GLENS FALLS, N.Y., June 10, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On June 15, The Hyde Collection Art Museum in Glens Falls, New York will unveil a groundbreaking exhibition, Modern Nature: Georgia O'Keeffe and Lake George, which explores, for the first time, the influence living and working in Lake George had on the art and life of the famous American painter.
Organized by The Hyde Collection in association with the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Modern Nature: Georgia O'Keeffe and Lake George premiers June 15 at The Hyde Collection, featuring 58 of O'Keeffe's paintings. From 1918 until 1934, O'Keeffe spent part of each year living and painting in Lake George at her husband Alfred Stieglitz's family estate. The rural retreat proved an inspiration for O'Keeffe, who created more than 200 paintings, sketches and pastels while in residence – making the years she lived in Lake George some of the most prolific of her career. It was here that she began to receive her first critical success, emerging as one of the era's most celebrated professional artists.
Opening in tandem and as a companion exhibition to Modern Nature, The Hyde will present a collection of Stieglitz's photographs taken during the same timeframe. The exhibition, titled: A Family Album: Alfred Stieglitz and Lake George, features 30 photographs taken by the influential photographer of his family and friends.
Additionally, the exhibition kicks off a series of art-themed events throughout the Lake George area, including an original play, painting workshops for all ages and scenic lakeshore cruises with teaching artists. On July 11, the Adirondack Theatre Festival will debut an original play by award-winning playwright Eric Lane titled "Filming O'Keeffe," at the Charles R. Wood Theater in Glens Falls. The play will run for seven nights and tickets may be purchased online at www.atfestival.org.
The exhibition will be open at The Hyde Collection through September 15, when it is scheduled to travel to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe for exhibition October 4, 2013 – January 26, 2014, and to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, de Young Museum from February 15 – May 11, 2014. Modern Nature is curated by Erin B. Coe, The Hyde Collection's Chief Curator, and Barbara Buhler Lynes, the former curator of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.
The Hyde Collection is located three hours north of NYC, two hours south of Montreal and half-an-hour north of Saratoga Springs. General admission to the exhibition is $12 and $10 for seniors and students. Admission is free for active duty U.S. military and their families, as well as children 12 and under. General admission is free every second Sunday during the exhibition, except in July and August.
The presentation of the exhibition at The Hyde has received significant support from a wide range of contributors. Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company is the lead corporate sponsor. Major additional business support has been provided by Behan Communications, Inc. Significant media sponsorship support has been provided by the Lake George Mirror, the Times Union, and WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Among individual donors, leadership support for this project has been provided by Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Atkiss and Susan and Bill Dake.
The exhibition and catalogue have also received foundation support from the Charles R. Wood Foundation, the Robert Lehman Foundation, and Furthermore, a publishing program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund. The project also received major grants from the New York State Council on the Arts and the I Love NY program, through the Capital Regional Economic Development Council, and funding for tourism promotion from Warren County, New York.
About The Hyde Collection: The Hyde Collection, 161 Warren Street, Glens Falls, New York, is an art museum with a collection of more than 3,300 objects that span the history of Western art, including artworks by Old Masters such as Sandro Botticelli, Rembrandt, Peter Paul Rubens, modern masters such as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, and a fine collection of American art with works by George Bellows, Thomas Eakins, Childe Hassam and Winslow Homer.
The institution is a product of the golden age of the private art collector (c. 1890-1940) and one of the few organizations of its kind in Upstate New York. Once the private home of Charlotte Pruyn Hyde, The Hyde Collection opened its doors to the public as a museum after her death in 1963, and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2013. Connect with The Hyde online: www.hydecollection.org, on Facebook: TheHydeCollection and Twitter: @HydeCollection.