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Recent Acquisitions Releases Press Release Archive |
Tyler Museum of Art Says 'Thank You' with Free Admission to Whistler Exhibition Tyler, TX—Proving that sometimes "good things come to those who wait," the Tyler Museum of Art is offering free admission to its current exhibition, James McNeil Whistler: Selections from the Hunterian Art Gallery on Sunday, April 22, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.. The TMA is the only Texas venue for this traveling exhibition which will close April 29 and return to its home museum at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Kimberley Tomio, TMA director, said the free admission day, which is being sponsored by Roosth Production Company, is planned to encourage all East Texans to feel welcomed at the Museum, and to help them discover what a wonderful source of entertainment and education the TMA is for the community. "This is our way of saying, 'Thank you, Tyler, for supporting our exhibitions,'." Organized by International Arts & Artists of Washington, DC, the Whistler exhibition brings 129 pieces from the famed artist's estate to the United States for the first time, including paintings, prints, watercolors, manuscripts and personal belongings such as silverware and porcelain. Most of the personal pieces were donated to the Hunterian Gallery in Scotland by Whistler's sister-in-law in 1935, after the artist's death in 1903. "While the Hunterian Gallery has been in extensive renovations, this exhibition has toured six other U.S. cities," Ms. Tomio said. "When the collection returns to its home in Scotland it will likely never again be released in this encompassing an exhibition, so this is truly a unique opportunity." James McNeill Whistler was born in Massachusetts in 1834, but spent most of his adult life in Europe, supporting himself by selling his paintings, etchings and lithographs. His most famous work, Arrangement in Grey and Black: The Artist's Mother, c. 1871, more commonly known as "Whistler's Mother," and now owned by the Museé D'Orsay in Paris, is not part of the exhibition, but other significant paintings, including Red and Black: The Fan, c. 1891–1894, and pivotal etchings such as The Palaces, c. 1879, are included in the Tyler show. Whistler's portrait work was his "bread and butter," especially in London, where wealthier citizens paid handsome fees for talented artists to immortalize them. His paintings of beautiful women increased both his fortune and fame, enhanced by the fact the artist had a unique ability to capture the nuances of fashion. Whistler also apparently enjoyed painting and drawing those who could not pay his sitting fee. The TMA exhibition depicts several of the artist's favorite portraits of girls and young women from varied walks of life, including several of family members and friends who frequently posed for him. Regular admission price for this exhibition for those who cannot visit Sunday is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors (65+) and students with IDs, $3 for children 12-3, and free for children under 3. TMA members are admitted for free. The Tyler Museum of Art is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call 903-595-1001. |