This year we have an exciting list of programs,
exhibitions, and events, culminating in the fall
exhibition,
LUMA at 10: Greatest Hits
. This
celebration not only brings back many of LUMA’s
past exhibitions—including
Caravaggio: Una Mostra
Impossibile
, Andy Warhol’s
Silver Clouds
,
The Missing
Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama
,
Painting
Ethiopia: The Life and Work of Qes Adamu Tesfaw
,
and
Rodin: In His Own Words
—but also gives us
the chance to display 10 years of acquisitions that
have not yet been shown. The celebratory gala on
September 26 will replicate LUMA’s inaugural event
in a brilliant tent right in front of the museum on
Michigan Avenue. Part elegant dinner, part auction,
the evening will conclude with an after-party among
the
Silver Clouds
. The event is a chance to congratulate
ourselves on a splendid 10 years.
LUMA’s exhibitions for this commemorative year
span a wider range than usual. We begin in February
with
Shaker in Chicago
, three exhibitions in one. This
is the first time a Chicago museum has exhibited
Shaker art and design. In keeping with its unique
mission, LUMA will interpret the Shakers’ aesthetic
in light of their faith. Then, in late spring, we present
two companion exhibitions:
Touching Strangers:
Richard Renaldi
and
In the Presence of Sacred Light:
The Master Watercolors of Timothy J. Clark
.
Touching
Strangers
is a photo essay documenting what
happens when total strangers are asked to physically
engage with each other. LUMA is partnering with
Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work
to celebrate the latter’s 100th anniversary. This
exhibition celebrates the work of thousands of
students who went into the social work profession to
change lives by “touching strangers.”
In the Presence
of Sacred Light
showcases contemporary watercolors,
hoping to show how traditional subject matters and
techniques can be presented in new and captivating
ways. Infused with color, Clark’s watercolors capture
the evasive presence of light as it changes exterior
landscapes and interior settings into something both
beautiful and sacred. His works speak of a technical
virtuosity in the tradition of John Singer Sargent or
Winslow Homer, yet in a voice that is wholly his own.
4
Dance performance in the gallery of Andy Warhol’s
Silver Clouds
, LUMA, 2008
