More O’Keeffe than Ever Before: The Southwest arrives in the Northwest at TAM

Tacoma, WA –Tacoma Art Museum presents the rare opportunity to view 22 of Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings alongside 42 additional works by her New Mexico contemporaries in the exhibition Eloquent Objects: Georgia O'Keeffe and Still-Life Art in New Mexico, on view March 1 through June 7, 2015. TAM is the only West Coast venue for this major, nationally-touring exhibition.

“O’Keeffe is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, consequently her works are in high demand. It is exceedingly difficult to borrow so many. It is a privilege to bring this exhibition to the Northwest," says TAM’s Director, Stephanie Stebich. Visitors will sense the compelling appeal of New Mexico for painters during a time when many of these artists sought to refine their individual versions of modern art. Still lifes composed of sun-bleached bones, adobe architecture, starkly beautiful landscapes, blossoms, foods, and cultural and religious objects reveal these artists’ impressions of the region from the 1920s to the 1950s.

"Eloquent Objects takes a different look at the American Southwest through still-life paintings. If asked what image symbolizes New Mexico, most people would likely talk about the landscape or the vibrant cultures of the area,” says Margaret Bullock, TAM’s Curator of Collections and Special Exhibitions. “The paintings in this exhibition instead focus on objects. They ask us to pause and think about how the things that interest us or surround us in our daily lives reveal something about us, and the place and time we live in. These are deeply personal images.”

Along with O’Keeffe, visitors will see works by important modernists Stuart Davis and Marsden Hartley and artists from each of the major art centers in New Mexico, including Gustave Baumann, Catherine Critcher, Eliseo Rodriguez and more. TAM has an additional O'Keeffe painting, Piñons with Cedar, on view in Art of the American West: The Haub Family Collection, along with other Taos Society works.

O’Keeffe lived for almost a century, developing and expressing remarkable skill as a painter and artist and leaving an indelible mark on American art. She spent the first half of her career living and working in New York. For O’Keeffe, New Mexico inspired a wholly new form of expression. The area became the primary subject of her art, and she conveyed her love of the region through form and color. Visit TAM for Eloquent Objects and see how O’Keeffe and other modernist painters in New Mexico developed new ways of using color, shape, and space. Learn about their impressions of the environment and diverse cultures of New Mexico through this impressive collection of still-life paintings.

Related: The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, curated from TAM's collection, will be on view as well, highlighting a range of still life works by regional artists including Virginia Banks, Morris Graves, Robern Helm, and Rene Rickabaugh among others.

Beginning March 25, just in time for spring break, visitors can purchase a Tacoma Museum District Pass at TAM for discounted entrance to multiple museums within a 7-day period. Prices are $45 for adults, $35 for students, military and seniors, and include one admission each to Tacoma Art Museum, Washington State History Museum, and Museum of Glass (located walking distance of each other), as well as America's Car Museum (LeMay).

Downtown boutique Hotel Murano will feature special accommodation packages including TAM admission and the exhibition catalogue for Eloquent Objects along with other perks.The hotel is located near TAM in Tacoma's thriving downtown.

For more information visit www.TacomaArtMuseum.org. Eloquent Objects: Georgia O'Keeffe and Still-Life Art in New Mexico: Organized by Joseph S. Czestochowski. Produced by International Arts ®. Curated by Charles C. Eldredge. Eloquent Objects: Georgia O'Keeffe and Still-Life Art in New Mexico is presented by Propel Insurance. Generous support provided by Nordstrom, ArtsFund, and Tacoma Arts Commission.