TAFT MUSEUM OF ART BRINGS STAR POWER TO CINCINNATI
This fall, see Hollywood legends and cultural icons on display as part of FOTOFOCUS
Images available for download at http://www.taftmuseum.org/?page_id=2916.
Star Power: Edward Steichen’s Glamour Photography
October 12, 2012–January 27, 2013
Along with landscape and still-life subjects, Edward Steichen was committed to photographic portraiture from his earliest experiments with a camera. Throughout his career, Steichen would photograph many “great men” on commission. Star Power: Edward Steichen’s Glamour Photography features iconic portraits of famous actors, actresses, painters, producers, athletes, playwrights, poets, dancers, journalists, singers and writers, in addition to numerous fashion photographs. Among the Hollywood legends who sat for Steichen: Fred Astaire, Clara Bow, Claudette Colbert, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Katherine Hepburn, Leslie Howard, Harold Lloyd, Myrna Loy, Gloria Swanson, Shirley Temple, and Fay Wray.
In 1923, Edward Steichen was already a famous photographer on both sides of the Atlantic when he was offered the position of chief photographer for Condé Nast’s influential and highly regarded magazines Vogue and Vanity Fair. For the next fifteen years, Steichen took full advantage of the resources of the Condé Nast empire to produce brilliant work.
“Edward Steichen was instrumental in creating the idea of fashion and celebrity photography as we know it,” says Nancy Huth, the Taft’s curator of education and the installing curator for Star Power. “This exhibition includes several iconic images of film stars of the ‘20s and ‘30s, along with gorgeous fashion images intended for the pages of Vogue. Steichen’s work for Condé Nast in the 20s and 30s pointed the way for fashion and celebrity photography well into the future.”
Through the lens of his camera, Steichen was able to dramatize and glamorize contemporary culture and its heroes—in politics, literature, journalism, dance, theatre, opera, and, above all, the world of high fashion.
“These photographs will stir memories in all of us no matter how old or young we are,” says Deborah Emont Scott, director/CEO of the Taft Museum of Art. “Some of us will look at them and think of the black and white photos of family members, some will recall watching old movies with parents and grandparents; and some of us will see up close for the first time what that writer looked like.”
Star Power is also included in FOTOFOCUS, a Cincinnati-based nonprofit organization that champions the importance of photography with programs and events at more than 70 venues in the region during October. This exhibition is one of the premier events of this month-long celebration of historical and contemporary photography.
Sponsors: The Chellgren Family Endowment Fund, FOTOFOCUS, Marge & Charles J. Scott Foundation, Digi and Mike Schueler, Docents of the Taft Museum of Art, and the Warrington Exhibition Endowment
Exhibition support generously provided by: The Ellen and George Rieveschl Endowment
ArtsWave Partner: P&G
Operating Support: ArtsWave and the Ohio Arts Council
Gallery Talk
Thursday, November 29, 1:30 p.m.
Curator of Education Nancy Huth shares her insights about the exhibition.
FREE with Museum admission. Reservations required: (513) 684-4515 or www.taftmuseum.org.
ArtsWave Partner: Duke Energy Corp.
Exhibition Tours
Saturdays, 1:30 p.m.
October 13, 20, 27; November 3, 10, 17, 24; December 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Join a Taft docent for a half-hour tour of the exhibition.
FREE with Museum admission. No reservations taken.
Edward Steichen: Game Changer
Thursday, October 18, 7 p.m.
Catherine Evans, William and Sarah Ross Soter Curator of Photography, Columbus Museum of Art
Through his long career as a photographer, painter, gallery director, and curator, Edward Steichen changed the course of modern photography. Referencing Steichen’s many roles, Evans will contextualize him in terms of the medium’s evolution during the first half of the 20th century. Before joining the Columbus Museum of Art staff in 1996, Evans was assistant curator in the photography department at the Museum of Modern Art, NY. With New York’s Jewish Museum, she recently co-curated and co-authored The Radical Camera: New York’s Photo League, 1936–1951, which is on view at the Columbus Museum of Art through September 9.
FREE Members and Students; $10 Public (includes exhibition admission). Reservations: (513) 684-4515 or www.taftmuseum.org.
Sponsor: Stanley and Frances D. Cohen Lecture Series
Through the Photographer’s Lens
Two Cincinnati-based photographers explain their inspirations and work before sharing their insights about the exhibition Star Power: Edward Steichen’s Glamour Photography.
FREE with Museum admission. Reservations required: (513) 684-4515 or www.taftmuseum.org.
Friday, October 19, 2–3:30 p.m.
Jymi Bolden
A photographer whose images appear regularly in Ebony, among other national publications, Bolden has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists. Trained in the fine arts, he has exhibited in galleries as far away as Munich, Germany, and Havana, Cuba. His drawings and photographs can be found in many public and private collections.
Saturday, November 17, 2–3:30 p.m.
Michael Wilson
Known for his CD covers and portraits of such musical celebrities as David Byrne, Emmylou Harris, Philip Glass, BB King, and Randy Newman among many others, Wilson works for clients as varied as Warner Bros. Records, Alfred A. Knopf, and Mother Jones. His photographs have been featured in exhibitions around the country.
An Astaire to Remember
Friday, November 2, 9 p.m.–12 a.m.
Old Hollywood glamour meets 21st-century swagger during this celebration of the Taft’s 80th anniversary. Enjoy a swanky 1930s nightclub atmosphere with music by the Billy Larkin Trio, specialty cocktails from Molly Wellman, and delicious hors d’oeuvres by Executive Chef Luke Radkey. Find inspiration in Star Power: Edward Steichen’s Glamour Photography for your own Framester mementos of the event.
Advanced tickets $32 by October 31; $40 at the door. Reservations: (513) 352-5134 or www.taftmuseum.org.
Presented by: Marge and Charles J. Scott Foundation |
The Taft Museum of Art is at 316 Pike St., in downtown Cincinnati. The Museum is open Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, students, and teachers, $4 for youth 12-17 and free for children under 118. The museum is free to all on Sundays. Call 513-241-0343 or visit the website at www.taftmuseum.org for additional information.
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The Taft Museum of Art is supported in part by the generosity of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
The Taft Museum of Art is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is affiliated with the Association of Midwest Museums and the Ohio Museums Association.
Mission Statement
The Taft Museum of Art welcomes people of every background to experience a world-renowned collection in a beautiful historic house. Through its intimate presentation of the Tafts' treasures and its engaging exhibitions, programs, and activities, the Museum creates enjoyment and learning opportunities for all.
Diversity Statement
The Taft Museum of Art respects the dignity of all people and values what each member of our team brings to the organization. Accordingly, the Museum is committed to building an inclusive environment that welcomes and values diversity. This includes our staff, board of directors, volunteers and visitors. As an organization we recognize the importance of attracting and retaining talented people of different backgrounds. We understand how a diverse work team of staff, board of directors and volunteers benefits our organization by enabling us to draw upon a richness of resources. We want all our team members to feel appreciated for their uniqueness, so we work to foster an environment that provides everyone equal access to information and opportunities. This ensures that each person learns, grows, excels and maximizes his or her personal contributions. The Museum will thus be able to tap into a greater wealth of knowledge, perspectives, and experiences to develop and deliver programs and services to an increasingly diverse audience. |
