Upcoming exhibitions at the Portland Museum of Art include “Weston: Leaves of Grass,” on view from December 30 to March 13, and “The Lay of the Land: A Celebration of Art Acquired by the Friends of the Collection (1983′010)” from January 15 to May 8.
In early 1941, Edward Weston was approached by the Limited Editions Club of New York and invited to make photographs to illustrate its deluxe edition of Walt Whitman’s epic poem “Leaves of Grass.” Although he balked at the suggestion, the opportunity the project offered to travel cross-country and visit parts of the United States that were new to him convinced Weston to undertake it. This exhibit of 53 photographs by Weston follows the route of his cross-country trip.
The Whitman photos, mostly made with a large 8×10-format camera, are exceptionally wide-ranging with particular emphasis on the human-altered landscape rather than images of untouched nature. The exhibition will feature images from the West, the South, the Mid-Atlantic and New England, including two images from Maine.
The Friends of the Collection was established in 1983 when the museum opened the Charles Shipman Payson Building in order to enrich the permanent collection. Featuring approximately 30 works, “The Lay of the Land” exhibition will focus on the art acquired with the generosity of the Friends of the Collection. The exhibition will feature landscapes in particular and will include paintings, watercolors and prints by a diverse group of artists, such as Harrison Bird Brown, Charles Codman, John Calvin Stevens, Robert Henri, Will Barnet and Waldo Peirce.
Thanks to the Friends, the museum has been able to acquire more than 160 works of art †a testament to how crucial the group has been and continues to be to the museum.
The Portland Museum of Art is at the corner of High and Congress Streets. For information, 207-775-6148 or www.portlandmuseum.org .
