Photo Tom Wolf
Visual Arts at Chautauqua Institution "VACI"
Chautauqua School of Art, Logan Galleries, Strohl Art Center, Visual Arts Lecture Series
Students: Looking for the School of Art? Click here
VACI Partners: Membership Form | Art in the Park
Artistic Director DON KIMES | Managing Director LOIS JUBECK | Galleries Director JUDY BARIE
ADVISORY COUNCIL TO THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
- Michael Gitlitz, Director, Marlborough Gallery
- Judy Glantzman, Artist
- Luis Grachos, Director, Albright Knox Museum
- Donald Kuspit, Contributing Editor Artforum and Sculpture
- Barbara Rose, Art Critic/Historian
- Robert Storr, Dean, Yale School of Art
- Rachel Vancelette, Director, Barbara Gladstone Gallery
- Stephen Westfall, Artist/Critic, Art In America
- Julian Zugazagoitia, Director Museo del Barrio
PO Box 1098, Chautauqua, NY 14722-1098
June 15-August 25 (716) 357.6217, August 26-June 14 (716) 357.6217
(716) 357.9014 (fax), art@ciweb.org
52nd Chautauqua Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Art
2009 VACI brochure
Strohl Art Center, Logan Galleries, Melvin Johnson Sculpture Garden
In 2004 the former Chautauqua Art Association Galleries merged with the Chautauqua School of Art, Logan Galleries and Chautauqua’s visual arts lecture series as cornerstones of the Visual Arts at Chautauqua Institution -- VACI. The visual arts programs at Chautauqua Institution have been the launching point for literally thousands of artists over the past century, and the galleries of VACI are one of Chautauqua’s primary links to the world of contemporary as well as historical art. Last year, after a 3.5 million dollar renovation as a museum quality space, the Strohl Art Center opened, giving Chautauqua several museum quality galleries in which to present outstanding exhibitions of contemporary and historical art. These include the Gallo Family Galleries, Bellowe Family Galleries, Strohl’s Main Gallery (home to the 52 year old Chautauqua Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Art), and the Melvin Johnson Sculpture Garden, which presents sculpture and installations by several contemporary artists on a rotating basis every summer. In addition, there are three smaller galleries and one large exhibition space in our Logan Galleries on Bestor Plaza, which was renovated in 2006.
;) Strohl Art Center |
;) Logan Galleries on Bestor Plaza |
;) Melvin Johnson Sculpture Garden |
VACI presents 11 exhibitions to several thousand visitors every season at the renowned Chautauqua Institution. These range from exhibitions of cutting edge work by nationally recognized artists in all media to shows of significant work that is outside the mainstream gallery world. A sampling of some of the artists whose work has been seen in our galleries ranges from Charles Burchfield, Reginald Marsh, Franz Kline and Jack Tworkov in the 1950’s to recent exhibitions which have included Mel Bochner, Chuck Close, Val Cushing, Tara Donavan, Jim Dine, Caroll Dunham, Sol Lewitt, Terry Winters, Jessica Stockholder, School of Art alumnae including Pedro Barbieto and Dan Steinhilber, and faculty such as Tom Butter, Judy Glantzman, Glenn Goldberg Carole Robb and Stanley Lewis. In 2008 the Melvin Johnson Sculpture Garden was inaugurated. New sculpture and installations by contemporary artists are presented here every summer. In 2009 this will include an installation by Roberly Bell and steel sculpture by Lee Tribe.
;) Gallo Family Gallery |
;) Don Kimes |
;) Bellowe Family Galleries |
In 1956 the independent Chautauqua Art Association Gallery was founded and two years later the annual Chautauqua National Exhibition (now the Chautauqua Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Art) was established. Throughout its history jurors for this show have included highly respected artists, gallery directors, critics, and museum directors such as Luis Grachos and Douglas Schultz (Albright Knox Gallery), Tom Messer (Guggenheim Museum), Robert Storr (Museum of Modern Art), Patterson Sims (Whitney Museum of Art), Richard Armstrong (Carnegie Museum of Art), Jeremy Strick (National Gallery of Art), Julian Zugazagoitia (Museo del Barrio), Sherman Lee (Cleveland Museum of Art) and Carlos Guiterrez-Solana (Artists Space, NYC). Among the gallery directors who have selected this show are Michael Gitlitz (Marlborough Gallery), Phyllis Kind (Phyllis Kind Gallery, NYC), Nancy Hoffman (Nancy Hoffman Gallery, NYC), Rachel Vancelette (Barbara Gladstone Gallery, NYC). Since the 1950’s a number of artists and critics have also been asked to select the exhibition including Carl Holty, Leon Kroll, Jack Beal, Charles Clough, Barbara Rose, Donald Kuspit and Stephen Westfall.
The 2009 Chautauqua Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Art is selected by Denise Bibro, Director of Denise Bibro Fine Art in New York City’s Chelsea art district. Ms. Bibro will also be lecturing in the Strohl Art Center and on the Visual Arts lecture platform during her stay at Chautauqua in 2009. For information on submitting work in consideration for this exhibition, click here.
We look forward to seeing you in the Galleries of VACI in 2009.
