{"id":23218,"date":"2016-02-10T16:22:58","date_gmt":"2016-02-10T21:22:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewestmoreland.org\/?page_id=2116"},"modified":"2016-02-10T16:22:58","modified_gmt":"2016-02-10T21:22:58","slug":"the-westmoreland-museum-of-american-art-to-present-telling-tales-stories-and-legends-in-19th-century-american-art","status":"publish","type":"press-release","link":"https:\/\/thewestmoreland.org\/press-releases\/the-westmoreland-museum-of-american-art-to-present-telling-tales-stories-and-legends-in-19th-century-american-art\/","title":{"rendered":"The Westmoreland Museum of American Art to Present Telling Tales: Stories and Legends in 19th-century American Art"},"content":{"rendered":"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/strong>
\nContacts:
\nClaire Ertl
\nDirector of Marketing & Public Relations
\n724.837.1500 x128
\ncertl@thewestmoreland.org<\/a>
\nCharlene Bidula
\nManager of Communications
\n724.837.1500 x133
\ncbidula@thewestmoreland.org<\/a>
\nBarbara L. Jones
\nChief Curator
\n724.837.1500 x120
\nbljones@thewestmoreland.org<\/a>
\nGREENSBURG, PA, February 10, 2016 \u2013 The Westmoreland Museum of American Art will present Telling Tales: Stories and Legends in 19th<\/sup>-century American Art, <\/em>from Saturday, March 5 through Saturday, June 19, 2016. An opening reception will take place on Saturday, March 5 from 6:30 \u2013 8:00pm and is open to the public.
\nDrawn from the New-York Historical Society\u2019s expansive collection of narrative art, Telling Tales: Stories and Legends in 19th<\/sup>-century American Art<\/em> illuminates the great storytelling capabilities of visual art. By integrating historical, literary and religious subject matter with the now better-known examples of landscape and scenes-of-everyday-life, this exhibition introduces modern audiences to the broad range of styles and narrative themes that appealed to 19th-century Americans.
\nThe exhibition includes works by such well-known artists as Benjamin West, Asher B. Durand and William Sidney Mount, among others. Also included are significant works by artists who were major figures in their own time, such as Daniel Huntington, Henry Peters Gray and T. H. Matteson, but who have been virtually ignored in current American art surveys.
\nTelling Tales: Stories and Legends in 19th<\/sup>-century American Art<\/em> will be shown in the Museum\u2019s new cantilevered gallery and organized around six themes specified by the New-York Historical Society: European Inspirations and American Ambition<\/em> emphasizes American artists\u2019 early reliance on and influence of European traditions; Inventing American History<\/em> focuses on artists\u2019 interpretations of national pride, glorifying the country\u2019s origins and its heroes; Traditions Retained and Transformed: Painting Literature and History<\/em> represents early debates about the superiority of literature to painting; Everyday Life in the Yankee Way<\/em> looks at simple slices of life through genre subjects; Picturing the Outsider<\/em> focuses on works featuring Native Americans, African Americans and the urban poor and The Life of the Spirit<\/em> introduces works of art that reflect on the spiritual elements of American life.
\nTelling Tales: Stories and Legends in 19th<\/sup>-century American Art <\/em><\/strong>Events & Programs
\n<\/strong>Opening Reception
\nSaturday, March 5 > 6:30\u20138pm
\n<\/strong>Please join us to enjoy light bites provided by J. Corks, music by Three Rivers String Quartet and cash bar. No RSVP required. Sponsored by Rivertowne Brewing.
\nArt Beat\u2013 Stories Told in Ballads and Scrolls
\n<\/strong>Saturday, March 19 > 2\u20133pm<\/strong>
\nJoin artist and folk singer Ellen Gozion as she performs folk songs filled with powerful storytelling imagery. Discover the magic of crankies, an old storytelling art form utilizing a long illustrated scroll wound onto two spools, which Ellen uses to add an extra layer of fancy to her ballads.
\nSmART Chat\u2013Stories in Art
\nWednesday, April 20 > 7\u20138pm<\/strong>
\nJoin Lauren Churilla, Curator of the Foster and Muriel McCarl Coverlet Collection at St. Vincent College, as she illuminates the stories that weave together the art in Telling Tales<\/em> with the Museum\u2019s permanent collection.
\nSmART Chat\u2013Gallery Talk
\nWednesday, May 18 > 7\u20138pm<\/strong>
\nJoin The Westmoreland\u2019s Chief Curator Barbara Jones for a gallery talk in the exhibition. Learn the important role that narrative paintings serve, not only as historical records of a society, but for capturing the shared values, social conventions and practices of an age.
\nArt Beat\u2013Defining a New Democracy
\nSaturday, May 21 > 1\u20132pm<\/strong>
\nLinda Ferber, the New-York Historical Society Senior Art Historian and Museum Director Emerita, describes the evolution of her museum\u2019s marvelous collection and how the paintings highlighted in Telling Tales<\/em> helped define 19th-century American culture and taste.
\nArt Beat\u2013Examining \u201cThe Outsider\u201d
\nSaturday, June 11 > 1\u20132pm<\/strong>
\nThis panel discussion moderated by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Tony Norman will focus on marginalized groups that could be considered today\u2019s \u201coutsiders\u201d in American society and will highlight the ways in which art and the media might either reinforce or refute these opinions.
\nSmART Chat\u2013Sing the Body Electric: A discussion with Walt Whitman
\nWednesday, June 15 > 7\u20138pm<\/strong>
\nIn his writing, Walt Whitman celebrates uniqueness and individuality. For this discussion, Frank Klapak, Seton Hill Professor of Communication and Education, plays the role of Whitman to reveal the realizations of these same qualities in the narrative of American art during Whitman\u2019s lifetime.
\nFor more information, please visit thewestmoreland.org\/events<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

