IU takes over the Big Apple
It's not often that a university from the Midwest has the opportunity to be part of a major event in New York City. To be part of two such events -- that take place on the same day and within hours of each other, nonetheless -- would be a momentous occasion for any institution.
Menahem Pressler (center) talks with IU Jacobs School of Music Dean Gwyn Richards (right) and Executive Associate Dean Eugene O'Brien (left) at a special reception for the nationwide airing of the WTIU documentary "Beaux Arts at 50." The reception was held in New York City at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Yet on Oct. 23, Indiana University managed to take center-stage at high-profile events held at two of New York's most renowned arts establishments. That afternoon, at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the university helped honor IU Distinguished Professor of Music Menahem Pressler and his famed Beaux Arts Trio on occasion of the nationwide airing of the documentary Beaux Arts at 50.
In addition to various congratulatory remarks, the evening featured a special showing of Beaux Arts at 50, produced last year by WTIU and televised later that night on most of the nation's PBS stations. The documentary honors the 50th anniversary of one of the world's most beloved instrumental trios, which was founded in 1955 by Pressler and continues to set the standard for excellence in chamber music performance. For more on the documentary and the artistry of the Beaux Arts Trio, go to http://newsinfo.iu.edu/web/page/normal/4245.html.
Heidi Gealt, shown here with her husband, Barry, was the guest curator at the opening of the historic exhibition "Domenico Tiepolo (1727-1804): A New Testament" at the Frick Collection in New York City. Gealt is director of the IU Art Museum, which will host the exhibition next year.
That evening, the acclaimed Frick Collection hosted a private gathering for the unveiling of the historic exhibition Domenico Tiepolo (1727-1804): A New Testament, organized by guest curator Adelheid (Heidi) Gealt, director of the IU Art Museum. The exhibition, which will be held at the Frick through Jan. 7, 2007, showcases the largest-known New Testament cycle produced by a single artist: 313 large, finished drawings in ink and wash by Domenico Tiepolo, one of the foremost Venetian artists active during the second half of the 18th century. Dismembered, sold and scattered soon after his death in 1804, Domenico's narrative, which retells the history of early Christianity, had never before been published or exhibited.
The exhibition is accompanied by an IU Press compendium of Tiepolo's entire New Testament series, titled Domenico Tiepolo: A New Testament, by Gealt and University of British Columbia Professor Emeritus George Knox. The 800-plus-page book is a monumental feat of historical and biblical scholarship that brings together, for the first time, all 313 known drawings. Both the exhibition and compendium have garnered national attention and earned rave reviews in both the New York Times and New York Sun newspapers.
A smaller version of the show will be at the IU Art Museum from March 28 through May 20, 2007. To learn more about the exhibition, the IU Press catalogue and Gealt's efforts to crack the "Domenico code," visit http://newsinfo.iu.edu/web/page/normal/4160.html.
