Virginia Shearer Executive Director | Sarasota Art Museum
Virginia Shearer Executive Director | Sarasota Art Museum
As hurricane season reaches its peak along Florida's coast, the Sarasota Art Museum is set to host a significant exhibition by New York-based artist Judy Pfaff. The exhibition, titled "Picking up the Pieces," will be open from November 19, 2023, to March 24, 2024. It explores the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which hit southern Florida as a Category 4 storm in September 2022.
Pfaff's installation draws inspiration from news coverage of the hurricane and her visit to Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island in January 2023. The artist described her experience: “Seeing with my own eyes the major impact Ian had on the land and homes completely shook me." She uses materials like natural detritus to capture what she witnessed during her visit.
The exhibition will feature Pfaff's paintings and sculptures that both celebrate Florida's beauty and highlight its vulnerability to environmental threats. Her work often includes elements such as welded steel, Plexiglas, wood, expanded foam, melted plastic, blown glass, neon lights, and LED lights.
Rangsook Yoon, Ph.D., senior curator at Sarasota Art Museum noted: “Judy Pfaff sees the echo of an enormous wave in the shape of the galleries.” He added that Pfaff’s installation would be rich with sensory stimuli while addressing global concerns about climate change.
Pfaff has been active for over five decades in artmaking and has received numerous accolades including a MacArthur Fellowship (2004) and a Guggenheim Fellowship (1983). Her works are held in collections at institutions like The Museum of Modern Art (New York) and Tate Britain (London).
Virginia Shearer, executive director of Sarasota Art Museum stated: “Sarasota Art Museum is devoted to engaging the community with exhibitions and programs that provide enriching experiences." She emphasized Pfaff’s commitment to Sarasota as pivotal for their mission.
The museum itself opened in 2019 after being transformed from the historic Sarasota High School into a contemporary art space by K/R Architects. It offers various educational programs alongside its exhibitions.
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