August 14, 2011 - February 19, 2012
The Art of Oleg Vassiliev: Discovering 20th Century Russian Masters
Lower Gallery and Mezzanine
Now open in the Lower Gallery (works on paper) and on the Mezzanine Level (paintings), The Art of Oleg Vassiliev surveys the career of one of the most important unofficial Soviet artists. The exhibition also features examples of Vassiliev’s recent work. A graduate of the Surikov Art Institute, Oleg Vassiliev actively participated in the non-conformist art scene of Soviet Moscow from the 1950s through the 1980s. Vassiliev’s art is rooted in the rich tradition of the Russian Realist style and the early Soviet avant-garde. Full of personal memories, his masterful works are an energetic meditation on human memory, forgetting, and a return to one’s home.
The exhibition includes approximately twenty oil paintings by Oleg Vassiliev dating from different periods of his life including his earlier works where he focused on the nature of light as well as later works of his American period that are almost hyper-realist in their precision.
His works on paper, in the Lower Gallery, includes an early Moscow Metro series of engravings where he affirmed himself as a brilliant student of the outstanding engraver and artist, professor of the VKhuTeMas and Surikov Institute, Vladimir Favorsky, as well as his House with the Mezzanine series, inspired by Anton Chekhov’s story and building on the achievements of post-revolutionary constructivist art. The House with the Mezzanine print series unfolds a wondrously poetic and visually striking journey that makes tangible the pace of history. To read Anton Chekhov’s story click here.

Also featured in the Lower Gallery are his drawings, collages and some of his book illustrations done in the 1960s and 1970s together with his friend Erik Bulatov. One of the lenders to this exhibition is the New York-based Kolodzei Art Foundation whose remarkable collection chronicles four decades of Russian and Soviet nonconformist art from the post-Stalinist era to the present. Other pieces come from noted Vassiliev collector Neil Rector as well
as from the artist and his family.

Born in Moscow in 1931, Vassiliev is one of the most important artists to emerge from the Soviet underground art scene. His artistic vision opposed the ideologies of the State-endorsed Socialist Realism combining constructivist approaches of the 1920s with the Russian realism of the 19th century. Vassiliev was influenced by the leading Soviet graphic artist Vladimir Favorsky (1886-1964). Together with his friends, well-known non-conformists Ilya Kabakov and Eric Bulatov, Oleg Vassiliev supported himself working as a book illustrator, while also creating his marvelous works in the seclusion of his studio. Like many of his generation of underground artists, Vassiliev left Russia after the end of the cold war, moving to New York City in 1990. He now resides in Minnesota.

Vassiliev graduated from V.I. Surikov State Art Institute in Moscow, where he specialized in graphics. Vassiliev’s work is broadly recognized for its unique place in Russian art and can be found in the collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery, The State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg; The State Center of Contemporary Art, Moscow; The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow; Denver Art Museum, Colorado; Duke University Museum of Art, Kunstmuseum Bern, Switzerland; and the Norsk-Russisk Kultursenter Galleri, Norway.
On November 12, 2011 The Museum of Russian Art hosted a small private reception honoring Oleg Vassiliev’s lifetime of artistic achievement in the month of his 80th birthday.
address:
Museum of Russian Art
5500 Stevens Ave South
Minneapolis, MN. 55419 U.S.A.




Opened October 1, 2011–Antiquities from Ukraine: Golden Treasures and Lost Civilizations
6,000 Years of Archaeology, from the Earliest Civilization in Europe to the Byzantine Empire.
MINNEAPOLIS (September 23, 2011) – Opening October 1, The Museum of Russian Art announces its exhibition of exquisite gold and ceramic relics dating from the Neolithic age to the Byzantine era unearthed in present-day Ukraine. Over the ages, the territory of Ukraine has been a major trade route where objects from many eras and civilizations have been found.

The exhibition’s storyline follows a chronological sequence, starting with the Trypilian culture dating back to 5,400 BC. Pottery decorated with red and black paints, sacred symbols, as well as temple models and animal sculptures,is on display. The lost world of this sophisticated matriarchal society comes to life in the fascinating figurines of the Great Goddess and in the highly stylized patterns decorating Trypillian earthenware.

Gradually displacing the agricultural Trypillians were the nomadic Scythians of the Ukrainian steppe, who are known for their beautiful stylized animal-shaped ornaments. The fertile soil of the region attracted Greek settlers as early as the 7th century BC. Greek presence lasted well into the Hellenistic period (around the 2nd century BC), represented here by a dazzling array of bronze sculpture, exquisite gold jewelry, extraordinary rhytons (drinking cups partially in the shape of a ram), black-slip pottery, and amphorae.

Rome’s influence reached the Black Sea—and the shores of Ukraine—as early as the 1st century BC. We see Roman presence reflected in art forms that blend traditions from both Greek and Roman worlds. Among the items on display are bright red and orange pottery, transparent glass, bronze and silver vessels, and jewelry incorporating precious stones, filigree, granulation and inlays.

The exhibition ends with treasures from the Byzantine Empire, the ancient Slavic state of Kyivan Rus’, and various steppe nomads, spanning the 5th through the 13th centuries AD. Utensils, relics, chalices, kolts, pendants, rings, bracelets and necklaces provide an idea of the array of objects used by the inhabitants of medieval Ukraine.

“TMORA has previously featured art from various regions of the former Soviet Union including Estonia and Central Asia, and now we’re pleased to offer visitors insights into Ukraine,” said museum Director Brad Shinkle.
This exhibit is presented by the Foundation for International Arts & Education of Bethesda, Maryland in cooperation with the The Museum of National Cultural Heritage PlaTar in Kiev, Ukraine, the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council and with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States and the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.
address:
Museum of Russian Art
5500 Stevens Ave South
Minneapolis, MN. 55419 U.S.A.

 

 

Saturday February 4th ILLINOIS
Malcom X Colledge fine art exhibition "Uniting America Illinois Immigrant intengration Summit"
7 artists exhibiting. Artist from our community are present as well.
abstract:
With the Immigrant Immigration Summit just around the corner on February 4th I have been busy
preparing for it up here at HACES. First, I had to come up with a theme for my booth. To do this
I had to take a step back from the nitty-gritty of my every day work and think about the larger
mission of Uniting America. What did I want my booth to convey? I decided to focus on the importance
of strong communities. In my mind community is an essential part of what Uniting America is all about.
The theme of my booth is “what does community mean to you?” This will be shown in our interactive
component of the booth. I also will be providing information about what HACES does, advertise for up
coming events in Lake County, and of course, provide people with information about how they can
get involved with Uniting America.
http://icirr.org/es/content/what-expect-uniting-america-feb-4th
address:
1900 West Van Buren Street Chicago, IL 60612-3145
(312) 850-7055

Admission is free.

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