Oklahoma City Museum of Art to exhibit “Dutch Italianates” starting Thursday
Aelbert Cuyp’s “Herdsman with Cows,” mid 1640, is included in the special exhibit “The Dutch Italianates,” opening Thursday at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. (Photo courtesy the Dulwich Picture Gallery)
The special exhibition “The Dutch Italianates: 17th-century Masterpieces from Dulwich Picture Gallery, London” is opening Thursday at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive.
The exhibit features 39 paintings from the collection of Dulwich Picture Gallery, England’s oldest purpose-built public art gallery. The Oklahoma City exhibition is the rare and final opportunity to see these 17th-century masterpieces, which have never been shown as a group in the United States prior to this traveling exhibit.
The exhibit includes amazing oil paintings by Dutch artists such as Cornelis van Poelenburch (1594/5-1667), Adam Pynacker (1620/1-1673), Nicolaes Berchem (1620-1683), Aelbert Cuyp (1620-1691) and others who were contemporaries of their revered countrymen Rembrandt Van Rijn (1606-1669) and Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675).
The Dutch Italianates chose to capture views of the Italian landscape of the 17th century as seen through their own eyes or imaginations.
The exhibit will be on view through Jan. 3.
For more information on the exhibit, go to www.okcmoa.com. And you can read more about the exhibit Friday here on the blog.
-BAM
Oklahoma City Museum of Art to show “The Maltese Falcon” Thursday
Humphrey Bogart plays Sam Spade in “The Maltese Falcon,” showing Thursday at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.
The Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, is presenting a special one-time showing of the film noir classic “The Maltese Falcon” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
Based on Dashiell Hammett’s novel of the same name, this film was John Huston’s directorial debut, starring the excellent Humphrey Bogart as the private investigator Sam Spade. The San Francisco-set film noir centers on Spade’s frantic search for the jeweled falcon of Malta and his partner’s killer. His pursuit leads him to a group of desperate individuals who also want the peregrine statuette. The film co-stars Mary Astor, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet. The snappy hard-boiled dialogue owes much to the original novel published in 1930.
In 1989, the film was selected to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.
For more information, go to www.okcmoa.com/film.
-BAM
Weekend Warmup for Sept. 18-20, 2009
Wanda Jackson (Associated Press photo)
Here is a list of events and activities taking place around Oklahoma this weekend. For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
- PONCA CITY – Hear Oklahoma’s own Queen of Rockabilly Wanda Jackson with Becky Hobbs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Poncan Theatre, 104 E Grand Ave. Information: www.poncantheatre.org.
- PONCA CITY – Check out “Let’s Have A Party: Oklahoma Women of Rock and Roll” – a satellite exhibit of the Oklahoma History Center’s “Another Hot Oklahoma Night” – Saturday at the Pioneer Woman Museum, 701 Monument. A free outdoor concert celebrating the exhibit is set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and will feature Pinkie & the Wes Reynolds Band, The Romantic Disaster, The Burton Band, Unmarked Cars and Leslie Johns Band. Also, Wanda Jackson will receive the 2009 Woman of the Year award during the event. Information: www.pioneerwomanmuseum.com.
- TULSA – See comic book artists and local comics writer Sterling Gates (”Supergirl”) at this weekend’s Tulsa Anime & Comic Expo at the Tulsa Convention Center, 100 Civic Center. The dealer’s room will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Evening events are set for 7 p.m. to midnight Saturday. Information: http://tulsacomicandanimeexpo.com/main. Or read Matt Price’s column on the event by clicking here.
Sinbad
- NORMAN – See standup comedian Sinbad at 8 tonight at Riverwind Casino, 1544 W State Highway 9. Information: www.riverwind.com.
