50States:America&Beyond
Jane Chu’s 51 drawings of every US state (and the District of Columbia) emerged from her travels as the elev enth Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts. During her four-year tenure, Chu made more than 400 site visits to meet with artists, arts and civic leaders, philanthropists and the general public, and was influ enced by places, signage and closeup aspects of public buildings.
5 1. Selma, Alabama EdmondPettusBridge Site of the 1965 Bloody Sunday beatings of civil rights marchers for voting rights.
India
ink
on archival
paper 12” x 9”
2. Juno, Alaska (left)
TotemPole
Beautful Eagle and Raven Totem Poles honor the Tlingit Auk Kwáan Clans, set beside the Sealaska Heritage Institute.
3. Phoenix, Arizona (right)
Heard Museum
The mseum exhibits and honors American Indian art.
India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
4. Little Rock, Arkansas HistoricMMCohnDepartmentStore MM Cohn was an anchor department store in Downtown Little Rock for more than six decades (1940-2007). India ink on archival paper 12” x 9”
Traditional
5. Oakland, California MazatlanDanceCostumes
costumes hanging in the rehearsal room of a Mazatlan dance company.
9
India
ink on archival paper 12” x 9”
6. Denver, Colorado DenverCenterforthePerformingArts Nine theatre stages within the Denver Performing Arts complex in Downtown Denver. India ink on archival paper 12” x 9”
7. New Haven, Connecticut YaleRepertoryTheatre The theatre in residence at Yale University has produced professional theatre productions since 1966. 11
India ink on archival
paper 9” x 12”
8. Wilmington, Delaware ArtistAvenueStation Located in Downtown Wilmington’s Creative District gave artists a place to create and showcase their work.
India ink on archival paper 12” x 9”
9. Washington, DC (left) UnionStation
The 100,000 square-ft. train Beaux Arts station is located four blocks north of the US Capitol.
10. Miami Beach, Florida (right)
NewWorldCenter
Performance venue for the New World Symphony. Designed by Architect Frank Gehry, the building opened in 2011 in the south beach area of Miami Beach.
India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
11. Atlanta, Georgia EbenezerBaptistChurch Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the pastor of the church until his death in 1968.
India ink on archival paper
9”
x
12”
14 12. Honolulu, Hawaii Hawai’IStateArtMuseum A free public art museum next to the State Capitol, with four galleries and a robust arts education program. India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
13. Boise, Idaho TheCabinfor Writers Located in Downtown Boise, The Cabin celebrates the literary arts, and offers writing workshops for kids and adults.
India
ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
14. Chicago, Illinois TheCivicOperaHouse The second largest opera auditorium in North America opened in 1929. Located in Downtown Chicago, the venue is now the performance space for the Lyric Opera of Chicago. India ink on archival paper 12” x 9”
15.Indianapolis, Indiana IndianaRepertoryTheatre The professional repertory theatre opened in 1972, and is housed in the historic Publix Theatre in Downtown Indianapolis. India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
18 16. Des Moines, Iowa IowaStateCapitol The only five-domed capitol in the US, the Iowa Statehouse was completed in 1886. India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
17. Lawrence, Kansas (left)
LawrenceArts Center
The arts center presents an array of visual and performing arts activities
18. Louisville, Kentucky (right)
TheLouisvillePalaceTheatre
The historic venue opened in 1928 as a Loew’s Theatre, and now presents music concerts.
India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
19. New Orleans, Louisiana (left)
CanalStreet
Canal Street
20. Harpswell, Maine (right)
LobsterFishingShack
Located 35 miles north
20
serves as a neighborhood boundary in New Orleans’ French Quarter.
of Portland, one of the many fishing shacks in beautiful, rural Harpswell (pop. Under 5,000). India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
21. Glen Echo, Maryland (left)
GlenEchoPark
A former amusement park in the early 1900s. Today, the National Historic Landmark is an active site for artist stu dios, and visual and performing arts programs for children, youth, and adults.
22.Boston, Massachusetts (right)
CustomHouseClockTower
Located in Boston’s Financial District, the 496-ft. high clock tower was erected in 1947, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
23. Detroit, Michigan (left)
DetroitInstituteofArts
The 658,000 square-ft. museum in Midtown
Detroit has more than 100 galleries, and was constructed in 1927 in the Beaux Arts architectural style.
24. Minneapolis, Minnesota (right)
CowlesCenter
Opened in 1910, the Beaux Arts style building now showcases dance performances.
22
India ink on archival paper
9”
x 12”
between
where famous
perform in
25. Clarksdale, Mississippi Devil’s Crossroads The intersection
Highways 61 and 49,
blues musicians traveled to
Mississippi. India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
City
26. Kansas City, Missouri KauffmanCenterforthePerformingArts Designed by Architect Moshe Safdie and Acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, the Downtown Kansas
per forming arts venue opened in 2011 with two major performance stages and the 102-rank Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant Organ. India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
Named after the Helena native Myrna Loy, film star in the early 1900s, the center opened in Downtown Helena. Transformed in 1991 from a historic jail to a venue for films and live performances.
27. Helena, Montana TheMyrnaLoyCenter
India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
28.Omaha, Nebraska JoslynArtMuseum The museum opened in 1931 near Downtown Omaha, and houses art collections ranging from 16th to the 20th centuries. India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
29. Reno, Nevada DowntownRenoWelcomeSign The historic landmark in Downtown Reno was originally erected in 1926.
India ink on archival paper
12” x 9”
30.
Located in rural Peterborough, MacDowell has provided residencies for artists to develop their works since 1906.
Peterborough, New Hampshire MacDowell
India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
31. Millburn, New Jersey PaperMillPlayhouse The 1200-seat professional theatre located on the Rahway River has produced live theatre, musicals, and concert performances since 1934. India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
classic Lensic Theater
Downtown
venue
opened
an
movie and vaudeville house.
drama.
32. Santa Fe, New Mexico Historic LensicTheater The
in
Santa Fe originally
in 1931 as
821-seat
Today, the
is a performing arts center for live concerts and
India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
The 5,960-seat historic landmark opened in Downtown Manhattan in 1932 as part of Rockefeller Center. Today, the venue presents ongoing concerts, stage shows and televised events.
33. New York, New York RadioCityMusicHall
India
ink on archival paper 12” x 9”
34. Greensboro, North Carolina F.W.WoolworthBuilding This Woolworth lunch counter was the site of the Greensboro nonviolent sit-ins protesting against racial segregation.
India
ink
on
archival paper 12” x 9”
35. Fargo, North Dakota FargoTheatre The building opened in 1926 as a movie and vaudeville house, and is now a performing space for live concerts as well as films. India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
36. Cleveland, Ohio PlayhouseSquare One of the oldest theatre districts in the US, Playhouse Square opened in the 1920s. Today it comprises five theatres, office buildings, stores and restaurants in Downtown Cleveland. India ink on archival paper 12” x 9”
37. Tulsa, Oklahoma HardestyArtsCenter Open in 2012, the art facility in the Tulsa Arts District comprises galleries, artist studios, offices, class rooms and maker spaces. India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
Portland, Oregon
Museums
One of the oldest art museums on the West Coast, the Portland Art Museum opened in 1892. The historic venue in Downtown Portland provides exhibitions ranging from Old Master prints of the 19th century to 20th century modern art.
38.
PortlandArt
36 India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
39. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Curtis Institute of Music The Music Conservatory opened in 1924 and is located west of Downtown Philadelphia. India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
40. Pawtucket, Rhode Island
The Modern Diner
The name “Modern Dine” has prevailed since it opened in 1941. Located in Downtown Pawtucket, the diner still serves meals, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
38
India ink on archival paper
12”
x
9”
41. Charleston, South Carolina (left) SpoletoFestivalUSA
A major performing arts festival founded by Composer Gian Carlo Menotti in 1977, the 17-day spring festival pres ents 150+ performances in opera, dance, theater, jazz, and classical music from around the world.
42. Rapid City, South Dakota (right) BeadedRegalia
Beautiful hand-beaded regalia worn by the Lakota Sioux during a local pow-wow.
India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
43. Nashville, Tennessee (left)
SchermerhornSymphonyCenter
Opened in 2006, the performance venue for the Nashville Symphony is located in Nashville’s SoBro neighborhood.
44. Dallas, Texas (right)
WinspearOperaHouse
Located in the Arts District of Downtown Dallas, the 2200-seat opera house opened in 2009 as one of the four ven ues within the AT&T Performing Arts Center complex.
India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
45. Salt Lake City, Utah TempleSquare Five city blocks of historic sites, and the center headquarters of worship for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
46.Bennington, Vermont (left)
TheBenningtonMuseum
The museum was established in 1852 and houses art collections focused on Vermont and adjacent areas of New York and Massachusetts.
47. Alexandria, Virginia (right)
TorpedoFactory
Housed in a 100-year-old converted munitions plant which manufactured parts for rocket engines, the art center today holds artist studios, art programs, and arts education activities.of New York and Massa chusetts.
India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
48.Seattle,Washington Public Market Center The oldest continuously-operating farmers’ market in the US opened near Downtown Seattle in 1907 and features the seafood, produce, crafts and eateries of Pike Place Market. India ink on archival paper 12” x 9”
Originally constructed in 1914 as an 11-story Security Building, the Frankenberger Building sits in Charleston’s Downtown Historic District, and is home to the Charleston Ballet, Kanawha County Library and other shops.
49. Charleston, West Virginia HistoricFrankenbergerBuilding
India ink on archival paper 12” x 9”
50. Sheboygan, Wisconsin JohnMichaelKohlerArtsCenter The Arts Center in Downtown Sheboygan opened in 1967 and houses eight galleries and ongoing com munity art, dance, film, and music programs. India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
51. Laramie, Wyoming Historic Buckhorn Bar The Buckhorn Bar was established in 1900 and continues to operate as a bar in Downtown Laramie. 46 India ink on archival paper 9” x 12”
ColorJuxtaposed
Jane Chu’s “Color Juxtaposed” series of ink drawings incorporate multiple dimensions in one drawing. The space in Chu’s detailed cityscapes of Hong Kong is revealed as two-dimensional by the addition of a volumetric and colorful object that rests on top of the black and white rendering. This unique method of combining and revealing two points of view echoes Chu’s experience of growing up in the United States. Her parents were born in China, she was born in Oklahoma and grew up in Arkansas, 11,000 miles away from her parents’ country of origin. Chu describes this as a “bok choy/corn dog lifestyle”. The challenge of embracing disparate perspectives at the same time is reflected in these juxtaposition drawings.
Wooden talisman with the Chinese words, “Safe and Sound”
Hong Kong – Kowloon
a souvenir store in the Hong KongKowloon business district.
52.
Talisman
atop
India ink,
colored pencil
on
archival
paper 9” x 12”
53. Hong Kong – Kowloon TeapotLid Chinese porcelain teapot lid atop a drawing of a hot pot restaurant in the Hong Kong – Kowloon business district. India ink, colored pencil on archival paper 9” x 12”
54.Hong Kong – Kowloon
Yearofthe Rabbit
Stuffed toy rabbit atop a drawing of commercial signs in the Kowloon business district. The Chinese Zo diac years of the rabbit include those born in 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, 1951, 1939, and 1927.
India
ink, colored pencil on archival paper 9” x 12”
55. Hong Kong – Kowloon
Yearofthe Horse
Stuffed toy horse atop a drawing of a commercial spa with nearby street sign in the Kowloon business district. The Chinese Zodiac years of the horse include those born in 2014, 2002, 1990, 1966, 1954, 1942, and 1930.
India
ink, colored pencil on archival paper 9” x 12”
56. Hong Kong – Kowloon SteamerBasket ChinesebamboosteamerbasketofjiaozidumplingsatopadrawingofastorefrontintheHongKong -Kowloon business district. 52 India ink, colored pencil on archival paper 9” x 12”
57. Hong Kong – Kowloon AntiqueCoin Chinese antique coin atop a drawing of commercial signs in the Hong KongKowloon business district. India ink, colored pencil on archival paper 9” x 12”
58. Hong Kong – Kowloon
Yearofthe Snake
Wooden toy snake atop a drawing of the Tsim Sha Tsui subway station directional sign in Kowloon. The Chinese Zodiac years of the snake include those born in; 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953, 1941, and 1929.
India ink, colored pencil on archival paper 9” x 12”
59.
Kong
Hong Kong
Chinese cloth
Hong
– Kowloon Lotus Shoes
Lotus Shoes for women with bound feet atop a drawing of commercial signs in the
- Kowloon business district. India ink,
colored pencil
on
archival
paper 9” x 12”
59. Hong Kong – Kowloon PekingJewellerywithbaodingball 56 India ink, colored pencil on archival paper 9” x 12”
60. Washington, DC YoVoté The “I Voted” sticker sits atop a drawing of US flags beside The White House.
India ink, colored pencil on archival paper
9”
x 12”
