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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact:
Meredith Hayes
520-616-2687 (direct)
MHayes@TucsonMuseumofArt.org
The Art of Arizona
Tucson, Ariz. (June 3, 2009) -- The Tucson Museum of Art is proud to continue the tradition of supporting the arts in Arizona by highlighting many of the talented artists working in the state. Considered the longest running juried biennial in Arizona, the Arizona Biennial ‘09 will be on view at the Tucson Museum of Art, July 11 - September 26.
The exhibition is a much-anticipated opportunity for artists in the region to gain broad exposure for their work. Of the 411 artists who entered, 44 were selected to show a total of 50 works including 2 video installations. Most of the artists are from Tucson, however other cities represented are Phoenix, Tempe, Flagstaff, Jerome, Scottsdale, Chandler, and Sonoita. Some of the artists have been selected for previous Biennials and have established names; some have never been shown in a museum environment. Together they show Arizona's artistic strengths, trends, and the potential of our art and artists.
This year's selected works reveal a strong sense of craftsmanship and compositional structure. Two main areas of artistic inquiry are apparent. First, there are works that have a poetic sense of nostalgia or touch on aspects of the human condition. Among such works are the humorous photographs by Judy Miller and Shannon Smith, the painting by Lawrence Gipe, the sculptural works by Moira Geoffrion and Gwyneth Scally, and the videos by Jeejung Kim and Simon Donovan. Second, many works reveal a strong sense of color in either expressive brushwork and fluid linear motion or the organized geometry of repeated patterns, as seen in the silk construction by Carrie Seid, paintings by Grant Wiggins and Mark Pomilio, and photograph by Karen Strom.
Arizona Biennial '09 focuses on the current aesthetic and conceptual concerns addressed by artists both regionally and globally. It highlights some of the most innovative art created in this state and showcases the subtle shifts in imagery, stylistic impulses, and conceptual foundations to reveal how Arizona's artistic community participates in the broad dialogue of contemporary art.
To give a fresh perspective a juror from outside the state was chosen to make the selections. This year's guest curator was Tim Rodgers, Chief Curator of New Mexico Museum of Art. Rodgers has curated more than twenty exhibitions of modern and contemporary art including The Surreal Life: Gerry Snyder and Ken Price, 2009; Pulling Strings: the Marionettes and Art of Gustave Baumann, 2009; and Tuff Stuff (New Mexico artists, Dunham Aurelius, Michael Diaz, Harmony Hammond, and Jack Slentz, who "abuse" their art materials), 2008.
Embracing the traditional with the inventive, the Tucson Museum of Art presents original and traveling exhibitions with a focus on Art of the American West, Latin American Art, and Modern and Contemporary Art, and boasts a permanent collection of more than 7,000 works. The Museum is open Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and Sunday 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. The first Sunday of each month is free. It is located at 140 North Main Avenue in historic downtown Tucson.
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