The latest exhibition in Joslyn Art Museum’s Riley Contemporary Artists Project Gallery, an installation of new work created in Omaha in recent weeks by artist Brad Kahlhamer, opened November 14 and continues through April 17. Born in Tucson and adopted as an infant by a German-American family, Kahlhamer grew up disconnected from his Native American heritage. In the late 1970s, he visited the Heard Museum in Phoenix, where he had his first experience with Hopi katsina dolls — small masked and costumed figures meant to personify supernatural beings. Kahlhamer found his relationship with the katsinas to be more aesthetic than spiritual, and he began crafting his own doll-like sculptures out of found materials — wire, bicycle tires, bits of fabric, and feathers.
Katsinas and other objects, such as totem poles and dream catchers, with origins in various Native American cultures are recurring elements in Kahlhamer’s diverse body of work. However his paintings, works on paper, and sculptural tableaux draw on many other sources, most notably the punk style and graffiti aesthetic that characterized New York City’s gritty downtown neighborhoods in the 1980s and early 1990s. Among the artist’s other influences are music, particularly country and western; comic book graphics; and cartoons; as well as Expressionism, Cubism, and Surrealism. Amalgamating these sources, Kahlhamer strives to create what he calls the “Third Place,” a mythological world where lived experience exists on the same plane as imagined reality.
This fall, Kahlhamer was in residence at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, allowing him to delve into Joslyn’s Native American collections while becoming familiar with Omaha’s people and environs. Featuring work made during this residency, Kahlhamer’s installation in the Riley CAP Gallery draws from sources both outside and inside the Museum. As he embarked on “yonderings” (a term he prefers to “wanderings”) through Omaha and Council Bluffs — two cities he views as inexorably linked despite their differing personalities — he also looked back on the history of the region. Seeking inspiration in early depictions of Plains Indian cultures, Kahlhamer turned to the watercolors and prints of Karl Bodmer. He also discovered resonances with the detailed ink and watercolor drawings found in Joslyn’s 1875 ledger book by Southern Cheyenne artist Howling Wolf. Like his predecessors, Kahlhamer articulates the spiritual connection that exists among humans and animals and the natural world, as well as the complicated path of his own personal history. Similar to the drawings of Howling Wolf, Brad Kahlhamer’s work maps a multi-dimensional landscape that brings together the complex narratives of all the places he inhabits. Admission to Brad Kahlhamer is included in Joslyn’s free general Museum admission.
About Brad Kahlhamer
Brad Kahlhamer was born in Tucson, Arizona, and currently lives and works in New York. He has recently had solo exhibitions at venues including The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri (2013); The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT (2012); Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (2008); and Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (2004). Kahlhamer’s work is included in the collections of Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Wisconsin; Denver Art Museum; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Milwaukee Art Museum; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; and Seattle Art Museum, among others.
About Joslyn’s Riley CAP Gallery
A 500-square-foot space in the Scott Pavilion suite of galleries, the Riley CAP Gallery showcases nationally- and internationally-recognized artists, as well as emerging talent, selected by Joslyn curators. A rotating
schedule of carefully focused exhibitions will examine how artists engage with the world and respond to the issues that challenge them creatively, bringing new perspectives on contemporary art to Nebraska.
Riley CAP Gallery artists will be invited to Joslyn for lectures and other public programs, giving audiences the opportunity to gain insight into creative processes and contribute to an expanded dialogue about new art.
The first Joslyn gallery dedicated exclusively to living artists, the Riley CAP Gallery represents an important step in making contemporary art an even more integral component of the Museum’s exhibition programming.
Our Mission — Joslyn Art Museum collects, preserves, and interprets the visual arts of the highest quality, fostering appreciation and enjoyment of art for the benefit of a diverse audience.
Our Vision — To be cherished and respected as a premier art museum.
Joslyn Art Museum showcases art from ancient times to the present. The Museum was a gift to the people of Omaha from Sarah Joslyn in memory of her husband, George, who made his fortune as president of the Western Newspaper Union. The Museum’s original 1931 building is one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the nation, with 38 types of marble from seven countries. The Walter and Suzanne Scott Pavilion, a 58,000-square-foot addition built in 1994, was designed by renowned British architect Norman Foster as his first U.S. commission. The Museum features galleries, a 1,000–seat concert hall, fountain court, education technology gallery, lecture hall, classrooms, sculpture garden, café, shop, and Art Works, an interactive space for art exploration (new in 2014).
General Museum Admission: Free (the Brad Kahlhamer exhibition is included in free general Museum admission).
