What's New on NGA Web-January 2007

1. Jasper Johns: An Allegory of Painting, 1955–1965

Jasper Johns is one of the most influential American artists of the postwar period. This exhibition of some 80 works, which opens at the National Gallery on January 28, 2007, is devoted to the first decade of Johns' career. It uses four related motifs—the target, the mechanical "device," the stenciled naming of colors, and the imprint of the body—to show how Johns examined and reinvented the practice of painting during this pivotal era.
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/johnsinfo.htm

2. Online Tours of Modern and Contemporary Painting and Sculpture

Avant-garde artists challenged convention throughout the 20th century, creating new styles and forms to embody new ideas. Explore this turbulent period in art history through a wide array of online tours, including in-depth studies on Jasper Johns as well as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and others. Learn about these innovative artists in relation to fauvism, cubism, surrealism, abstract expressionism, pop art, and other developments in modern art.
http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/20cent.htm

3. Sculpture Garden Ice-Skating

A delightful way to see monumental sculpture by Lichtenstein, Oldenburg, Abakanowicz, and other modern artists: ice-skating in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden! Magnificent works of art surround an open–air ice rink in the center of the Sculpture Garden, with music from a state–of–the–art sound system and refreshments available in the Pavilion Cafe. Rink is open 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Monday–Thursday; 10:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. Friday–Saturday; and 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Sunday.
http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/skating.htm

4. Family Workshop: It Takes Two!

Parents and children will tour the exhibition Prayers and Portraits: Unfolding the Netherlandish Diptych to see 15th- and 16th-century "diptychs," which consist of two paintings hinged together so they can be opened and closed like a book. After studying diptychs by artists such as Hans Memling and Rogier van der Weyden, participants will learn about portraiture and symbolism, then create their own portrait diptych to take home. Family workshops are free, but preregistration is required.
http://www.nga.gov/programs/family.htm
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/diptychinfo.htm (Exhibition Information)

5. January Lecture Series: Small Paintings, Grand Vision

Leading scholars of British, continental European, and American art will present eight lectures on plein-air painting in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Subjects range from Constable's cloud studies and seascapes by Fitz Henry Lane to painting in the ancient theater at Taormina. Come to the East Building Auditorium on January 7, 14, 21, and 28 to hear lectures by Michael Rosenthal, Kent Lydecker, Franklin Kelly, John Wilmerding, Margaret Doyle, Philip Conisbee, Lynn Russell, and Kimberly Jones.
http://www.nga.gov/programs/lecture.htm#series

6. Winter Film Program

This season of film programs will feature several interpretations of Shakespeare's Othello, including those by Sir Laurence Olivier and Orson Welles, as well as archival footage of dances by such luminaries as Martha Graham and Andy Warhol, and experimental shorts that show Jasper Johns working with John Cage and Merce Cunningham.
http://www.nga.gov/programs/film.htm

7. Docent Volunteer Opportunities

The National Gallery of Art now has openings for Adult Program Docent volunteers to lead Gallery visitors on tours of the collection and special exhibitions. Those selected for this program receive extensive training from Gallery staff and make a minimum three-year commitment of 15 to 20 hours a week. Applicants for the foreign-language program should be able to converse with fluency in French, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, German, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Farsi, Vietnamese, or Korean.
http://www.nga.gov/education/volunteer.htm

8. January Calendar of Events

Plan your visit to the Gallery with the help of the January Calendar of Events. Schedules of films, lectures, gallery talks, family activities, and concerts are listed along with detailed information about each event.
http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/calendar.htm


