We truly enjoy art and believe it is a celebration of the human soul from sculpture to paintings to installations. The Rye Arts Center has a fantastic exhibit filled with revolutionary pieces that deserve serious attention called Beyond Rodin – New Directions in Contemporary Figurative Sculpture, May 6-June 16. The exhibit features the work of 20 U.S.-based sculptors who are creating innovative contemporary works built on a foundation of anatomical rigor and classical training in sculpting the human form.
We have always been a fan of Rodin. Who doesn’t love The Thinker especially now that Disney‘s Night at The Museum made the sculpture popular? Rodin’s Museum in Philadelphia ranks as a “must” see especially because you can see the Dante inspired Gates of Hell which is an incredible piece. We will never forget how our oldest son helped create “the Kindergarten Gates” at Midland School with the Rye Arts Center Famous Artist Program over 8 years ago. To this end, one of the favorite things our family loves about the Rye Arts Center is its wonderful famous artist program.
But back to the exhibit—that goes beyond Rodin and our other favorite sculptor Degas by using new materials and ways of construction. For example, local sculptor Bob Clyatt created an amazing piece of a chubby lifelike baby hanging from a 2nd story window of the Rye Arts Center who is named after Walllstreet’s financial woes or Quantitative Easing = excessive fiscal stimulus = future inflation = jeopardizing our children’s future = baby hung out to dry. Mr. Clyatt believes this piece responds to “my concern with multiple levels or layers of sustainability and the impact of decisions and actions we take now on our unborn grandchildren”. In addition, he really enjoyed curating the overall exhibit commenting on the experience: “I believe this is the first show to bring together this new wave of figurative sculpture in a deliberate survey format.”
The exhibit also presented outdoor pieces of the revolutionary resin works of Joan Benefiel and Jeremy Leichman on river pilings. The outdoor exhibit comprises 15 glowing translucent fire-orange figures set atop 8-foot wooden poles along Purchase street in Rye. Residents acclaim what beauty they bring to downtown. Be sure to stop by the gallery and enjoy the exhibit prior to June 16th.
Meanwhile, check out the great review in this Sunday’s times:
Also on Sunday at Rye Arts Center:
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The exhibit runs through June 16 at The Rye Arts Center, 51 Milton Rd. Rye. Call 914-967-0700 for more info on the exhibit and related workshops. Thank you for the coverage!