“From Pop to Now:” A Summer Spectacular at the Tang

The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery is presenting “From Pop to Now: Selections from the Sonnabend Collection,” an extensive exhibition of works from the private collection of gallery owners Ileana and Michael Sonnabend. The exhibition runs through Sept. 29.

Organized by the Tang Museum and curated by Charles Stainback, Dayton Director of the Tang, the exhibition will travel nationally after it closes at Skidmore. The exhibition features key works originally shown at the Sonnabends’ Paris and New York galleries, together with rarely seen pieces from their private collection. Fifty-four artists are represented, including Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Claes Oldenburg, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol, Bruce Nauman, Anselm Kiefer, Jeff Koons, and Christian Boltanski.

Ileana and Michael Sonnabend have been a seminal force in the contemporary art world for more than 40 years, identifying emerging artists and introducing their work to wide audiences in both Europe and the United States. The Sonnabend galleries were among the first to present such artistic breakthroughs as Pop Art, arte povera, Minimalism, Conceptualism, Neo-geo, and video art. Recently widowed, Ileana Sonnabend continues to collect artists who work in traditional and nontraditional media such as photography, video, and site-specific installation.

Organized chronologically and in thematic groupings, “From Pop to Now” addresses the intersection of a range of artistic styles explored since Abstract Expressionism. “By looking at the progression of artistic activity since 1960 through the eyes of a unique collector, this exhibition serves as a prologue to the future of contemporary art,” said Stainback. “From day one, the Tang has been committed to looking beyond what is expected of an art museum, and the vision of Ileana Sonnabend — her passion for being daring and looking forward — clearly reflects our goals for this young museum.”

“From Pop to Now: Selections from the Sonnabend Collection” has been made possible with the support of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar J. Wachenheim III, Beverly Beatson Grossman ’58 and Felix T. Grossman, the Edward J. Noble Foundation, AT&T, The Times Union, and the Friends of the Tang.

Public Events

A daylong community-wide opening reception is planned for Saturday, June 29; featuring gallery tours, live music, light refreshments, and children’s activities. “From Pop to Now” will be augmented by an array of free public programs and events, including gallery tours, lectures, evening “Dialogues” featuring exhibiting artists, a video and documentary film series, and a series of “Family Saturday” workshops. An illustrated catalogue will be available at the museum store.

After closing at the Tang Museum in the fall, “From Pop to Now” will travel to the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University, the Milwaukee Art Museum, and additional venues around the country.

The Tang Museum is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, and is closed on Mondays and major holidays. Admission to the Sonnabend exhibition is free for members of the Skidmore community. The suggested donation for other visitors is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 12 and older, and senior citizens. Children less than 12 years old are admitted free. For more information, please visit hudson2.skidmore.edu/tang or call 518-580-8080.

Skidmore Intercom
Skidmore College
815 North Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518.580.5000
intercom@skidmore.edu