Regular Museum Hours (includes exhibition): Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am–4 pm; late ‘til 8 pm on Thursday; closed Monday and major holidays.
www.joslyn.org | (402) 342-3300 | 2200 Dodge Street | Omaha, NE 68102
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>p class=”bodycopy”>The latest exhibition in Joslyn Art Museum’s Riley Contemporary Artists Project Gallery, an installation of new work created in Omaha in recent weeks by artist Brad Kahlhamer, opened November 14 and continues through April 17. Born in Tucson and adopted as an infant by a German-American family, Kahlhamer grew up disconnected from his Native American heritage. In the late 1970s, he visited the Heard Museum in Phoenix, where he had his first experience with Hopi >em>katsina>/em> dolls — small masked and costumed figures meant to personify supernatural beings. Kahlhamer found his relationship with the >em>katsinas>/em> to be more aesthetic than spiritual, and he began crafting his own doll-like sculptures out of found materials — wire, bicycle tires, bits of fabric, and feathers. >/p>
>p class=”bodycopy”>>em>Katsinas>/em> and other objects, such as totem poles and dream catchers, with origins in various Native American cultures are recurring elements in Kahlhamer’s diverse body of work. However his paintings, works on paper, and sculptural tableaux draw on many other sources, most notably the punk style and graffiti aesthetic that characterized New York City’s gritty downtown neighborhoods in the 1980s and early 1990s. Among the artist’s other influences are music, particularly country and western; comic book graphics; and cartoons; as well as Expressionism, Cubism, and Surrealism. Amalgamating these sources, Kahlhamer strives to create what he calls the “Third Place,” a mythological world where lived experience exists on the same plane as imagined reality.>/p>
>p class=”bodycopy”>This fall, Kahlhamer was in residence at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, allowing him to delve into Joslyn’s Native American collections while becoming familiar with Omaha’s people and environs. Featuring work made during this residency, Kahlhamer’s installation in the Riley CAP Gallery draws from sources both outside and inside the Museum. As he embarked on “yonderings” (a term he prefers to “wanderings”) through Omaha and Council Bluffs — two cities he views as inexorably linked despite their differing personalities — he also looked back on the history of the region. Seeking inspiration in early depictions of Plains Indian cultures, Kahlhamer turned to the watercolors and prints of Karl Bodmer. He also discovered resonances with the detailed ink and watercolor drawings found in Joslyn’s 1875 ledger book by Southern Cheyenne artist Howling Wolf. Like his predecessors, Kahlhamer articulates the spiritual connection that exists among humans and animals and the natural world, as well as the complicated path of his own personal history. Similar to the drawings of Howling Wolf, Brad Kahlhamer’s work maps a multi-dimensional landscape that brings together the complex narratives of all the places he inhabits. Admission to >em>Brad Kahlhamer >/em>is included in Joslyn’s free general Museum admission.>/p>
>p class=”bodycopy”>>strong>About Brad Kahlhamer>/strong>>/p>
>p class=”bodycopy”>Brad Kahlhamer was born in Tucson, Arizona, and currently lives and works in New York. He has recently had solo exhibitions at venues including The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri (2013); The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT (2012); Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (2008); and Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (2004). Kahlhamer’s work is included in the collections of Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Wisconsin; Denver Art Museum; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Milwaukee Art Museum; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; and Seattle Art Museum, among others.>/p>
>p class=”-redcallout”>About Joslyn’s Riley CAP Gallery>/p>
>p class=”-redcallout”>A 500-square-foot space in the Scott Pavilion suite of galleries, the Riley CAP Gallery showcases nationally- and internationally-recognized artists, as well as emerging talent, selected by Joslyn curators. A rotating >br /> schedule of carefully focused exhibitions will examine how artists engage with the world and respond to the issues that challenge them creatively, bringing new perspectives on contemporary art to Nebraska. >/p>
>p class=”-redcallout”>Riley CAP Gallery artists will be invited to Joslyn for lectures and other public programs, giving audiences the opportunity to gain insight into creative processes and contribute to an expanded dialogue about new art.>/p>
>p class=”-redcallout”>The first Joslyn gallery dedicated exclusively to living artists, the Riley CAP Gallery represents an important step in making contemporary art an even more integral component of the Museum’s exhibition programming.>/p>
>p class=”bodycopy” align=”center”> >/p>
>p>>em> >br /> >/em>>/p>
>p>>strong>Our Mission — >/strong>Joslyn Art Museum collects, preserves, and interprets the visual arts of the highest quality, fostering appreciation and enjoyment of art for the benefit of a diverse audience. >br /> >strong>Our Vision — >/strong>To be cherished and respected as a premier art museum.>/p>
>p>Joslyn Art Museum showcases art from ancient times to the present. The Museum was a gift to the people of Omaha from Sarah Joslyn in memory of her husband, George, who made his fortune as president of the Western Newspaper Union. The Museum’s original 1931 building is one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the nation, with 38 types of marble from seven countries. The Walter and Suzanne Scott Pavilion, a 58,000-square-foot addition built in 1994, was designed by renowned British architect Norman Foster as his first U.S. commission. The Museum features galleries, a 1,000–seat concert hall, fountain court, education technology gallery, lecture hall, classrooms, sculpture garden, café, shop, and Art Works, an interactive space for art exploration (new in 2014).>/p>
>p>>strong>General Museum Admission: >/strong>Free (the >em>Brad Kahlhamer >/em>exhibition is included in free general Museum admission). >br /> >strong>Regular Museum Hours (includes exhibition):>/strong> Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am–4 pm; late ‘til 8 pm on Thursday; closed Monday and major holidays. >strong> >/strong>>/p>
>p> >/p>
>p align=”center”>>strong>www.joslyn.org>/strong>>strong> | >/strong>>strong>(402) 342-3300>/strong>>strong> | >/strong>>strong>2200 Dodge Street>/strong>>strong> | >/strong>>strong>Omaha, NE 68102>/strong>>/p>