Exhibits
The Floating World: Japanese Ukiyo-e Prints
Open Now!
Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868) saw a growing, urban, merchant class spending more time and money on art and leisure. A new, affordable artform developed for this group of novice art collectors: souvenir woodblock prints depicting travel and entertainment. Known as ukiyo-e or “images of the floating world,” this genre of illustration allowed viewers to fantasize about a world far from responsibility, where they could relish pleasurable pursuits.
Focusing on actor portraits and scenes from the theater this display complements our current interactive exhibition Van Gogh For All (October 16, 2021 – February 13, 2022). Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) owned hundreds of ukiyo-e prints, directly influencing his unique visual language. Characterized by bold outlines, flat patches of color, patterned surfaces, and asymmetrical compositions, ukiyo-e prints had a profound impact on the international art world in the nineteenth century and continue to inspire new generations of artists.
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This exhibit is presented with support from the Elliot Family Foundation, the Charles & Mary Fayne Glotfelty Foundation, Fund for the Arts (The Clay Center salutes the following major donors to Fund for the Arts whose annual gifts of $10,000 or more help keep all the arts thriving in our area including City of Charleston, Cecil I. Walker Charitable Foundation, Daywood Foundation, Spilman, Thomas & Battle PLLC), the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. |
Van Gogh for All
Closing February 13, 2022
Experience Vincent van Gogh’s life and art like never before! This exhibit allows visitors of all ages to interact with art history, providing an accessible introduction to one of the world’s most celebrated painters.
Van Gogh (1853-1890) was largely self taught as an artist and underappreciated in his lifetime. Audiences are often drawn to his story of struggle, but it is his bold paintingstyle that continues to inspire. Using thick brushstrokes and vivid paint, he represented life as he understood it: in swirling motion and vibrant color.
Come learn about Van Gogh’s tools and materials as you explore a recreation of his nineteenth-century studio. Feel the texture of his paint in three-dimensional reproductions. Take a seat in his Café Terrace at Night and discuss the latest developments in avante-garde art. Make a still life drawing or self-portrait to take home or hang on the wall of the exhibition. Use virtual reality, blue screens, and touch screens to explore Van Gogh’s paintings with new technology. You won’t want to miss this memorable exhibition before it closes February 13th!
Please also join us in January for special programs related to Van Gogh For All including a lecture, film, and special music performed in the gallery.
This exhibit is included in the cost of admission to the Clay Center.
This exhibit is presented with support from Belle Chemical, Daywood Foundation, The Elliot Family Foundation, Charles & Mary Fayne Glotfelty Foundation, Herscher Foundation, and Bernard H. & Blanche E. Jacobson Foundation, Fund for the Arts (The Clay Center salutes the following major donors to Fund for the Arts whose annual gifts of $10,000 or more help keep all the arts thriving in our area including City of Charleston, Cecil I. Walker Charitable Foundation, Daywood Foundation, Spilman, Thomas & Battle PLLC). This program is presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.
