It will showcase artists inspired by American car culture.
The acclaimed Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio is pleased to announce the opening of its new Life Is a Highway Exhibit. It is the first large-scale U.S. exhibition to offer an inclusive, historical overview of the automotive theme with an emphasis on the Midwest. The display will focus on artists inspired by American car culture across four thematic focal points. Museum-goers will be able to view the exhibition until September 15, 2019.
The official name of the exhibit is Life Is a Highway: Art and American Car Culture. It views the rise of the automobile as a popular visual symbol of American culture and self-expression, and illustrates its role in reshaping the American landscape overall. The exhibit will show approximately 125 pieces of art in varying forms, including painting, photography, prints, drawings, and sculpture. Most of these pieces were drawn from the Toledo Museum of Art collection, along with some important loans from other institutions in North America.
“Located in one of the nation’s and the Midwest’s leading manufacturing centers, The Toledo Museum of Art is uniquely positioned to organize this groundbreaking look at the impact and iconography of the automobile in American visual culture,” said Brian Kennedy, TMA’s Edward Drummond and Florence Scott Libbey director.”
Life Is a Highway is curated by Robin Reisenfeld, Ph.D., the museum’s works on paper curator. The works of art span from early depictions through pop artists’ portrayal of the impact automobiles have had on consumer culture through the present day. The automobile is represented and explored as a symbol of innovation, independence, mobility, and renewal. The large-scale display will organize the artwork in terms of four themes, or dimensions. They include the social, environmental, industrial, and aesthetic points of the automobile’s legacy.
“The rich spectrum of artists and media in the exhibition represents the intensity of our experiences with automobiles over time and our evolving relationship to it as a symbol of social change. As an immersive treatment of the visual culture of automobiles, this display ensures that there will be something for everyone to discover and enjoy in the galleries,” said Reisenfeld.
Life Is a Highway is a ticketed exhibition. Members and children under age four, however, can attend for free. Otherwise, it will cost $12 for nonmembers; $10 for military, college students, and seniors; and $7 for youth ages 5-17. Free admission will be granted to the public every Thursday night from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. throughout its entire run. Visitors can claim their free ticket at the information desk upon arrival.
The exhibit will also extend beyond the Museum’s walls and onto its grounds for more interactive fun. There will be an American Classic Cars show on Saturday, August 24 and an Art & Modified Cars show on Saturday, September 14. Whether you are into the classics or more interested in custom cars, there is something for everybody. Admission to the car shows at the Toledo Museum of Art are free. You can also enter your car for the show on the Museum’s website. Don’t miss it!
Source: ClassicCars Journal