This exhibition has been organized by the New-York Historical Society.
\nThe exhibition was organized and the accompanying volume published with generous support from Michael Reslan, the National Endowment for the Arts through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, the Walker and Lucille Rubin Foundation, Richard Gilder and Lois Chiles, the Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts, the New York Community Trust Joanne Witty and Eugene Keilin Fund, Larry K. Clark, and the Barrie A. and Deedee Wigmore Foundation.
\nThe title is adapted from\u00a0Making American Taste: Narrative Art for a New Democracy <\/em>organized by the New-York Historical Society.
\nTelling Tales<\/em>\u00a0is supported by the Hillman Exhibition Fund of The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. <\/p>\n

\n

About the New-York Historical Society
\n<\/strong>The New-York Historical Society, one of America\u2019s pre-eminent cultural institutions, is dedicated to fostering research and presenting history and art exhibitions and public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, New-York Historical has a mission to explore the richly layered history of New York City and State and the country, and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history. More information is available at nyhistory.org<\/a>.
\nAbout The Westmoreland Museum of American Art<\/strong>
\nThe Westmoreland Museum of American Art, located at 221 N. Main Street in Greensburg, PA, recently completed a major renovation and expansion with its grand reopening having taken place on October 24 and 25, 2015. The Westmoreland’s collections include works by major American artists from four centuries, including its newest collection of post-1950 artwork. As part of a multi-year business plan tied to the renovation and expansion project, the Museum launched Imagine What’s Possible: The Westmoreland Capital and Endowment Campaign<\/em>. To date, over $28 million has been raised towards the $38 million campaign goal. More information is available at\u00a0thewestmoreland.org<\/a>.
\n 
\n###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Claire Ertl Director of Marketing & Public Relations 724.837.1500 x128 certl@thewestmoreland.org Charlene Bidula Manager of Communications 724.837.1500 x133 cbidula@thewestmoreland.org Barbara L. Jones Chief Curator 724.837.1500 x120 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"templates\/wmaa-default-back-link-only.php","acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewestmoreland.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/23218"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewestmoreland.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewestmoreland.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-release"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewestmoreland.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}