Sioux Falls, SD (10/4/2022) — The Visual Arts Center in the Washington Pavilion is currently home to over 70 original works by more than 50 of the country’s most celebrated artists including Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Chuck Close, Willem de Kooning, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Thomas Moran and more. The new exhibit Guild Hall: An Adventure in the Arts opened today and features well-known paintings, watercolors, sculptures, sketches, drawings and photographs.
“This is a rare chance for art lovers and the general public to see original, famous works by celebrated artists without ever having to leave South Dakota,” says Cody Henrichs, Curator at the Visual Arts Center. “It’s an honor for the Visual Arts Center to host the works of these icons of American art, offer these incomparable pieces to our community and celebrate the artists’ stories.”
This is the Visual Arts Center’s first major traveling exhibit in five years. The exhibit begins after entering through an archway illustrating one of Andy Warhol’s famous depictions of Marilyn Monroe. The first section of the exhibit features postmodern and contemporary artists from the 1970s through present time such as David Salle and Ross Bleckner. As you move through the gallery, you’ll go backwards through time into midcentury pop art by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein and also abstract pieces by artists such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. The final section of the exhibit includes famous pastoral landscapes created by Thomas Moran, representations of American impressionism by Childe Hassam and more.
Works are on loan from the permanent collection of Guild Hall in East Hampton, New York. Established in 1931, Guild Hall is on the Eastern End of Long Island, a unique region that has attracted many diversely talented people such as artists, writers, musicians, actors and directors over the years. Guild Hall is the cultural center in the center of culture and has developed an impressive permanent collection that now consists of more than 1,900 pieces. A selection of these works has been organized into a traveling exhibition organized by Guild Hall in association with Landau Traveling Exhibitions of Los Angeles, California.
The artists represented in this collection often knew each other and developed professional, creative and personal relationships. The exhibit includes pieces by artists who were friends, spouses, competitors, a father and son, lovers and twin brothers who all influenced artists who came after them. The exhibition also includes portraits and photographs of some of the artists to help tell their stories and illuminate their lives.
The Washington Pavilion will celebrate the grand opening of this exhibit on Friday, October 7, 2022, from 5 – 8 p.m. The Visual Arts Center will be a stop on the Downtown Sioux Falls Art & Wine Walk, and admission to both the Visual Arts Center and Kirby Science Discovery Center is free during this timeframe. The evening also will include artist receptions, a cash bar, a live band and free cake! Sip some wine and support local artists.
The Guild Hall: An Adventure in the Arts exhibit is made possible in part by sponsors the Gilchrist Foundation, First Bank & Trust, Xcel Energy Foundation and the South Dakota Arts Council. The Everist Gallery is sponsored by Citi.
The exhibit is free for members and included in any museums admission. The Washington Pavilion Visual Arts Center, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and on Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. For additional information, please visit WashingtonPavilion.org/Guild.
About Washington Pavilion Management, Inc. (WPMI)
Washington Pavilion Management, Inc. is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the largest arts organization in the state. The management company oversees and programs two historic City of Sioux Falls facilities: the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science and the Orpheum Theater Center. The company also provides professional management services, including administration; arts, science and educational programming; ticketing; event management; marketing; and more to other arts and nonprofit organizations. For information, please visit WashingtonPavilion.org.
