Art of the Stage: Picasso to Hockney

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

I hate to admit that I have never visited the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, FL.  Thankfully, I can say in almost the same breath that I remedied that issue this past weekend when I saw their exhibition The Art of the Stage: Picasso to Hockney.  I am pleased to say that I enjoyed myself immensely!

The MFA is a hidden gem of art institutions.  I am sure that the average visitor to Florida’s Gulf Coast doesn’t realize that the grand building on the water is home to a collection of art that includes the work of Monet, Corot and Motherwell, some lovely Dutch still life paintings, an assortment of landscapes and small collections of the arts of Asia, Africa and the Early Americas.  What thrilled me was the representation of women artists including works by Elisabeth Vigee LeBrun, Berthe Morisot and Georgia O’Keeffe.

Art of the Stage: From Picasso to Hockney is a special exhibition that celebrates artists’ contributions to the theatre.  Often in art history, an artist’s contributions to the world of theatre are included as an afterthought or as an aside.  This is may have to do with the fact that those contributions are works on paper in the form of costume sketches and set designs.  Seeing those works grouped together as the sole focus of an exhibition was powerful and long overdue.  Plus, it was fascinating to see a different side to some well-known artists.  The scenery maquette by Picasso, a costume designed by Matisse and Robert Indiana’s cut-paper set designs all took me by surprise.

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Art of the Stage

 

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.