2009 VACI Galleries Schedule
52nd Chautauqua Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Art
June 28 - July 21, Strohl Art Center, Main Gallery
The annual exhibition of approximately 30 works is selected from hundreds of submissions nationally and internationally. This exhibition of works by contemporary artists national and international is juried this year by Denise Bibro, Director of Denise Bibro Gallery located in the Chelsea Art District in New York City. The show will be a colorful blend of two and three dimensional pieces, including paintings, prints, photographs and sculpture.
Flutter: New Works by Anne Lemanski
June 28 - July 20, Strohl Art Center, Bellowe Family Gallery
An installation of three dimensional birds, by artist Anne Lemanski, will be featured in this intimate space. Her sculptural technique consists of building an armature out of copper rod then hand stitching vintage found or original materials to the form. Ms Lemanski resides in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina where she is constructing a studio using recycled shipping containers.
Last Stand: America's Virgin Lands
Photographs by Annie Griffiths Belt
Organized, produced and traveled by the National Geographic Museum
June 28 - July 10, Strohl Art Center, Gallo Family Gallery
A reflection on what remains of the American wilderness is presented through images of an often disappearing landscape, presented in the work of National Geographic Photographer Annie Griffiths Belt. Belt is an internationally recognized photographer, and she will be speaking on the Amphitheater lecture platform during Chautauqua’s second week of the season. The exhibition is presented in conjunction with Chautauqua’s theme that week, "Explore our World with National Geographic." There will be a book signing of Last Stand at Strohl Art Center on Thursday, July 9 from 3-5 p.m.
Chautauqua School of Art Celebrating 100 Years
June 28 - July 26, Logan Galleries on Bestor Plaza
2009 marks the Centennial year of the construction of the remarkable Arts Quadrangle, a collaboration between School of Director Henry Turner Bailey and renowned western New York Architect E.B. Green. This event is being celebrated with the final phase of a 3 year total renovation of the facility. This exhibition, curated by VACI Partners board member Bob Hopper, is comprised of 48 vintage photographs celebrating the history of 100 years at the School of Art.
12x12x100: Contemporary Artists Honor 100 Years of the Chautauqua School of Art
July 13-26, Strohl Art Center, Gallo Family Gallery
Take home a work of art from a selected artist while joining in the 100th birthday celebration of the Chautauqua School of Art on Sunday July 26th at 5:00 PM. Please join us for this wonderful event, with proceeds benefitting the Chautauqua School of Art Student Scholarships.
Patterns, Paradigms and Persuasions
July 26 - August 26, Strohl Art Center, Main Gallery
Cuban Connections
July 26 - August 25, Strohl Art Center, Bellowe Family Gallery
Several Cuban artists, including two of Cuba’s most renowned artists, Wilfredo Lam and Ana Mendietta, will be featured in this exhibition in conjunction with week eight’s theme, Cuba: Enigma and Neighbor.
Children's Art Show
July 28-31, Logan Galleries
Enjoy these works of art created by children attending the Boys' and Girls' Club and Children's School, and the Chautauqua School of Art's Young Artists Program.
Directors Choice: Tribal Art & Selected Works from the Franks-Tribe Collection
July 29 - August 25, Strohl Art Center, Gallo Family Gallery
This museum quality exhibition curated by VACI Artistic Director Don Kimes includes aboriginal masks, sculpture and artifacts from Africa, Australia, New Guinea and other locations internationally.
Chautauqua School of Art Annual Student Exhibition
August 2 - August 13, Logan Galleries on Bestor Plaza
One of our most popular shows of the summer is again being held in Logan Galleries on Bestor Plaza. Students will exhibit original work created at the Chautauqua School of Art during the summer, including paintings, drawings, sculpture, installation and ceramics.
VACI Partners Members Open Exhibition
August 16 - August 27, Logan Galleries on Bestor Plaza
All artist members of the VACI Partners (VP’s) visual arts friends group are invited to show their original work in Logan Galleries. This group show always offers a diverse mix of styles and media for all to enjoy.
Welded steel sculpture by Lee Tribe
Melvin Johnson Sculpture Garden, throughout the season
Sculptor Lee Tribe learned about welding as an apprentice & journeyman boilermaker/plater on the London Docks in England. He later became a Guggenheim Fellow and has received numerous awards internationally including the International Sculpture Center award in Bronze casting among many others. Represented by Robert Steele Gallery in New York City, his work has been presented in numerous exhibitions beyond New York - from Storm King Sculpture Center in New York State to California, and from Portugal to Senegal.
A site specific installation by Roberly Bell
Melvin Johnson Sculpture Garden, throughout the season
Among the public collections including the playful work of Roberly Bell are the Museum of Modern Art (NYC), the National Gallery of Canada and The National Museum of Women’s Art (Washington, DC). A Fulbright recipient, she has received numerous awards and her work has been presented in many museum exhibitions, a few of which include the Aldrich Museum of Art, Toledo Museum, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Everson Museum, Burchfield-Penney, Albright Knox and many others. Bell has produced public and site specific pieces at Grant Park in Chicago, Point Park in Pittsburgh, George Eastman House Museum (Rochester) and many others.
