|
Permanent Collections — Sculpture and 3-Dimensional Art
Yaacov Agam Sculpture
Gift of Kahala Hilton Hotel and William Weinberg
Guaranteed to catch the eye of everyone entering or even passing the Philharmonic Center is Gateway to the Arts, a monumental sculpture in tubular stainless steel by the Israeli artist Yaacov Agam.
It stands on a concrete and tile foundation in the grass just in front of the Center, at the right (as you enter) and west of the main doors of Hayes Hall.
The dramatic work of art consists of nine arches, graduated in size downward from the largest, which stands 11 feet 6 inches high. In its original design, each arch had one leg permanently set in the foundation but free to pivot a full 360 degrees. The other leg of each arch just cleared the foundation as it moved. Thus the sculpture could take on a great number of forms, depending on how the arches are arranged.
Agam (b. 1928) is an internationally acclaimed sculptor and experimental artist best known for his contributions to kinetic art. His work is in many leading museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington.
Dale Chihuly Glass
Gift of Patty and Jay Baker |
Dale Chihuly
(b. 1941) has gained worldwide renown over the past two decades for his large, fantastic, colorful representations in blown glass — works that have rightly transformed the perception of glass art from craft to sculpture. To date his work has been featured in more than 170 museum collections around the world. With the advent of landmark exhibitions such as Chihuly over Venice (1996) and Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem 2000, this major American artist has taken glass beyond sculpture into the realm of large-scale architectural environments. |
"There's something about putting the pieces overhead, on top of the plate glass, that makes you think of the sea —
it's sort of the reverse of having the glass underwater. There's a feeling of water — at least there is to me.
I suppose somebody else could think it's something they might have seen in the sky or in a dream."
— Dale Chihuly
Gift of Lavern Norris Gaynor |
Allan Houser, perhaps the most influential Native American sculptor, attributed his inspiration to sculpt and the images he conjured up to the stories once told to him by his father, a full-blood Chiricahua Apache. "My father's stories live within me and are the basis for most of my sculpture," Houser explained. "They fired my imagination and filled me with pride for my heritage. Houser (1914-1994) came into the world only a few short years after the Apache's plight, and grew up on a farm in Apache, Oklahoma. Those early years spent cultivating the land gave Houser an introduction to the tools he would use for the rest of his life: nature, beauty and his hands. At the age of 61 Houser retired from a 25-year teaching career and began sculpting full-time. His works have awed audiences here and abroad, and have earned him two Guggenheim fellowships and wide recognition in media. |
Philip Jackson Sculptures |
Gift of Geraldine and Lee Martin and the Martin Foundation, Inc. |
Renowned British scullptor Philip Jackson was born in Inverness, Scotland, and grew up in southern England. After studying sculpture at the Farnham School of Art, he found work in commercial sculpture, creating figures for Middle East palaces and African office buildings, among other places. Eventually, he won a public sculpture competition, which led to a series of commissions. Jackson (b.1944) is recognized as one of the foremost figurative sculptors working today. The Philharmonic Center for the Arts Galleries hosted the first major American exhibition of the noted British sculptor, opening October 6, 1997 and running through May 23, 1998. The centerpiece of the exhibition was The Sentinels, which was quickly acquired for the Philharmonic Center and which looks stunning in its new home.
|
Masters of Miniature
Featuring works from the Ede & Ravenscroft Collection
Masters of Miniature showcases work from one of the largest and most acclaimed collections of miniatures in the world. Called “a revelation” by The New York Times, this remarkable collection offers esoteric glimpses into faraway times and places. The centerpieces of the gallery are the three rooms commissioned by Michael Middleton of Ede & Ravenscroft from the brilliant English miniaturists Kevin Mulvany and Susan Rogers. Louis XV's Private Office, Versailles, contains perhaps the most important piece in the whole exhibition, the Bureau du Roi (King's Desk), by miniature furniture maker Denis Hillman, an incredibly exact miniature copy of the original designed by Jean-Henri Riesener for Louis XV in 1769. Catalogue available at the Museum Store Online:
|
||||||
Albert Paley Sculptures
As you enter the Philharmonic Center for the Arts, you see, touch and use one of the most festive and splendid works of art in the Center's permanent collection: Albert Paley's door handles at the main entrance to the lobby. American sculptor Albert Paley (b. 1944) is known for his inventive and unique approach to metalsmithing and jewelry design. Overpowering the image of traditional metalsmithing, Paley has developed a new dialogue with metal in an organic style. A fallen piece of ribbon or banner is one theme often seen in Paley's metalworking for sculptures designed to serve as rites of passages for visitors to a building. Paley created handles for the front entrance of the Philharmonic Center for the Arts, in a theme suggesting an experience in time. The form of the cut bronze ribbon commemorates the events at the Center. The Paley Gates were specially commissioned as the entranceway to the Naples Museum of Art. Created by Albert Paley, the majestic gates measure 16 by 10 feet and are made of steel, bronze and stainless steel. Broadly published and an international lecturer, Paley received both his BFA and MFA from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Rochester in 1989. He also holds the Charlotte Fredricks Mowris Endowed Chair at the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Mr. Paley was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Craft Council in 1994, and he was honored by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Paley is the first metal sculptor to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Institute of Architects for his integration of art and architecture. |
||||||
Ernest Tino Trova
Donated by the Charles R. Wood Foundation Ernest Trova is one of the most prominent artists of the 20th century. Trova is famously known for The Falling Man, which he considers a single "work in progress". Trova has always admired Surrealism, and still collects comic character toys, which he uses in reference to his pieces. Trova was born in Missouri in 1927 and lived all of his life in the St. Louis area. He was a self-taught artist whose work as a window dresser of mannequins inspired the Falling Man figures. They began as a series of paintings in 1963, featuring faceless, armless and sexless figures and evolved into the famous metal sculptures, such as the one on display in front of the Philharmonic Center for the Arts. His work is found in many leading museums including the Guggenheim and the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate Gallery in London. Trova died in March 2009 at age 82. |
||||||
| In addition to the sculptures and 3-dimensional works described above, the Naples Museum of Art's permanent collection at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts also features sculptural works by Barbara Lekberk, George Rickey, Boaz Vaadia and others. Sculpture from the museum's permanent collection is displayed throughout the Philharmonic Center for the Arts Cultural Center for our guest's enjoyment as they stroll through our gardens and campus.
|
