Picturing Long Island: Abstract, Figurative and Historical. Ansel Adams & Edwin Land: Art, Science, & Invention,

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1 Future exhibitions at the Heckscher Museum of Art Ansel Adams & Edwin Land: Art, Science, & Invention, Photographs from the Polaroid Collection March 31, June 25, 2007 This exhibition features 100 photographs by famed photographer Ansel Adams created as the product of a lifelong friendship and creative collaboration with Edwin Land, a scientist who pioneered the invention of instant film and cameras in the 1940s. Includes many one-of-a-kind Polaroid images and some of Adams most famous images. Long Island s Best: Young Artists at the Heckscher 2007 April 21 - May 6, 2007 This renowned annual juried exhibition of artwork by Long Island high school students inspired by works on view at the Heckscher returns for its eleventh year! For further information on our upcoming events & exhibitions, please visit our website at Education Department Staff Call Prime Avenue Huntington NY Joy Weiner Director of Education & Public Programs Kristina Seekamp Coordinator of School and Youth Programs Lucy Taylor Coordinator of Docents & Adult Group Programs Craig Langlois Coordinator of Public Programs/Museum Educator EXHIBITION & MUSEUM RESOURCES GUIDE Abstract, Figurative and Historical April Gornick, Blue Moonlight, 2003, oil on linen, 25 x 25 in. MUSEUM RESOURCES: p. 1-5, 20 Preparing for your visit... p. 2-3 Educator Resources..p. 5 August Heckscher Biography...p. 4 Future Exhibitions.p. 20 EXHIBITION RESOURCES: p Exhibition Summary..p. 6 Vocabulary...p. 7 Art Activities..p. 8 Internet Resources.p. 9 Images...p INSIDE

2 Preparing for Your School Discovery Visit Please note the following guidelines to ensure the best experience for both you and your students. Materials The School Discovery Program includes hands-on activities which utilize a variety of materials provided by the Museum. We ask that you remind students to pay special attention to the proper use and care of art materials. Because of the unique in-gallery working environment, extreme care must be taken. Students will be asked to put away and return the materials at the conclusion of each project. Arrival The Museum opens promptly at 10:00 am. Unfortunately, we cannot allow groups in before that time. Afternoon school groups may be required to wait momentarily while morning groups exit the Museum. Conduct The temptation to touch artwork can be great. It is important for your students to know that objects in the Museum are original works of art that cannot be replaced. We invite you to look and enjoy, without touching. Also, keep in mind that the Museum will be open to the public during the program. All visits include discussion, independent looking, and participatory activities. Therefore we ask that you remind students to remain with the group at all times, unless otherwise instructed. There should be no shouting, calling out, or running in the galleries. 2 Arthur G. Dove, Untitled Centerport #2, 1941, watercolor and pencil on paper, 4 x 5-1/2 in. Gift of Mr. William C. Dove

3 18 Barbara Ernst Prey, Cold Spring Harbor, 2003, watercolor on paper, 25 x 38 in. Courtesy of the Artist. Personal Belongings Please have students leave lunches and all other personal belongings on the bus. In the winter months, coat racks are available for your convenience. Photography Photography in the Museum is prohibited unless prior permission is obtained from the Executive Director three weeks in advance of your scheduled visit. Restrooms and Handicapped Accessibility Restroom facilities at the Museum are located on the lower level and are only accessed by stairs. If a student requires handicapped bathroom facilities, these are located in the adjacent cottage building. Name Tags Name tags for younger students are appreciated by Museum Educators. Smoking Smoking is prohibited in all areas of the Museum. Museum Educators reserve the right to dismiss any group at anytime from the Museum if they feel the group presents a threat to the safety of works on exhibition. 3

4 Who is August Heckscher? Born in Hamburg, Germany on August 27, 1848, August Heckscher was to become one of the foremost capitalists and philanthropists in the United States. August Heckscher was to fulfill the American dream of financial success and personal accomplishment. Arriving in this country, he turned his attentions to industry and real estate, becoming a well-respected operator and general manager. Toward the latter years of his life, August Heckscher began the most important chapter of his career. As a philanthropist, he focused on social issues and child welfare. Creating the Heckscher Children s Foundation (now home of El Museo del Barrio), he sought to eradicate slum dwellings in New York City. Heckscher established playgrounds in lower Manhattan and purchased Heckscher State Park in East Islip, New York. In 1918, he purchased the Prime Avenue property adjoining the Historic Old First Church in Huntington, New York. He created a park for children and adults to enjoy. In 1919, the Heckscher Museum of Art, a beautiful beaux-arts style fine arts building, was added to the property. Heckscher s original collection of 185 paintings and sculptures, including art from the Renaissance, the Hudson River School, and early modernist American art, filled the Museum. When the Museum opened its doors in 1920, Heckscher dedicated the Museum and surrounding park to the people of Huntington, especially to the little birds that migrate, and to the little children who fortunately do not. August Heckscher passed away on April 26, 1941 at the age of 92. The Long Islander described him in an obituary as perhaps the finest benefactor that Huntington ever had. Since his death, the Heckscher Museum of Art has continued to collect artwork in his legacy, with a permanent collection now featuring over 2,000 works. 4 Penrhyn Stanlaws, August Heckscher, oil on canvas, 47 ½ x 34 ¼ in., Heckscher Museum of Art, August Heckscher Collection. Andreas Rentsch, The Wanderer #1, 2002, Selenium toned gelatin silver print, 18 x 23 in. Courtesy of the Artist. 17

