The Gadsden Arts Center & Museum is pleased to introduce Vernacular Art from the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum Permanent Collection, an exhibition of 37 works of 20 Vernacular artists from the Southeastern United States. This exhibition was organized from a gift to Gadsden Arts received from the distinguished collection of Calynne and Lou Hill of Tallahassee, Florida.
This exhibition is centered around the work of the most famous Vernacular artist from the Southeast, Thornton Dial, Sr., an artist who is considered one of the most creative geniuses of his time and whose work has shattered the art world’s notion of “folk” and “outsider” art. The artists included in this exhibition were chosen as exemplars of Vernacular art; their idiosyncratic work is often created using found materials, of a style purely their own, and is often expressive of symbolism from the artists’ immediate regional American cultures and more distant African cultural roots.
In November 2014, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced a major gift of 20th-century works by many of the same artists in the Gadsden Arts Collection, including 10 pieces by Thornton Dial, Sr.
Vernacular Art from the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum Permanent Collection is an invaluable national caliber cultural opportunity, featuring cutting edge art world subject matter, and with only 200 linear feet and a low rental fee, this exhibition is suitable for any museum’s space and budget. If you are interested in receiving more information about this exhibition, please contact our Curator, Angie Barry, (850) 627-5021.