Painter James McNeill Whistler is focus of Opera House showing
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The 1891 Fredonia Opera House will present James McNeill Whistler, a special cinematic exploration of the acclaimed American artist, on Saturday at 1 p.m. The screening is part of the Opera House's Arts in the Afternoon series of events, sponsored by Dr. James M. & Marcia Merrins.
In an era of great change and great beauty emerged the character of James McNeill Whistler. Considered by some to be one of the great innovators of 19th century art, he was a contemporary of the Impressionists, much admired by Van Gogh and Manet, and a truly unique character.
Tate Britain is currently staging the first major retrospective of Whistler in three decades. This blockbuster exhibition promises to reawaken the world to just how important Whistler is to art history, uniting world-famous masterpieces with rarely seen works.
Boldly experimental and famously witty and irascible, Whistler disrupted the strict conventions of Victorian society in pursuit of a new cult of beauty, creating "art for art's sake." He found a parallel between painting and music, and titled many of his paintings "arrangements," "harmonies," and "nocturnes," emphasizing the importance of tonal harmony in his work.
His most famous painting, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (1871), commonly known as Whistler's Mother, is a revered and often parodied portrait of motherhood. It is arguably one of the most famous paintings in history and this film will unveil the artist behind the art.
Step into the captivating world of rule-breaking American artist James McNeill Whistler.
"You may arrive knowing him only as the man responsible for Whistler's Mother, but you are likely to leave with a much fuller appreciation of an artist who was considerably more radical, influential and entertaining than that single famous image suggests." - London Theatre One
Individual tickets are $15, ($10 students). Tickets may be purchased in person at the Opera House Box Office or by phone at 716-679-1891, Tuesday-Friday, 12-4:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online anytime at www.fredopera.org. Opera House programming is made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and the United Arts Appeal of Chautauqua County.
For this production, the Opera House is equipped with assistive listening headsets for the hearing-impaired. Simply request one from any usher or Opera House staff member.
The 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center is a member-supported not-for-profit performing arts center with a mission to "present the performing arts for the benefit of our community and region ... providing access to artistic diversity ... and high quality programming at an affordable price." It is located in Village Hall in downtown Fredonia. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.fredopera.org.