Cedar Rapids, Iowa— In conjunction with the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art (CRMA) will open two complementary sports-related exhibitions: All-Stars and The ESPY Collection Saturday, May 31, 2008.
Focusing on sports in America from the mid-19th century through the 1990s, All-Stars: American Sporting Prints from the Collection of Reba and Dave Williams will examine a number of America's favorite pastimes through the eyes of its artists. At the same time, this exhibition provides an intriguing look at American social history and illustrates how the increase in leisure time in the United States during the 20th century led to the growth of popular sports and to artists' representations of sports.
In more than 70 prints by 60 artists, 30 sports are presented in the full spectrum of printmaking processes. Many of the major artistic styles of the past century will also be represented, from Realism to Cubism, and from Surrealism to Abstraction. While many of the artists are not well known, several historically famous artistic names are included: Winslow Homer, George Bellows, Childe Hassam, Alex Katz, and Robert Rauschenberg. Some of the nation's more fascinating sports heroes are represented, including tennis champion Helen Wills and New York Mets pitcher Ron Darling, and scenes of anonymous athletes from the arenas of baseball, football, basketball, swimming, boating, boxing, and polo, are also featured.
From images of social commentary to addressing the challenges of presenting the motion of the sport, these prints offer a glimpse into a fascinating period in the evolution of both sports and the printmaking process.
In 2002, photographer Rick Chapman was asked by ESPN to create a series of portraits of the recipients of the ESPY Awards. What resulted was a riveting collection of 25 photographs of some of the most fascinating sports figures in the country. Ranging from traditional portraiture to innovative and enlightening works that capture the sitter's personality, this limited edition series of black-and-white photographs allow viewers to see many of their favorite sports heroes in a completely new light.
From Muhammad Ali to John Elway to Jack Nicklaus, a broad range of sports figures are included. While fairly intimate in scale and proximity to the sitter, these works nonetheless possess a monumentality and force that extends well beyond their 14 x 14 in. size. In Rick Chapman's images, these larger-than-life heroes become approachable and human, and allow a completely new view of someone the viewer thought he already knew. In 2007, Chapman was again asked to be the photographer for the most recent awards and the additional 15 portraits bring the total collection to 40.
Join us for All-Stars and The ESPY Collection and all of the exciting sports-related programming at the CRMA through August 31, 2008.
These exhibitions were made possible in part by 1600 ESPN Radio, The Skogman Companies, the Momentum Fund of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, and Members of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.
For more information on these exhibitions please visit www.crma.org or call 319.366.7503. Admission to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art is $7 for Adults and $6 for Seniors (62 and older) and College Students with an ID. All Museum visitors aged 18 or under always receive free admission.
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The mission of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art is to excite, engage and educate our community and visitors through our collection, exhibitions and programs. The Museum’s collection contains more than 5,600 works of art by hundreds of artists, including the world's largest collection of works by Grant Wood. For more information on exhibitions or related programs call the Museum at 319.366.7503 or visit the museum's web site at www.crma.org. The CRMA is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with extended hours and free general admission from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday. The CRMA is also open noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, but closed Monday and major holidays.