THE HARWOOD MUSEUM OF ART OPENS 4 SUMMER EXHIBITIONS JULY 7

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Taos, N.M.—  The Harwood Museum of Art will open four summer exhibitions to members Friday, July 6 and the public Saturday, July 7. “Suspension of Disbelief: The Fantasy Worlds of  Barbara Harmon, Frieda Lawrence, Gisella Loeffler, Ila McAfee, Millicent Rogers and Stella Snead” and “Highlights from the Harwood Museum of Art's Collection of Contemporary Art” open Saturday, July 7 and remain on view through Sunday, October 14, 2012.   In addition, the Harwood Museum of Art is celebrating the centennial of the birth of artist Bea Mandelman with two previously announced exhibitions, “Bea Mandelman: Collage” and “Bea Mandelman: The Social Realist Prints,” also scheduled to open on Saturday, July 7.

“Suspension of Disbelief,” on view in the Peter & Madeleine Martin Gallery, will present the work of six talented female artists who lived in Taos  and created works inspired by fantasy and the aesthetic legacy of Art Nouveau and the Symbolists. Visitors to the exhibition will enjoy a world of fantasy that captured the imaginations of these six independent women.

“Barbara Harmon, Frieda Lawrence, Gisella Loeffler, Ila McAfee, Millicent Rogers and Stella Snead were, if not all friends, contemporaries,” says Jina Brenneman, Harwood Curator of Collections and Exhibitions.  “Their world of make-believe, fairies, unicorns, birthday cakes, Victorian window dressings, anthropomorphic kittens, dreamscape scenes of handsome princes and checkerboard floors and orientalia seemed to have little to do with the traditional western landscape.  These six women were all drawing from the aesthetic legacy of Art Nouveau and the Symbolists.”

 “Highlights from the Harwood Museum of Art’s Collection of Contemporary Art” is the first installation in the newly repurposed Joyce and Sherman Scott Gallery.  Previously utilized for temporary exhibitions, the Scott Gallery will now showcase work from the Harwood Museum of Art's renowned collection of work created after 1965. 

“The Harwood Museum of Art has always been committed to celebrating both the rich cultural history of northern New Mexico, and the art of our time” says Susan Longhenry, Director of the Harwood Museum of Art.  “We’re actively collecting contemporary art, and we’ve got some fantastic pieces that we can’t wait to share with our visitors.” 

One of those works is Ronald Davis’ “Six-Ninths Red,” an important piece created in 1966 and recently acquired by the museum with funds provided in part by the Harwood Museum Alliance. 

“The Harwood Museum Alliance supports the museum in so many ways, including the sponsorship of major acquisitions like this one,” adds Longhenry. 

Additional support for the acquisition was provided by Gifford and Joanne Phillips.  The installation also features work by Larry Bell, Ken Price, Susan Ressler, Tony Abeyta, Peter Chinni, Johnnie Winona Ross and other contemporary artists who have lived and worked in Taos.

SUMMER EXHIBITION SCHEDULE
Friday, July 6
4-5 p.m. Director's Circles Preview of Summer Exhibitions
Members of the Harwood Museum of Art's Director's Circles will celebrate and preview the museum's summer 2012 exhibitions: 
5-7 p.m. Alliance Members' Opening Reception
Members of the Harwood Museum Alliance will preview the museum's summer 2012 exhibitions.

Saturday, July 7,  10 a.m. Exhibitions open to the public
Sunday, October 14   Exhibitions close

Hours
Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5  p.m; Sunday, 12 – 5 p.m.

General Admission
$10 adults, $8 seniors (65+) and students; Free to children age 12 and under, members of the Harwood Museum Alliance, University of New Mexico students and staff, and Taos County residents on Sundays. $25 Museum Association of Taos ticket is available for admission to the Harwood Museum of Art, the Taos Art Museum, the Millicent Rogers Museum, the Blumenschein Home and Museum, and La Hacienda de los Martinez.

Where: The Harwood Museum of Art of UNM, 238 Ledoux Street, Taos, NM
Info: 575-758-9826, www.harwoodmuseum.org

“Bea Mandelman: Collage” and “Bea Mandelman: The Social Realist Prints” are official projects of the New Mexico Centennial.   Both Mandelman exhibitions, along with “Suspension of Disbelief,” are projects of  The Remarkable Women of Taos.  Visit www.Taos.org to explore Taos travel information and learn more about the “Remarkable Women of Taos.”

The Harwood Museum of Art, located in Taos, New Mexico, founded in 1923, is the second oldest  museum in New Mexico. In 2010, the Harwood Museum inaugurated its expansion which includes an auditorium, library, additional exhibition space, and a state-of-the-art collection.

Contact:
Jennifer Marshall
505-231-1776
jennifer@jmarshallplan.com
www.jmarshallplan.com