by the story of Omar Ibn Said, an Islamic scholar enslaved in the Carolinas from 1807 until his death in 1864. Said is believed to have written the only known Arabic-language autobiography penned by an enslaved African in the United States. While centering Said’s written manuscript, Wilson collaborated with blacksmiths at the American College of the Building Arts to explore Said’s powerful story through a metalwork created in the tradition of the wrought ironwork common in Charleston’s historic built environment. Omniscience represents Fred Wilson’s first-ever venture in ironwork and is the first work he has created specifically for a Southeastern museum.
SOMETHING TERRIBLE MAY HAPPEN THE ART OF AUBREY BEARDSLEY AND EDWARD “NED” I.R. JENNINGS
OCTOBER 20, 2023 – MARCH 10, 2024
GALLERIES 2 & 3
10AM
MASQUERADE PREVIEW
THURSDAY, OCT 19
6PM Fellows
7PM Members
Something Terrible May Happen: The Art of Aubrey Beardsley and Edward Ned I.R. Jennings will expand upon the lasting influence of “aesthetic fever” and the British Aestheticism Movement on the Charleston Renaissance. Focusing on the work of Charleston Renaissance artist Edward “Ned” I.R. Jennings, this exhibition will examine the stylistic affinity of his work to British Aesthete and famed illustrator, Aubrey Beardsley. Something Terrible May Happen will open new doors for exploring the queer influences on the Charleston Renaissance and one of its most original artists.
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JANE SMITH TURNER FOUNDATIONPUBLIC TOURS are offered Wednesdays and Fridays at 1pm with a Museum Interpreter
CURATOR-LED TOURS are offered on the following select dates
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
1PM
The Bitter Years with co-curators Katherine Hinds and Jeanie Ambrosio of the Martin Z. Margulies Collection
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 | 10:30–11:30AM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26
1PM
Something Terrible May Happen with exhibition curator Chase Quinn
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16
1PM
A Closer Look at the Permanent Collection with Becca Hiester, director of education and programs or Sara Arnold, chief curator
Join Bitter Years curators Katherine Hinds and Jeanie Ambrosio in conversation about this stunning exhibition from The Margulies Collection.
$20 Members | $30 Non-Members | $15 Student/Faculty (free for Museum Interpreters)
THE POETICS OF WITNESS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 | 6PM
Inspired by the exhibition The Bitter Years, join us for an evening with contemporary documentary photographers, scholars, and poets as we explore the different ways artists bear witness, creating work that inhabits the space between the personal and the political.
$20 Members | $30 Non-Members | $15 Student/Faculty
OMNISCIENCE DEDICATION
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 | 10AM
All Members are invited to attend a special dedication for the outdoor sculpture Omniscience by internationally renowned artist Fred Wilson. This exciting installation initiative will mark the first-ever permanent display of sculpture for the public at the entrance to the Gibbes on Meeting Street. Free and open to all Members
LITERARY GIBBES A BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7
10:30AM–12PM
Inspired by Damian Stamer: Ruminations, we will discuss Islands of Abandonment by Cal Flyn.
Free, advanced registration is encouraged
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2
10:30AM–12PM
Inspired by The Bitter Years we will discuss The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan.
DOROTHEA LANGE GRAB A HUNK OF LIGHTNING FILM SCREENING
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1 | 1–4PM
Drawing from personal memories and never-before-seen private footage this film weaves together Dorothea Lange’s private and public worlds. Join us for a screening of this documentary film followed by a virtual discussion with Dyanna Taylor, Dorothea Lange’s granddaughter and director of the film.
$15 Members | $25 Non-Members | $10 Students
IMAGE: Migrant Agricultural Worker’s Family. Seven Hungry Children. Mother Aged Thirty-Two. Father is Native Californian. Nipomo Ca. FSA., 1936, by Dorothea Lange (American, 1895–1965). Vintage gelatin silver print, 7 1/4 x 10 inches. Courtesy of Collection Martin Z. Margulies. Free for Members. Included with admission for Non-Members. IMAGE: Costume Design for the Princess’ Slip, 1922, by Edward “Ned” I.R. Jennings (American, 1898–1929). Gouache on paper, 12 x 8 ⅝ inches. Gibbes Museum of Art, XX1978.043.FALL 2023
VISITING ARTISTS
JAVONTAE
JENKINS
AUGUST 28 –
OCTOBER 8
STUDIO ONE
Jenkins describes his artistic style as surreal with a cartoonist flare. His work develops through a series of powerful images, offering whimsical perspective, and compelling truths that redefine modern art through a new stylized aesthetic.
ALICE COLIN
OCTOBER 23 –
DECEMBER 3
STUDIO ONE
Colin’s creative process aims at expressing emotions and thoughts through colors and pattern, while balancing shapes and shades. Her inspiration comes from her travels, the many places she has called home, and the facial expressions of people she has encountered. Her portraits try to capture the emotional charge, history, and experience a figure may exude.
STORYTIME
MONDAYS SEPTEMBER 18, OCTOBER 16, NOVEMBER 20, DECEMBER 18 AT 10:30AM
In partnership with the Charleston County Public Library, join us the third Monday of every month for a special Family Storytime with the Charleston County Public Library. Enjoy stories, songs, and dances in the galleries.
NATHAN DURFEE
AUGUST 28 –
OCTOBER 8
STUDIO TWO
With a background in children’s book illustration, Durfee uses this aesthetic to convey the nuances and complexities of the human experience. Many of his whimsical characters are faced with tough yet universal decisions, conveying to the viewer a sense of security in an unsure world.
ELIZABETH WILLIAMS
OCTOBER 23 –
DECEMBER 3
STUDIO TWO Williams combines figurative realism with expressive abstraction on oil-primed linen canvases, panels, and paper. In blending traditional portraiture with conceptual storytelling, she explores how the figure fits within each composition so as to translate the internal human experience.
RUTH
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 | 6PM
LOCATION: COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON’S SOTTILE THEATRE
The Gibbes is thrilled to welcome award-winning art and culture historian Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Lewis as our 2023 Distinguished Lecture Series speaker. Dr. Lewis is the founder of the Vision & Justice initiative, which examines the foundational role visual culture plays in generating equity and justice in America. She is also the guest editor of the 2016 special issue of Aperture magazine, Vision & Justice dedicated to exploring the role of photography in the African American experience.
$50 Members | $60 Non-Members | $10 Virtual Tickets on sale to Members on September 5.
THE REAL RAINBOW ROW WITH HARLAN GREENE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15 | 6PM
