Westport Arts Center Will Open Its Doors to Unconventional Traveler William Wegman
The Westport Arts Center (WAC) will shine a light on William Wegman’s very own “virtual travels” this winter.
“William Wegman: The Traveler,” an exhibition in the WAC Gallery at 51 Riverside Ave. in Westport, will feature an eclectic mix of postcard paintings, drawings, Polaroids, and video, illustrating Wegman’s career-long incorporation of found images. Works date from the mid-1980s to new paintings on view for the first time. Vintage cards expand into skillful and whimsically painted landscapes, cityscapes, and abstract atmospheres of investigative play.
An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Friday, Jan. 25 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. Free and open to the public, this event will feature William Wegman signing copies of his books, along with food and drink.
In response to the exhibition, Westport Arts Center Director of Visual Arts and exhibition curator, Helen Klisser During, says, “I’ve admired William Wegman’s work for years — it is witty, humorous, skillful, and endearing. I thought the Westport Arts Center would be a marvelous platform to exhibit Wegman’s postcard paintings. In these paintings he skillfully and playfully engages his audience on a virtual traveling adventure of his mind. Now we can travel with him.”
Weaving, merging, and almost camouflaging the found cards, Wegman creates distinctive environments where countries and cultures collide. At times, Wegman reinforces the postcard’s narrative within his painted composition. At other times, he transforms the feeling of the pictured scene by creating a believable yet imagined world that exists beyond the edges.
Born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 1943, Wegman received a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art, Boston and an MFA from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His work has exhibited extensively in both the United States and abroad, including solo exhibitions at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (1982); San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (1988); Whitney Museum of American Art (1992); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2001); and The Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (2002). In 2006, the retrospective William Wegman: Funney/Strange was held at the Brooklyn Museum, and traveled to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.; the Norton Museum of Art, Palm Beach, FL; the Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA; and Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH (2006-2007). Most recently, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art presented William Wegman: Hello Nature, a major survey of over 100 nature-related works by Wegman in various media (2012). The exhibition was accompanied by an extensive illustrated catalogue, Hello Nature: How to Draw, Paint, Cook and Find Your Way.
Integrated Programs:
Opening Reception, Friday, Jan. 25 from 6:30 – 8 p.m., Free and Open to the Public
Join WAC at its 51 Riverside Ave. gallery for an elegant reception and book signing with William Wegman.
Mixing Mediums, Thursday, Jan. 31 at 3 and 7 p.m., $15/$10 WAC Members
Join mixed media artist, Nina Bentley, for an exciting assemblage workshop. Cocktails provided by Saugatuck Grain & Grape.
Drink n’ Draw, Thursday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m., $15/$10 WAC Members
Drinks, treats, and open session life drawing in the main gallery. All levels welcome, ages 21+.
Big Night Out, Friday, March 8 from 7 – 9 p.m., $60
A festive film screening of Stanley Tucci’s “Big Night” while dining on a delicious Italian feast presented by Mario Batali’s Tarry Lodge of Westport. Sponsored by Catamount Wealth Management.
WACky Family Day, Sunday, March 10 from 1 – 3 p.m., $10; Free admission for kids under 2 and adults
Join local artists and use wood, beads, wire, blocks, dice, toy figurines, and recycled board games to create whimsical toy creations. Announcing winners of the 2013 WAC Toy Makers II Toy Design Competition. Details at www.westportartscenter.org
ArtCafé, Fridays from 10 – 11 a.m. on February 1, 8, 15 and March 1, 15, 22, Free and open to the Public
Hot coffee, hot muffins, and hot news from the art world. Hosted by Helen Klisser During, ArtCafé is a great way to meet other art enthusiasts and learn about exhibitions to visit in the greater community. Use The New York Times Friday Arts Section as a springboard to discuss the latest exhibitions. Bring your friends or come by yourself and make new friends. After Art Café, the Westport Arts Center posts all the arts happenings that are discussed that week on the colorful WAC ArtCafé Blog, at http://westportartscenter.blogspot.com.
For more information contact Westport Arts Center by phone at (203) 222-7070 or online at www.westportartscenter.org. The Westport Arts Center gallery, located at 51 Riverside Ave in Westport, is open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 - 4 p.m.