January 2007 In this Issue: 1. Jasper Johns: An Allegory of Painting, 1955–1965 2. Online Tours of Modern and Contemporary Painting and Sculpture 3. Sculpture Garden Ice-Skating 4. Family Workshop: It Takes Two! 5. January Lecture Series: Small Paintings, Grand Vision 6. Winter Film Program 7. Docent Volunteer Opportunities 8. January Calendar of Events Forward this Newsletter to a Friend
	1. Jasper Johns: An Allegory of Painting, 1955–1965 Jasper Johns is one of the most influential American artists of the postwar period. This exhibition of some 80 works, which opens at the National Gallery on January 28, 2007, is devoted to the first decade of Johns' career. It uses four related motifs—the target, the mechanical "device," the stenciled naming of colors, and the imprint of the body—to show how Johns examined and reinvented the practice of painting during this pivotal era. http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/johnsinfo.htm
	2. Online Tours of Modern and Contemporary Painting and Sculpture Avant-garde artists challenged convention throughout the 20th century, creating new styles and forms to embody new ideas. Explore this turbulent period in art history through a wide array of online tours, including in-depth studies on Jasper Johns as well as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and others. Learn about these innovative artists in relation to fauvism, cubism, surrealism, abstract expressionism, pop art, and other developments in modern art. http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/20cent.htm
	3. Sculpture Garden Ice-Skating A delightful way to see monumental sculpture by Lichtenstein, Oldenburg, Abakanowicz, and other modern artists: ice-skating in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden! Magnificent works of art surround an open–air ice rink in the center of the Sculpture Garden, with music from a state–of–the–art sound system and refreshments available in the Pavilion Cafe. Rink is open 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Monday–Thursday; 10:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. Friday–Saturday; and 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Sunday. http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/skating.htm
	4. Family Workshop: It Takes Two! Parents and children will tour the exhibition Prayers and Portraits: Unfolding the Netherlandish Diptych to see 15th- and 16th-century "diptychs," which consist of two paintings hinged together so they can be opened and closed like a book. After studying diptychs by artists such as Hans Memling and Rogier van der Weyden, participants will learn about portraiture and symbolism, then create their own portrait diptych to take home. Family workshops are free, but preregistration is required. http://www.nga.gov/programs/family.htm http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/diptychinfo.htm (Exhibition Information)
	5. January Lecture Series: Small Paintings, Grand Vision Leading scholars of British, continental European, and American art will present eight lectures on plein-air painting in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Subjects range from Constable's cloud studies and seascapes by Fitz Henry Lane to painting in the ancient theater at Taormina. Come to the East Building Auditorium on January 7, 14, 21, and 28 to hear lectures by Michael Rosenthal, Kent Lydecker, Franklin Kelly, John Wilmerding, Margaret Doyle, Philip Conisbee, Lynn Russell, and Kimberly Jones. http://www.nga.gov/programs/lecture.htm#series
	6. Winter Film Program This season of film programs will feature several interpretations of Shakespeare's Othello, including those by Sir Laurence Olivier and Orson Welles, as well as archival footage of dances by such luminaries as Martha Graham and Andy Warhol, and experimental shorts that show Jasper Johns working with John Cage and Merce Cunningham. http://www.nga.gov/programs/film.htm
	7. Docent Volunteer Opportunities The National Gallery of Art now has openings for Adult Program Docent volunteers to lead Gallery visitors on tours of the collection and special exhibitions. Those selected for this program receive extensive training from Gallery staff and make a minimum three-year commitment of 15 to 20 hours a week. Applicants for the foreign-language program should be able to converse with fluency in French, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, German, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Farsi, Vietnamese, or Korean. http://www.nga.gov/education/volunteer.htm
	8. January Calendar of Events Plan your visit to the Gallery with the help of the January Calendar of Events. Schedules of films, lectures, gallery talks, family activities, and concerts are listed along with detailed information about each event. http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/calendar.htm
	FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER TO A FRIEND PLANNING A VISIT / GENERAL INFORMATION http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/index.htm This page provides links to the Gallery's hours and location, Calendar of Events, restaurant hours, accessibility information, Gallery history, and news releases. The National Gallery of Art, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 7th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. Admission is free. For general information, call (202) 737-4215 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (202) 842-6176. To obtain a free bimonthly Calendar of Events by mail, call (202) 842-6662 or contact us by e-mail at calendar@nga.gov. Please include your mailing address. To receive a free quarterly Film Calendar by mail, contact us by e-mail at film-department@nga.gov. Please include your mailing address. SUPPORT THE GALLERY Learn how you can become involved in supporting the vital activities of the National Gallery of Art. http://www.nga.gov/support/index.htm TO CONTACT US If you would like to contact us, please submit our Web feedback form at: http://www.nga.gov/feedback/webfeedback.htm TO MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION If you would like to change your e-mail address for receipt of this newsletter, go to: http://subscribe.nga.gov/subscription_manage_NGart.cfm PROBLEMS WITH THE LINKS? If you are unable to get results by clicking directly on a link, highlight the URL, then copy and paste it in the "Location Bar" at the top of the browser window. This is a post-only mailing address. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY. Image Credit Banner: Jasper Johns, Target, (detail), 1958, Collection of the artist. Art © Jasper Johns/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY Exhibitions: Jasper Johns, Target, 1958, Collection of the artist. Art © Jasper Johns/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY