Learning about history through art holds new opportunity at the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture.
The museum has unveiled a new special exhibit titled The Collector’s Eye: American and European Art.
Through August 24, visitors will have the opportunity to explore an original grouping of artwork that forms the backbone of McClung’s Western art collection.
Rather than focusing on a particular artist, artistic style or art form, Catherine Shteynberg, curator and Head of Web and Media for McClung Museum, designed the exhibit to showcase a wide variety of 19th and 20th century art.
As a result, the new collection beautifully reflects two centuries worth of societal changes and the steady progression of collectors’ tastes over time.
“History always shapes culture and art and that’s why it’s interesting,” Steynberg said. “Art is a visual representation of the challenges, debates and issues that interest a culture during a particular time period. So we can learn a lot about the past by looking at the art they were making.”
“A museum is a place to get energized to make your own art or your own work, a chance to learn about a new time period or subject, and a place to relax and recharge.”
From Whistler etchings to textile works, paintings to sculptures, commission portraits to abstracts, The Collector’s Eye incorporates a wide array of artists, forms and styles.
Included are original works by such well-known artists as James Whistler and Henri Matisse as well as east Tennessee’s own Lloyd Branson, William Edmondson and Charles Krutch.
Aside from the expected gallery tours and family fun days, exhibit-related programming includes a short-film series titled “Talking Pictures” created by Christina Selk, McClung’s director of external relations.
“We hope this exhibit will be inspirational to students,” Selk said. “I’m thrilled that it gives McClung the opportunity not only to utilize our impressive permanent collections, but also offer exciting new programs such as lunchtime ‘Talking Pictures.'”
An exhibit-related lecture titled “Grand Ambitions: Branson, Krutch and Early 20th-Century Knoxville Painters” will be presented June 26 at 6 p.m. in the McClung Auditorium by UT alum and Knoxville Museum of Art Curator Stephen Wicks.
“I want to give people an understanding of the fact that in the early part of the 20th century Knoxville really did have a thriving art scene. Ambitious artists and enthusiastic patrons set the bar very high, and McClung Museum’s rich collection reflects the efforts of those individuals,” Selk said.
Visitors to the exhibition can Tweet or Instagram photos of their favorite works in the show, mentioning @mcclungmuseum for a chance to win prizes.
For more information about the McClung Museum and exhibit-related programming, click here.