- Take in live music from Kevin Watson’s Airloom band, coffee tastings, art-making and tours of the amazing exhibit “Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales” at Last Call Friday at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 315 Couch Drive. The Last Call Friday festivities will take place from 5 to 8 tonight. The galleries will be open until 9, and the roof terrace will be open until 10. “Turner to Cezanne,” which features incredible artwork by Vincent van Gogh, Monet, Renoir and more, closes Sunday. Information: www.okcmoa.com.
- NORMAN – Hear Norman rockers The Workweek at 9 tonight at The Opolis, 113 Crawford. Information: www.ticketstorm.com.
Little Big Town
- MIAMI – Listen to country vocal group Little Big Town at 8 p.m. Saturday at Buffalo Run Casino, 1000 Buffalo Run Blvd. Information: (918) 542-7140 or www.buffalorun.com.
- View artwork by Bert Seabourn, Bill Jaxon and Connie Seabourn at Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52. An opening reception for the three-person show is set for 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the museum. The show will be on view through Jan. 1. Information: www.sciencemuseumok.org.
- NORMAN – Listen Miss Blues (AKA Dorothy Ellis) sing the “blues with an attitude” at 7:30 tonight at Andrews Park, 201 W Daws. The rescheduled show is part of the Performing Arts Studio’s free Summer Breeze concert series. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and picnic baskets to enjoy the free outdoor show. Information: www.thepas.org.
Red Dirt Rangers
- TULSA – Take in tasty barbecue and tantalizing live music at the Rock ‘N’ Rib Festival, presented by Rib Crib, today-Sunday outside the BOK Center, 200 S Denver. Live music will be provided by Sam and the Stylees, Red Dirt Rangers, Earl Clark and more. Information: www.bokcenter.com.
- TULSA – Celebrate the one-year anniversary of the BOK Center with a free open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the arena, 200 S Denver. The event will include giveaways, guided tours and live music from Tulsa’s Usual Suspects. Information: www.bokcenter.com.
- Share stories of your “Celebrity Encounters” at the monthly StorySlam sponsored by OKC StorySlam and Istvan Gallery tonight at the gallery, 1218 North Western Ave. Registration starts at 7 tonight; storytelling starts at 7:30. Information: www.facebook.com/Istvan.Gallery.
Fun and game at the 2009 Oklahoma State Fair (Photo by Jim Beckel/The Oklahoman)
- Check out the attractions, rides and entertainment at the 2009 Oklahoma State Fair. This weekend’s events include “Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy,” music by Jackyl at 7:30 tonight at the Toyota Stage and a concert by Chuck Wicks at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, also on the Toyota Stage. Information: www.okstatefair.com.
- THACKERVILLE – Hear comedian Larry the Cable Guy at 9 tonight at WinStar World Casino. Or, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at 8 p.m. Saturday at the casino. Information: www.winstarworldcasino.com.
- NORMAN – Listen to Cecada and Panda Resistance at 8 tonight at The Deli, 309 White Street. Information: www.thedeli.us.
- SEMINOLE – Catch country singer Aaron Tippin in concert at 8 p.m. Saturday at Mekusukey Mission, N3540 Road and State Hwy 59. Information: (405) 257-6287.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Sept. 18, 2009
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, “La Parisienne,” 1874 (Photo courtesy American Federation of Arts)
Today’s featured event:
Take in live music from Kevin Watson’s Airloom band, coffee tastings, art-making and tours of the amazing exhibit “Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales” at Last Call Friday at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 315 Couch Drive.
The Last Call Friday festivities will take place from 5 to 8 tonight. The galleries will be open until 9, and the roof terrace will be open until 10.
“Turner to Cezanne,” which features incredible artwork by Vincent van Gogh, Monet, Renoir and more, closes Sunday.
For more information, go to www.okcmoa.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s Family Day offers artistic fun
Volunteer Jeanne Jackson shows La Petite Academy campers the “Turner to Cezanne” exhibition at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art last month. The museum had a Family Day celebrating the exhibit on Sunday. (Photo by Ashley McKee/The Oklahoman)
On Sunday, my husband and I took our younger son, Gabe, 2 1/2, to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s Family Day celebrating the wonderful special exhibit “Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales.”
