HOURS AND ADMISSION: The Carnegie Arts Center is located at 250 N. Broadway in Downtown Turlock. The exhibition opens to the public on September 14, 2019 and will be on view through January 12, 2020. Admission to the exhibition is $7 general, $5 for seniors and students, and free for Carnegie members and children.
Gallery hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm; Fridays 10 am – 8 pm; Sundays noon – 4 pm
PROGRAMS: Programming for the exhibition will include field trips for students in grades 4 and up, focusing on the role of superheroes in our culture and how artists represent action through the use of color and line.
Also scheduled are a panel discussion on September 22nd at 2 p.m. Four of the artists in the show will discuss what makes superheroes awe-inspiring and captivating in our culture.
A screening of the Disney/Pixar classic The Incredibles will take place on September 13th at 7 p.m.
A variety of related art and creative writing classes will be offered over the course of the exhibition period. (For a complete schedule and event details, visit the Carnegie’s website, www.carnegieartsturlock.org.)
Also scheduled for the fall is a superhero-themed fundraising event. The Carnegie’s Superhero Soiree takes place on Saturday October 19th, from 7-10 p.m. The event will raise funds for the Express Yourself! Justin Ferrari Youth Arts Fund; this special fund, dedicated to the memory of Justin Ferrari, provides support for a variety of youth-oriented activities and events at the Carnegie, including scholarships for art students, subsidies for youth arts events that utilize the Arts Center, and school buses for field trips. Tickets for the Superhero Soiree are $50 for CAC members, $60 for non-members and will go on sale in August.
My Hero! re-envisions the significance of the magic cape, lasso, or superhuman powers and the expectations that come with them. Organized by the Bedford Gallery, Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, the exhibition has been seen all across the country and has made a strong impact at every museum on the tour. Bedford Curator Carrie Lederer says: “For decades, artists have tapped the world of the superhero, eager to explore the alluring concept of what it means to have an avatar. We’re captivated by miraculous, superhuman strength, startling bravery, the enthralling adventures, and even their weaknesses.” In their work, contemporary artists have challenged the traditional notions of what a superhero is or what they stand for. The exhibition explores a variety of interpretations in images ranging from comic to tragic, posing questions for the viewer about pop culture, patriotism, heroism, and the human experience.
Bay Area artist Mel Ramos anchors the My Hero! exhibition. A Pop-Art pioneer, Ramos has been using iconic superhero images in his work for over 50 years. One of his earlier works, an oil painting of Superman (1962), is currently on display at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. My Hero! includes a limited-edition woodcut based on that oil painting.
My Hero! also features art by nationally renowned artist Mark Newport (Keego Harbor, Michigan), who, for years, has been using superhero imagery to explore issues of identity and the definition of a “hero.” Newport says about his work: “Turning the superhero inside out is a way for me to present an understanding of masculinity. Superheroes suggest strength, but knitting them or covering them with embroidery provides a softness that is contradictory to their image.”
Dulce Pinzon’s (Brooklyn, NY) photographs depict immigrant individuals as society’s “real superheroes.” In them, Catwoman works as a nanny, and Superman delivers pizzas on his trusty bike. Other artists present the superhero as a pop culture god, an aging has-been, a film noir anti-hero, and a symbol of commercialism.
My Hero!’s international roster of artists includes a series of humorous, sardonic superhero paintings by Laurina Paperina (Rovereto, Italy) and a sultry rendering of Supergirl laying across Mount Taranaki by Graham Kirk (New Plymouth, New Zealand) – an image that is both dramatic and comic.
Contact: Lisa McDermott
Email: lisa@carnegieartsturlock.org
Phone: (209) 632-5761, x101
More Info: carnegieartsturlock.org
More InformationWhen: Sep 14 at 10:00 AM
Location: Carnegie Arts Center
