NEW ORLEANS, LA (January 22, 2021) – Ogden Museum of Southern Art acquired 143 works by 46 artists in 2020, including works by Enrique Alférez, William Christenberry, Alexa Kleinbard, Clarence John Laughlin, Sheldon Scott, among many others. Included in this total is an individual collection donation of 83 works from donor John Shubin. In 2021, Ogden Museum will present many of its 2020 acquisitions in exhibitions, offering a glimpse into the Museum’s impressive permanent collection of over 4,000 works representative of the art of the American South.
“We are excited to welcome these works into our growing collection, and look forward to sharing many of these acquisitions in our 2021 exhibitions,” says William Pittman Andrews, Executive Director of Ogden Museum.
“Ogden Museum has been incredibly successful in collecting the best examples of artists represented by the mission across, period, media and style,” says Andrews. “Nearing our 20th anniversary, we have more than tripled the original projections for acquisitions, and we are incredibly grateful to the artists and collectors who entrust us with their treasures. Exhibiting these contributions to the collection is the best way we can thank the donors and share with our audience. We have set a stunning pace for collecting and scholarship, all due to the energy of our board of trustees, staff, volunteers, visitors and members.”
“2020 brought some significant additions to Ogden Museum’s permanent collection, including the first major video performance piece, the first major bronze by Enrique Alférez and numerous significant additions to the photography collection,” says Bradley Sumrall, Curator of the Collection for Ogden Museum. “The addition of these new voices to our collection empowers the museum to better tell the story of the South.”
The following are a few highlights from Ogden Museum’s 2020 acquisitions:
Enrique Alférez, Vietnamita – Mother in Flight, 1990
Born in the State of Zacatecas, Mexico in 1901, Enrique Alférez’s life spanned almost the entirety of the 20th century. Alférez settled in New Orleans in 1929 and eventually split his time between New Orleans and Mexico. Both Enrique and his wife, Peggy, were firmly against the Vietnam War, and their passionate protest is conveyed in the sculpture, La Vietnamita – Mother in Flight, now in Ogden Museum’s permanent collection thanks to the generosity of Geneva and David Kerstein, The Helis Foundation and Roger Houston Ogden.
Alexa Kleinbard, Comfrey, Madonna Lily, Arnica and Solomon’s Seal, 2010
Alexa Kleinbard’s artistic work is devoted to addressing issues surrounding the ongoing degradation and destruction of the planet. This shaped oil on panel painting by Tallahassee artist, Alexa Kleinbard, is built upon her study of folk medicines, scientific advances, the environment and the unsettling role of humans in the balance of nature.
“It is the crown jewel from her series of meticulously rendered and richly colored paintings – shown at Ogden Museum of Southern Art in 2012 – which focused on the wild medicinal plants of the Southeast and the endangered wetlands that sustain them,” says Bradley Sumrall, Curator of the Collection for Ogden Museum.
This work was donated by the artist.
Clarence John Laughlin, Spinning Circles, 1936, and Dance of Light, 1936
Clarence John Laughlin (1905 – 1985), born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, is known as the “Father of American Surrealism” and spent his career documenting the American South. Spinning Circles and Dance of Light represent very early examples of Laughlin’s poetic use of light, shadow and movement to create symbolic depth within the still life genre. These photographs were donated by Kathy Stroble.
Sheldon Scott, Portrait, number 1 man (day clean ta sun down), 2018
With Portrait, number 1 man (day clean ta sun down), Sheldon Scott uses his own body to create a portrait of his ancestors, enslaved people from the Gullah/Geechee region of the Southeastern U.S. The 12 hour and 20 minute film documents an endurance performance by the artist, in which he processes rice grains individually with his hands. Through using his own body to represent an entire community of enslaved people, Scott restores humanity to the narrative of slavery in the American South. This video is a promised gift of Dale Mott and Ken Hyle, and will be shown at Ogden Museum March 20 – August 22, 2021.
John Shubin Collection, Works created between 1934 and 2012
The John Shubin collection of 83 works includes photographs by Roman Alokhin, Jane Rule Burdine, William Christenberry, Jean-Philippe Cypre, Birney Imes, Rick Lang, Christian Patterson, Bruce C. West, among others. The collection also includes paintings by Lisa Cain.
“The Shubin donation is one of the most significant gifts of photography in the museum’s history. Comprised of both new voices and celebrated masters, this collection is extraordinary in both quality and quantity,” says Bradley Sumrall, Curator of the Collection.
