“Faces are the most interesting things we see; other people fascinate me, and the most interesting aspect of other people—the point where we go inside them—is the face. It tells all.” – David Hockney
Riverside CA – The Riverside Art Museum (RAM) announces the opening of REVEALING CHARACTER: Four Hundred Years of Portraits at the Riverside Art Museum. The exhibition runs from September 24 to December 28, 2011 with a special reception Saturday, October 8, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for RAM members and a general public reception from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. with $5 admission for non-members.
The second in a series of three exhibits mined from RAM’s Permanent Collection, Revealing Character celebrates nearly four centuries of portraiture, with artwork dating from the seventeenth century to the present. New York-based Guest Curator Margaret Mathews-Berenson has delved into RAM’s collection and presents forty-seven works by thirty-three notable artists, including: Jacques Callot, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dalí, Alberto Giacometti, Takashi Murakami, and Kara Walker.
Revealing Character serves as a brief survey of the history of portraiture and includes work by local artists; among these are: Joanna Mersereau and O. Walter Donnenfeld of Riverside, and Leo Limón and Sergio Zenteno Bencomo of East Los Angeles’ Self Help Graphics, a community arts collective that supports emerging artists in Latino and marginalized communities in Los Angeles and beyond. Peppering the walls of the galleries are poignant quotes by well-known artists and writers, including: Charles Baudelaire, Lucian Freud, Vincent Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and Oscar Wilde.
To add yet another layer of interest to the exhibition, Mathews-Berenson has connected for the second time with Creative Writing interns from UC Riverside to create an on-demand book to accompany the exhibit. In addition to a supplementary essay and selected full-color images, Revealing Character’s companion book contains original writings by six UCR students inspired by works on view and will be available for purchase at the museum. Striking, informative, and diverse, Revealing Character proves to be a unique museum experience.
RAM relies on the generosity of members and donors to support its exhibitions, education programs, and special events. A 50-plus-year-old, private, non-profit cultural arts institution housed in a National Historic 1929 building designed by Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan, the museum welcomes over 50,000 visitors a year. The museum is open Monday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. For information on exhibits, events, classes, memberships, or sponsorship opportunities, visit www.RiversideArtMuseum.org. Find us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/riversideartmuseum) and Twitter (RAMRiverside).
This exhibit is sponsored by: The City of Riverside and the James Irvine Foundation