The Art of Romare Bearden

June 20–September 5, 2004
J. E. R. Chilton Galleries

Approximately 125 paintings, collages, and works on paper by Romare Bearden, one of  the premier American artists of the 20th century, are on view in The Art of Romare Bearden.

The exhibition, organized by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is the largest retrospective of Bearden’s work ever assembled. “Geographic inspiration for Bearden’s art ranges from his birth place in Mecklenberg County, North Carolina, to New York’s Harlem, to the Caribbean island of St. Maarten, where he and his wife owned a home from the early 1970s,” said Dr. Dorothy Kosinski, Senior Curator of Painting and Sculpture and curator of the exhibition at the DMA. “The child of a middle-class family, Bearden grew up in Harlem in the social and cultural exuberance of the Harlem Renaissance. Frequent visits from family friends such as Duke Ellington and Fats Waller made jazz an early passion for Bearden, and music continued to inform his art throughout his life. His highly narrative works also show references to the civil rights movement of the 1960s, particularly the inspiration of Martin Luther King, Jr.”

This comprehensive exhibition includes many rarely exhibited and/or never before reproduced works from the 1940s and 50s and showcases the colorful and complex collages for which Bearden is best known.

An Antenna Audio tour featuring the voices of artists and the music of Branford Marsalis will be available.

The Art of Romare Bearden Public Programs

Opening Day Exhibition Walk-Through
Sunday, June 20, 3:00 p.m.
Free with paid admission to the exhibition
Meet at the Visitor Services Desk

Join Ruth Fine from the National Gallery of Art, curator of The Art of Romare Bearden, on a first-look at the exciting new exhibition.

Gallery Talks
Wednesdays, 12:15–1:00 p.m.
Free with paid admission to the exhibition
Meet at the Visitor Services Desk

Icons of the Collection: Romare Bearden
Friday, August 6
7:00 p.m., Horchow Auditorium
$15 for the public, $10 for members and seniors, free for students and docents
For reservations call 214-922-1826.

Join us for a special screening and discussion of the documentary Bearden Plays Bearden, narrated by James Earl Jones. Panel members include Dr. Richard A. Long, friend of Bearden and scholar, featured in the film; Nelson Breen, director of Bearden Plays Bearden; and other panelists to be announced. Followed by a reception.

Late Nights at the Dallas Museum of Art
Summer in the City
Fridays, July 30 and August 27, 6:00 p.m.–midnight

Late Nights at the Dallas Museum of Art sizzle this summer as the Museum continues to celebrate the exhibition The Art of Romare Bearden. Don't miss a rare performance of Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert or the hottest underground hip hop and spoken word acts from across the country. Enjoy happy hour, insomniac tours, Starbucks Coffee tastings, open mic poetry slams, DJ and break-dancing demonstrations, family activities, and more.

During the July 30 Late Night, don't miss artist Jean Lacy discussing her work in the galleries at 7:00 p.m.

Follow these links to find online resources and interactive programs about the life and work of Romare Bearden:

http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/beardeninfo.htm

http://www.nga.gov/press/2003/exhibitions/170/index.htm

http://www.sfmoma.org/bearden/index.html

Thank you to The National Gallery of Art and The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for permission granted to link these sites.

The Art of Romare Bearden is organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington.  The exhibition is made possible with generous support from AT&T. 

Promotional support provided by The Dallas Morning News, Dallas Weekly and Southwest Airlines.

Images:
Romare Bearden, The Family, c. 1941, gouache with ink and graphite on brown paper, Collection of Earle Hyman, promised gift to the National Gallery of Art, © Romare Bearden Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, New York

Romare Bearden, Three Folk Musicians, 1967, collage of various papers with paint and graphite on canvas, anonymous lender, © Romare Bearden Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, New York