NEW ORLEANS – Opening at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art March 8 and on view through August 19, 2018 is the exhibition, A Precise Vision: The Architectural Archival Watercolors of Jim Blanchard, curated by Bradley Sumrall, Curator of the Collection at the Ogden Museum.
The exhibition title refers to Blanchard’s works as “architectural archival watercolors” for their precise scale and historical accuracy. Blanchard’s works exist as both architectural renderings and topographical history paintings.
A Precise Vision brings together works from throughout Blanchard’s 30-year career for the largest exhibition of his work to date. Drawing from both private and public collections, this exhibition tells the story of one man’s mastery of his chosen medium, of his obsession with the built environment of his home and of his transcendent combination of history and art.
“Eschewing the romanticism of decay so often embraced by contemporary artists, Blanchard depicts these buildings in their original glory, often adding figures in period costume for both scale and context,” says Sumrall.
Sumrall adds, “Through these works, grand homes rise from the ashes of the past, crumbling facades are restored and faded images glow with the color of life.”
The opening reception for A Precise Vision: The Architectural Archival Watercolors of Jim Blanchard will take place Thursday, March 8, 2018 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ogden Museum.
This exhibition is supported by major sponsors Houmas House Plantation and Gardens and Goldring Family Foundation, and supporting sponsor Charlotte Bollinger.
About Jim Blanchard
Jim Blanchard is a contemporary topographical artist known for his architectural watercolors of historic Louisiana buildings. A native son of Lafourche Parish in South Louisiana, he was raised amid the aging plantations and vernacular 19th century architecture of the region. Born in Thibodaux in 1955, Blanchard briefly studied at Nicholls State University before joining the family’s oil brokerage business. It was there that Blanchard learned to research archives and public records, and honed his draughting skills through making maps. Moving to New Orleans in the early 1980s, Blanchard – like many artists before – fell in love with the city and its cultural and architectural history.
About the Ogden Museum
Located in the vibrant Warehouse Arts District of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art holds the largest and most comprehensive collection of Southern art and is recognized for its original exhibitions, public events and educational programs which examine the development of visual art alongside Southern traditions of music, literature and culinary heritage to provide a comprehensive story of the South. Established in 1999 and in Stephen Goldring Hall since 2003, the Museum welcomes almost 85,000 visitors annually, and attracts diverse audiences through its broad range of programming including exhibitions, lectures, film screenings and concerts which are all part of its mission to broaden the knowledge, understanding, interpretation and appreciation of the visual arts and culture of the American South.
The Ogden Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. with extended hours on Thursdays from 6 – 8 p.m. for Ogden After Hours. Admission is free to Museum Members and $13.50 for adults, $11 for seniors 65 and older, $6.75 for children ages 5-17 and free for children under 5.
The Ogden Museum is free to Louisiana Residents on Thursdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. courtesy of The Helis Foundation. The Helis Foundation is a Louisiana private foundation, established by the William Helis Family. The Art Funds of the Helis Foundation advance access to the arts for the community through contributions that sustain operations for, provide free admission to, acquire works of art and underwrite major exhibitions and projects of institutions within the Greater New Orleans area.
The Museum is closed Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day.
The Museum is located at 925 Camp Street, New Orleans Louisiana 70130. For more information visit ogdenmuseum.org or call 504.539.9650.