Breaking Boundaries:
Exploration and Collaboration at Atlantic Center for the Arts
 In 1997, a portfolio of original, signed works by former Master Artists in residence was amassed to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the founding of Atlantic Center for the Arts. The portfolio's theme, Breaking Boundaries, reflected the creative process, the essence of Atlantic Center's mission. The collection, which grows as the roster of artists-in-residence grows, includes over 150 works of art ranging from musical scores and recordings to audio poems and dance videos, from edited manuscripts and photographs to sketches and studies.
"Perhaps the most extraordinary thing about the Breaking Boundaries exhibit is what is not on display," writes Edward Albee, chair emeritus of Atlantic Center's National Council and former Master Artist-in-Residence, in his introduction to the exhibition catalogue. "It is an assemblage of the invisible, the implied, the suggested, the hinted-at, a route map if you will."
Assembled, the work serves as a rare illustration of contemporary art at the end of the 20th century. It also represents an invaluable tribute to Atlantic Center and is an exceptional portrayal of its history and philosophy. Breaking Boundaries: Exploration and Collaboration at Atlantic Center for the Arts expresses the spirit behind an artists' community, where intellectual exchanges flourish, artistic souls are nourished, and the freedom to experiment provides limitless opportunity.
 "The musical scores are some of this show's most visually striking works. Terry Riley's autograph score for A Rainbow in Curved Air is a minimalist masterpiece it its own right," wrote Orlando Sentinel arts writer Philip Bishop. "There are more finished and conventional works of visual beauty: blue pansies by Donald Sultan, a pencil drawing by Philip Pearlstein, and a set of photographs by Jack Mitchell. But this show is about the messy and exhilarating process of art - the daily labor of artistic creativity."
The exhibition has a unique educational component, which lends itself to a strong tie-in with numerous class curricula within a university, as well as community educational programs.
Sponsored by Darden Restaurants Foundation, Palm Bay Imports – Wine, Spirits & Beverages, and Atlantic Center for the Arts
For information and fees on this traveling exhibition, contact Ann Brady, abrady@atlanticcenterforthearts.org |
Jack Mitchell
Icons & Idols, A Photographer's Chronicle of the Arts,
1960-1995
 Jack Mitchell's legendary portraits of great actors, artists, composers, performers, and writers of the late 20th century document an American art scene that thrived in New York City. Icons & Idols: A Photographer's Chronicle of the Arts, 1960-1995, is a stunning exhibition of 137 black and white photographs featuring icons of American culture, including Alvin Ailey, Samuel Barber, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Leonard Bernstein, Alfred Hitchcock, Christopher Isherwood, Philip Glass, Martha Graham, Jasper Johns, Jack Nicholson, Beverly Sills, Meryl Streep, Twyla Tharp, Andy Warhol, and others.
The exhibition contains photographs that are featured in the book Icons & Idols: A Photographer's Chronicle of the Arts, 1960-1995 (Amphoto Art, 1998) and are now part of the permanent collection of Atlantic Center. These masterfully printed selenium toned, gelatin silver prints were completed during a 35-year period in New York City, and represent the highlights of Mitchell's portrait work.
 Arts magazine described Mitchell's portraits as being "the first time a contemporary photographer has photographed artists as individuals possessing character and identification not expressed exclusively through their works. They are pictured as subjects themselves and not merely artifacts or of secondary importance to their art." It is this aspect of Mitchell's work that sets it apart from other photographers of cultural personalities.
During the course of his career, Jack Mitchell photographed thousands of special assignments for The New York Times, Dance Magazine, After Dark, Rolling Stone, Time, Newsweek, Life, Vogue, People, Harper's Bazaar, and countless others. His photograph of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, taken weeks before Lennon's death, held the record as the best selling cover for People for over 16 years. Mitchell had a longtime working relationship with The New York Times, and much of his innovative work appeared in the Arts & Leisure section. He retired in 1995 to the town where he grew up, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
Noted poet and critic John Yau, in an essay about the exhibition, said, "Mitchell's interest in high contrast, costumes, multiple exposures, and the choreographed moment immediately distinguishes his work from that of other well-known photographers. His blacks are dense and velvety, while his whites can be as sharp and exacting as a surgeon's scalpel. His photographs are sculptural, as they make us aware of volume, as well as different textures."
Sponsored by Darden Restaurants Foundation, Palm Bay Imports – Wine, Spirits & Beverages, and Atlantic Center for the Arts
For information and fees on this traveling exhibition, contact Ann Brady, abrady@atlanticcenterforthearts.org |