We had a great time at the event, starting with a tour of the gorgeous exhibition. It includes amazing paintings by Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Manet, van Gogh and more. The exhibit closes Sept. 20, and I encourage everyone to make plans to see it before it’s gone.
We also checked out the contemporary and modern artwork in the exhibit “The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: Fifty Works for Fifty States,” in the museum’s third-floor galleries. I think Gabe was as impressed with Martin Johnson’s colorful abstract sculpture “Exerptunis” as I was.
And of course, for Gabe no trip to the museum is complete without touring the impressive collection of Dale Chihuly glass art. As we wound through the exhibit, one of us would murmur “wow” or “whoa” at practically every new display, even though we’ve all seen those vivid, graceful glass pieces before. And naturally, we had to stop on the third floor landing and peer at the top of the huge Chihuly tower at the front of the museum.
On the museum’s first floor, we watched a dancing demonstration, signed up for drawings and then moved on to the art-making activities. Gabe was in luck: The museum instructors were set up for the kids to make collages. That meant he got to use the safety scissors to cut out shapes and glue stick to attach them to a piece of blue construction paper. He loved using the kid-sized scissors so much, he wouldn’t stop until every quadrant of his paper had a cutout glued to it.
We missed out on the face-painting, since there was only one painter working and the line was so long. But since we were among the last ones to leave, Gabe got a consolation prize: a green balloon.
It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and I recommend taking your family to the next Family Day.
- BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Aug. 30, 2009
Today’s featured event:
Take in hands-on art activities, mini-tours, dance demonstrations and more from noon to 4 p.m. today at the Family Day celebrating the exhibit “Turner to Cezanne” at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive.
For more information, call 236-3100 or to go www.okcmoa.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Movie review: “Food, Inc.”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. 2 1/2 of 4 stars.
Watching the documentary “Food Inc.” is like noshing a giant serving of chicken livers and Shock Tarts at 3 in the morning.
The film overstuffs the viewer with rich food for thought but leaves you with the unsatisfied feeling that it missed the mark. And the liberal sprinkling of scare tactics quickly adds a sour taste.
“Food Inc.” is showing this weekend at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.
Filmmaker Robert Kenner asks an important question: “How much do we really know about the food we buy at our local supermarkets and serve to our families?” It’s a vital question because many Americans don’t know much about how our country now produces what’s for dinner.
From the outset, he rightly dispels the myth that much of our food comes from those idyllic family farms we see pictured on the side of butter containers and cheese wrappers. Nowadays, a few multinational corporations grow, raise, slaughter, process, package and ship from highly mechanized factory settings the vast majority of what we eat.
Efficiency is the bread and butter. And yes, it’s disturbing that making lots of money and lots of cheap food seems much more important than food safety standards, humane treatment of animals and workers, the livelihood of farmers and decent environmental practices.
Several of the corporations in question refused to be interviewed for the film. Kenner focuses most of the screen time on two writers, Michael Pollan, author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” Eric Schlosser, author of “Fast Food Nation.” He occasionally features a farmer, crop council representative or corporate suit. His most effective interviews are with a grieving mother whose son died of E. coli, making her an advocate for tougher meat processing safety laws, and an independent farmer using organic methods.
The film tours overcrowded chicken coops, various slaughterhouses and supermarket aisles. Often, a somber unidentified narrator, urgent music and lingering shots of doomed cows and pigs are used to ramp up the shock value. Kenner’s apparent determination to scare Americans onto a starvation diet often overshadows the good information he wants to convey.
But not all of the film’s information is good, or at least it’s one-sided. As the daughter of one of the few independent, traditional, commercial family farmers still in business in this country, I can tell a bull from a steer. And I’m not going to be so grossed out by slaughterhouse scenes that I don’t notice the bull.