The 2021 exhibitions at Ogden Museum presenting permanent collection work acquired in 2020 and recent years include:
Built: Sculpture from the Collection, February 27 – July 25, 2021
Preservative Force: Recent Acquisitions to the Collection, March 20 – August 22, 2021
Sheldon Scott: Portrait, number 1 man (day clean ta sun down), March 20 – August 22, 2021
Roland Freeman – Portfolio, March 27 – September 5, 2021
Revelations II: Recent Photography Acquisitions, March 27 – September 5 – 2021
ABOUT BUILT: SCULPTURE FROM THE COLLECTION, FEBRUARY 27 – JULY 25, 2021
BUILT draws from Ogden Museum of Southern Art’s permanent collection to explore how Southern artists engage various mediums and practices to explore the power of sculptural form. Unlike painting and photography, sculpture engages three coordinates, existing in the same space as our bodies. Whether self-taught or academic, traditional or experimental – the artists in this exhibition engage scale, proportion, shape, form, space, color and texture to convey their vision in three dimensions. BUILT features works of art by Lynda Benglis, Willie Birch, Clyde Connell, Jeffrey Cook, William Dunlap, Lin Emery, Skylar Fein, Lonnie Holley, Nene Humphrey, William Monaghan, Sherry Owens, Martin Payton, John T. Scott, Ersy Schwartz and Robert Tannen.
ABOUT PRESERVATIVE FORCE: RECENT ACQUISITIONS TO THE COLLECTION, MARCH 20 – AUGUST 22, 2021
Preservative Force brings together recently acquired works from a diverse group of artists working in various styles and media. By presenting a range of voices that have been added to the collection to tell the story of the American South, this exhibition encourages the viewer to examine the myriad ways artists use their own private languages to poetically express concepts of place, identity and aesthetics. This exhibition includes works by Willie Birch, Lynda Benglis, Mel Chin, Jeffrey Cook, Charles Delschau, George Dureau, Roy Ferdinand, William Hawkins, Horton Humble, Clementine Hunter, Ronald Locket, Hudson Marquez, Ersy Schwartz, Purvis Young and others.
ABOUT SHELDON SCOTT: PORTRAIT, NUMBER 1 MAN (DAY CLEAN TA SUN DOWN), MARCH 20 – AUGUST 22, 2021
Portrait, number 1 man (day clean ta sun down) is a performance film by D.C. artist, Sheldon Scott. With this work, Scott uses his own body to create a portrait of his ancestors, enslaved people from the Gullah/Geechee region of the Southeastern U.S. The 12 hour and 20 minute film documents an endurance performance by the artist, in which he processes rice grains individually with his hands. Through using his own body to represent an entire community of enslaved people, Scott restores humanity to the narrative of slavery in the American South.
ABOUT ROLAND FREEMAN – PORTFOLIO, MARCH 27 – SEPTEMBER 5, 2021
The photographs contained within the “Roland L. Freeman – Portfolio” span from 1969-1985. These images were culled from hundreds of published and unpublished photographs made by the photographer. It is a visual testament to the spirit and resilience of the Black communities in the South. These twelve photographs speak to the cultural diversity and regional traditions of Black American life – from the rural countryside to the urban city centers of the South.
ABOUT REVELATIONS II: RECENT PHOTOGRAPHY ACQUISITIONS, MARCH 27 – SEPTEMBER 5, 2021
Revelations II: Recent Photography Acquisitions presents a sweeping survey of documentary and fine-art photographic traditions practiced in the region from the early 20th century to the present. Acquired by the Museum over the past decade, these photographs represent diverse perspectives and experiments within the medium, and reflect the depth and complexity of the American South. Photographers include Kael Alford, Todd Bertolaet, Jane Rule Burdine, Debbie Fleming Cafferty, William Christenberry, Marti Corn, Matthew Cronin, Jim Dow, Matt Eich,Birney Imes, Dorothea Lange, Eddie Lanieri, Clarence John Laughlin, Alex Leme, Louviere + Vanessa, Guy Mendes, Wright Morris, Ken Murphy, Josephine Sacabo, Magdalena Solé, Frank Stewart, Bruce Taylor, Warren Thompson, Bradly Dever Treadaway, Bruce West and Marion Post Wolcott.
ABOUT OGDEN MUSEUM OF SOUTHERN ART
Located in the vibrant Warehouse Arts District of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana since 2003, Ogden Museum of Southern Art presents the art and culture of the American South through dynamic exhibitions and engaging educational programming. It is home to a collection of more than 4,000 works, making it the largest and most comprehensive repository dedicated to Southern art in the nation, with particular strength in the genres of Self-Taught art, Regionalism, photography and contemporary art. Museum admission is free on Thursdays for Louisiana residents, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. The Museum is located at 925 Camp Street, New Orleans Louisiana 70130. For more information, visit www.ogdenmuseum.org.