5 16 Neil Scholl, Caumsett Series #46, 1997, silver gelatin photograph, 19-1/4 x 14 in. Gift of the Artist Educator Resources All materials are available for loan by classroom and art teachers. A $25.00 refundable deposit is required for a two week rental. Please call the Education Department at for availability. Exhibition-related Slide Packets Art History Slides are available for a variety of exhibitions past & present. Free Posters Videos & DVDS Archived exhibition-related art posters are available free of charge. A variety of art historical films are available for loan. NEW! Eyes on Art: A Collection Interpretation Game This new hands-on curatorial game utilizes collaborative learning as students in grades 6 to 12 curate their own exhibitions using images of works in the Museum s Permanent Collection! Full-color laminated cards bring artwork dating from the 16th through the 20th century to life, illuminating the Museum s role as an interdisciplinary resource. Bring this fun-filled game into your classroom! Games are now available for borrowing. Please call for loan information. Learn more at 5

6 ABOUT THE EXHIBITION This special exhibition celebrates Long Island past and present, featuring approximately 40 works of art created from the late 1800s to the present including works by contemporary local artists as well as selected works from the Heckscher Museum s Permanent Collection. The imagery represents an array of media including watercolor, oil, and photography. When viewed together, the works i n P i c t u r i n g Long I s l a n d demonstrate that Long Island has inspired a uniquely rich and vastly compelling range of aesthetic responses from a highly esteemed selection of artists. According to Heckscher Chief Curator, Dr. Kenneth Wayne, the exhibit s unique juxtaposition of historical with contemporary art and paintings with photographs creates a particularly compelling presentation. 6 Above (top to bottom): Helen Rousakis, Psyché, 2005, pigment print, 24 x 30 in. Courtesy of the Artist; Theodore Wores, Thomas Moran s House (East Hampton, Long Island), undated, oil on board, 9 x 12 in. Gift of Dr. A Jess Shenson in memory of Ronald G. Pisano Edwin Austin Abbey, Near East Hampton, 1878, watercolor on paper, 7 x 11 in. Gift of Warren and Jan Adelson in memory of Ronald G. Pisano

7 Rhoda Holmes Nicholls, Thistle Down and Dark Trees, Shinnecock, undated, watercolor on paper, 10 x 14 in. Gift of the Baker/Pisano Collection Vocabulary Words ABSTRACT ARTWORK A work of art that is not realistic or representational of a real person, place, or thing. It is about color, shape, and line. REALISTIC ARTWORK A work of art in which the imagery closely represents the subject as it appears in real life. LANDSCAPE A work of art of an outdoor scene. FOREGROUND The part of a landscape that is nearest or closest to the viewer, or in the front. BACKGROUND The part of a landscape that is furthest from the viewer. MIDDLEGROUND The part of a landscape that shows the space between the foreground and background. SCALE The relative size of an object or objects. POINT OF VIEW The perspective, or angle, from which a subject is shown. MONOCHROMATIC A work of art that uses values of only one color. ATMOSPHERIC PERSPECTIVE The alteration of color, value, size, and level of detail to suggest distance in a work of art. CONTRAST The difference between dark and light. PHOTOGRAPH An image, especially a positive print, recorded by a camera and reproduced on a photosensitive surface. WATERCOLOR A paint composed of a water-soluble, water-based pigment. GOUACHE - An opaque watercolor prepared with gum. 7

8 Art ActivitY What is LONG ISLAND to ME? (Grades 2-12) Look carefully at various works of art from the exhibition Picturing Long Island:. Motivation: (Adjust as appropriate for grade level) Whether it s by a person, place, object, or idea, artists find inspiration in many different places. All of the artists whose work is in this exhibition were inspired by Long Island. What do you notice is different and similar about the media, subject matter, style, and mood of these works of art? Why do you think this similarities and differences exist? Pretend you have never been to Long Island before. What kind of place would you think it was by looking at these works of art? Why? What is it like to live on Long Island in 2007? What represents Long Island to you? How may your answer be different if you have lived on L.I. your whole life versus if you are visiting or just moved there? 8 Procedure edure: 1. Brainstorm ideas for what represents Long Island to your students. For example: Jones Beach, Montauk Point, the L.I.E., the L.I.R.R., the forks, the Big Duck in Sears-Bellows Pond County Park, a sports team, person (celebrity, politician, friend), book, or song. 2. Once each student has an original idea, discuss how the artists in this exhibition created a mood in their artwork through their use of color, composition, and point of view. Also, consider whether the artist worked realistically or abstractly. How did this decision affect our understanding of the work? 3. Students create original works of art in the media of their choice to depict Long Island. Consider use of color, composition, and point of view when depicting their chosen subject to create a mood. 8 Joe Constantino, Lily Pond, The Barn at Mattituck, 1997, photograph, silver gelatin print from infrared negative, 16 x 20 in. Gift of the Artist

9 12 Pat Ralph, Equinox #3, 2005, oil on canvas, 24 x 24 in. Courtesy of the Artist. Internet Resources History of Long Island: Newsday.com Long Island Our Story FURTHER INFORMATION ON INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS: Edwin Austin Abbey: James Britton: William Merritt Chase: George Constant: Arthur G. Dove: James MacDougal Hart: N. Jay Jaffee: Edward Moran: Rhoda Holmes Nicholls: Anthony Stubbing: Helen Torr (& Arthur G. Dove): Theodore Wores: Stan Brodsky: Joe Constantino: April Gornick: Stuart McCallum: Barbara Prey: Andreas Rentsch: Helen Rousakis: Neil Scholl: Stanley Twardowicz: Jane Wilson: 9

10 Stan Brodsky, Blue Deep, 1981, oil on canvas, 36 x 46 in. Courtesy of the Artist. 10 Lisa Breslow, Clouds Moving Seaward, 2006, oil on panel, 30 x 30 in. Courtesy of the Artist. 11