The Academy Art Museum in Easton, MD, will host an opening reception for its new exhibition, Modernist Inclinations: The Art of Jan Matulka, on Friday, July 29 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The exhibition will be on display through October 16, 2011. In the 1920s and 30s, Jan Matulka (1890-1972) was a leader in the New York art world promoting new modes of expression based on his experiences in Paris and across Europe. As an artist and a teacher he investigated and advocated Cubism, Surrealism, Precisionism and related movements. He was acutely aware of the accomplishments of his great predecessors like Cezanne, as well as cutting edge figures of his own time such as Picasso, Matisse and Vlaminck.
The works in this exhibition emphasize Matulka’s skill as both a colorist and as draughtsman even as he moved in and out of several stylistic genres. They are drawn from the artist’s estate and private collections. Erik Neil, director of the Academy Art Museum, comments, “These works point to Matulka’s engagement with themes typical of the Modern movement. He could alternate his mode of expression with great facility, but he returned again and again to a well-established set of subjects. He was fascinated by seascapes and waterfront scenes but also created expressive images of Paris and New York.”
Modernist Inclinations, The Art of Jan Matulka is underwritten in part by gifts from Mary Beth Cahill and Steve Champlin, PURE and The Avon Dixon Agency and sponsored in part by the Maryland State Arts Council and the Talbot County Arts Council. The Academy Art Museum would also like to thank the Estate of Jan Matulka and the McCormick Gallery, Chicago Illinois for their assistance in organizing this exhibition.
Admission to the Museum is $3 for non–members, children under 12 admitted free. The Museum is open Monday and Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. with extended hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The First Friday of each month, the Museum is open until 7 p.m. The Museum is located at 106 South St., Easton, MD, 21601. For general Museum information, call 410-822-ARTS (2787) or visit: www.academyartmuseum.org.
Photograph of the artist Jan Matulka (1890-1972)