The Gibbes Reveals 2017-18 Exhibitions

April 19, 2017

7:30 PM

The Gibbes Museum of Art announced its new series of special exhibitions coming to the museum's third floor galleries May 2017 – September 2018. Since reopening to the public last year after extensive renovations, the Gibbes has sought to engage people of every background and experience with art and artists of enduring quality through an innovative series of special exhibitions.

From Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's collection of watercolors by 18th-century artist, scientist and explorer Mark Catesby to American folk art by self-taught and unconventionally trained artists, the diverse series delivers an experimental platform for engaging with art in new and exciting ways while challenging established interpretations.

Artists Painting Artists
- May 5 – September 10, 2017
- The Gibbes Museum of Art is well known for its extraordinary portrait collection spanning the eighteenth century to the present. This exhibition focuses on a very special type of portrait: artists painted by other artists. These poignant paintings document friendship, respect and deep admiration shared among fellow artists.
Perspectives on Place
- May 5 – September 10, 2017
- The neighborhoods on the east side of the Charleston peninsula above Calhoun Street have experienced significant change over the last 100 years. Perspectives on Place offers the opportunity to gain insight to those changes through the eyes of several artists including Edward Hopper and Andrée Ruellan, who were drawn to depict a specific block through their artwork. Displayed together for the first time, these paintings explore artists' role as documentarians and social commentators.
Artist, Scientist, Explorer: Mark Catesby in the Carolinas
- May 12 – September 24, 2017
- Featuring the British Royal Collection, this exhibition explores the incredible life and work of Mark Catesby, the English artist, scientist and explorer who spent four years documenting the natural habitats of the Carolinas, Florida and the Bahamas. In 1722, Catesby arrived in Charleston and traveled throughout South Carolina and beyond documenting birds, reptiles and amphibians, fish, insects and mammals indigenous to the American colonies. Artist, Scientist, Explorer: Mark Catesby in the Carolinas marks the first showing of Catesby's original watercolors in Charleston, and only the second time his watercolors have been on view in the United States. The exhibition features 44 paintings on loan from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II from the British Royal Collection.
Out of the Wild: Animals in Contemporary Art
- May 12 – September 24, 2017
- Animals have occupied an important place in art throughout history. Inspired by works in the Gibbes permanent collection and several private collections, Out of the Wild: Animals in Contemporary Art showcases works by three contemporary American artists, William Dunlap, Walton Ford and Grainger McKoy. Working in a variety of media, these artists employ animal imagery to explore contemporary culture, and the evolving relationship humans share with the natural world. While their works celebrate the form and natural beauty of both wild and domestic species, the artists also examine political, social, psychological and spiritual themes.
Pan American Modernism: Avant-Garde Art in Latin America and the United States
- October 6, 2017 – January 7, 2018
- Pan American Modernism: Avant-Garde Art in Latin America and the United States explores the rich visual dialogue that flourished across the Americas between 1919 and 1979. Showcasing more than 70 significant works of art, the exhibition examines Modernism as an international phenomenon, embracing the contributions of Latin American artists.
A Shared Legacy: Folk Art in America
- January 19 – April 15, 2018
- A Shared Legacy: Folk Art in America tells the story of extraordinary American folk art made in New England, the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and the South between 1800 and 1925. Created by self-taught or minimally trained artists, the works exemplify the breadth of American creative expression during a period of revolutionary political, social and cultural change in the United States.
Radcliffe Bailey: Pensive
- April 27 – September 16, 2018
- Pensive features recent works by internationally renowned, Atlanta-based painter, sculptor and mixed-media artist Radcliffe Bailey. The exhibition showcases Bailey's poetic and experimental approach as well as his thoughtful consideration of the intersection of his personal narrative and the larger collective history of the African diaspora.

To learn more about these exhibitions or to purchase tickets, visit www.gibbesmuseum.org.

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Editor’s Note – This is a minimally edited press release