HALEY BAAS | STAFF REPORTER
The Indianapolis Museum of Art opened an exhibit commemorating the event with a Day of the Dead celebration and the work of Georgia O’Keeffe this past Saturday.
This opening event for this exhibit, titled “Georgia O’Keeffe and the Southwestern Still Life” featured crafts, face painting and Mexican-style food for all to enjoy, as well as an opportunity to view the gallery for the first time.
The crafts all related to the Day of the Dead and a Southwestern-style theme.
There was a station to decorate sugar skull masks and another to create banners and marigolds for a traditional altar.
The biggest hit by far was the face painting.
A continuous line of people anxiously awaiting to have their faces painted grew exponentially as the night went on, and after seeing the creations that were stepping out from behind the table, this was no surprise.
Children and adults alike had their faces decorated like sugar skulls complete with glitter and intricate designs.
There was even more to explore within the gallery
Not only were there beautiful paintings from Georgia O’Keeffe, who is the main attraction at the gallery, but a number of other prominent southwestern artists also excelled at their craft.
As the name of the exhibit implies, all of the works in the exhibit are still lifes.
They are offset black-and-white photographs that feature the artists both in their homes and within the landscape of the Southwest.
Each of these photos has a caption giving a short biography of the artist, which helps viewers understand not only the art created, but the creators themselves.
The museum included a station for spectators to listen to interviews with O’Keeffe.
There is also a hands-on station where viewers can create artwork similar to the works displayed in the museum.
In this section, artwork from local children is on display, featuring pictures from both elementary and secondary schools all done in a style reminiscent of O’Keeffe’s.
This exhibit will be open until Feb. 15, and I would say that it is well worth going to.
Not only is the artwork absolutely fantastic, but the framework given by the artists’ photographs and the hands-on activities make for a truly sensational exhibit.
