Met Lecture Series

by KickArts Contemporary Arts
(Cairns QLD Australia)

Met Lecture Series at KickArts
The Queensland Art Gallery is the only venue in the world to show the exhibition ‘American Impressionism and Realism: A Landmark Exhibition from the Met’, curated by Dr Barbara Weinberg, the Alice Pratt Brown Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The exhibition makes available to Australian audiences, for the first time and on an unprecedented scale, a selection of 71 paintings from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Included are many of the Metropolitan’s best examples in the American Impressionist and Realist traditions that have never before been displayed together and are not likely to be lent again as an ensemble.

This groundbreaking presentation features works by 34 painters, renowned and less well-known. Some of the leading figures such as Impressionists John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt, Childe Hassam, and William Merritt Chase, and Realists John Sloan and William Glackens are each represented by several of their works.

‘American Impressionism and Realism’ considers how proponents of two styles that flourished about 1900 responded to modern life and to the era’s perplexing novelties, and invite consideration of what they embraced, what they did not, and why. Often saturated with light and colour, these paintings are always infused with meaning.

The works are usually displayed in the permanent galleries of the Metropolitan Museum’s American Wing, the renovation of which has enabled such an unusually large number of major American paintings to be lent for this unique exhibition.

Highlighting how Australian artists responded to key artistic developments of the time, more than 30 iconic Australian paintings are also included in the exhibition. Australian artists include Tom Roberts, Charles Conder, Fredrick McCubbin and Rupert Bunny.

The exhibition includes light-filled landscapes and seascapes, magnificent portraiture and images that reflect aspects of modern life, leisure, cities and intimate depictions of women and children.

In conjunction with the exhibition the Queensland Art Gallery is offering a regional lecture series where you can spend an afternoon with Lynne Seear who will deliver an educational talk at 1.00pm on Saturday 20 June at KickArts.

Lynne is the Deputy Director, Curatorial and Collection Development of the Queensland Art Gallery. As a member of the Executive Management Team Lynne also oversees the Gallery’s Collection development program including the acquisition of art works by purchase and gift.

Lynne is one of the executive staff responsible for the creative and curatorial development of the Gallery’s major exhibitions, including the Asia-Pacific Triennials of Contemporary Art and ‘Andy Warhol’. She has extensive experience in publishing and has overseen the development and publication of several major books and exhibition catalogues, including Brought to Light: Australian Art 1850-1965; Darkness and Light; the Art of William Robinson; Brought to Light II; Contemporary Australian Art 1966-2006; the 5th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art exhibition catalogue; Andy Warhol and Picasso & his collection, and American Impressionism and Realism; A landmark exhibition from the Met.

Saturday 20 June at 1.00pm
KickArts – 96 Abbott Street Cairns