at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
ABOUT THE IMAGE: Salvatore Scarpitta, Sal Cragar, 1969. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC. Photo: Lee Stalsworth
A fascinating and singular figure in postwar art, Salvatore Scarpitta (1919–2007) created a powerful body of work that ranges from non-objective abstraction to radical realism. Featuring key recent additions to the Hirshhorn’s collection, this will be the first solo presentation of Scarpitta’s work at an American museum in over a decade, and the first ever on the East Coast.
OPENING NIGHT : Thursday, July 17
A free public opening takes place Thursday, July 17, 7–10:30 pm. Galleries open at 7:30 pm. A competitive sprint car will be parked on the Plaza, where Scarpitta driver Greg O’Neill talks about racing at 8 pm. Exhibition curator Melissa Ho leads a gallery tour at 9 pm. Art & Racing: The Work and Life of Salvatore Scarpitta screens continuously throughout the evening. Barbecue and beer will be available for purchase.
MORE INFO: click here
ORGANIZED BY with the generous support of the Estate of Frank B. Gettings in memory of Nancy Kirkpatrick and Frank Gettings, C.P. Beler, the Holenia Trust, and the Hirshhorn Exibition Fund.
ON VIEW ON DISPLAY: JULY 17, 2014 – January 11, 2015 FREE PUBLIC OPENING: JULY 17 FROM 7PM TO 10:30 PM FREE ADMISSION – OPEN DAILY – 10AM – 5:30PM LOCATION Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (Lower Level) 700 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20560 RELATED PROGRAMS
SCARPITTA IN CONTEXT: GERMANO CELANT AND PAUL SCHIMMEL IN CONVERSATION Wednesday, October 8 at 7 pm, Ring Auditorium
Germano Celant and Paul Schimmel discuss Scarpitta’s art, his critical reception, and his first-hand experience of World War II. An expert in the field of modern Italian art, Celant co-curated the 2012 Scarpitta retrospective in Turin. Schimmel included Scarpitta’s work in Destroy the Picture: Painting the Void, 1949–1962 at MOCA, Los Angeles. Both were friends of the artist.
FRIDAY GALLERY TALKS Fridays at 12:30 pm – Meet at the Information Desk
September 12: Sculptor and writer Theodore Prescott on helping Scarpitta create Sal Cragar and other racecars in the 1960s.
October 24: Hirshhorn assistant curator Melissa Ho gives a tour of the exhibition.