The film states as fact that feeding corn to cattle has produced powerful strains of E. coli bacteria; this is at best a theory. My father feeds the cattle he raises for our home use alfalfa and straight corn (not corn blended with other grains like the feed lots the film shows), and we haven’t contracted E coli. And while one E. coli outbreak, recall or death is truly too many, considering the amount of beef produced in these mega-processing plants, it seems that if corn were the culprit, we’d see more E. coli episodes.
It’s easy and fashionable these days to vilify corn, which my dad wants Kenner to know is not as easy or profitable to raise as the film would have you think, because it’s in so many products, including several unhealthy ones.
And it’s easy to laugh or scoff at the “veggie libel” laws that allowed beef producers to sue Oprah Winfrey after her episode on mad cow disease. But the film doesn’t show a farmer like my father who lost thousands of dollars that day because of a celebrity’s half-baked, dramatized-for-TV statements.
But for all the information – good and bad – Kenner stuffs into the film, he manages to only allude to the essential point. In one scene, the organic farmer, Joel Salatin, mentions that some customers complain about paying $3 a dozen for his eggs while swilling 75-cent cans of soda.
The truth that “Food Inc.” doesn’t push too hard is that corporations aren’t really the culprits. We are. As consumers, we demand that our three squares a day come dirt cheap, so we have more cash for $4 lattes and $1.25 pops. The corporations just cater to our huge appetites for junky, cheap food – and do whatever it takes to keep it as cheap as we demand it.
And that’s a much tougher message to swallow.
- BAM
Weekend Warmup for Aug. 28-30, 2009
Jackson Browne
Here is a list of events happening in Oklahoma this weekend (Aug. 28-30):
- Hear Jackson Browne at 8 tonight at the Zoo Amphitheatre, 2101 NE 50. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Information: 364-3700 or www.zooamp.com.
- Take in hands-on art activities, mini-tours, dance demonstrations and more from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Family Day celebrating the exhibit “Turner to Cezanne” at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive. Information: 236-3100 or www.okcmoa.com.
- NORMAN – See the wares of local artists and crafters and hear live music at the Dustbowl Arts Market from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday on Buchanan Street on Campus Corner. Information: 447-5929 or www.dustbowlartsmarket.com.
- NORMAN – Catch Mama Sweet in concert at 10 tonight at The Deli, 309 White Street. Information: www.thedeli.us.
Joe Ely
- Listen to Joe Ely at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Saturday at the Blue Door, 2805 N McKinley. Information: 524-0738 or www.bluedoorokc.com.
- Catch the cowboy action at the 25th Annual Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association Range Roundup at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday at State Fair Arena. Information: 948-6807 or www.okstatefairpark.com.
- TULSA – Hear country star Lee Ann Womack and CMT’s “Can You Duet?” winners Steel Magnolia at 7 p.m. Saturday at Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino’s Osage Event Center, 951 W 36 Street North. Information: www.milliondollarelm.com/event-center.
- BRISTOW – Listen to Oklahoma country-rock singer Shawna Russell perform a benefit concert for the Bristow Chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police Saturday at the Freeland Center, Hwy 16 and Ash, on the campus of the Bristow High School. Doors will open at 6 p.m., with opening band The Sock Monkeys taking the stage at 7 and Russell starting her set at 7:45. Information: (918) 367-2251.
The Uglysuit
- NORMAN – Listen to The Uglysuit with Dead Sea Choir at 9:30 tonight at The Opolis, 113 N. Crawford. Information: www.ticketstorm.com.
- STILLWATER – Hear The Uglysuit, Sherree Chamberlain and Deer People at 8 p.m. Saturday at Eskimo Joe’s, 501 W Elm. Information: www.eskimojoes.com.
- THACKERVILLE and NORMAN – Hear Heart at 9 tonight at WinStar World Casino, 777 Casino Ave. in Thackerville. Information: www.winstarworldcasino.com. Or catch the classic rockers at 8 p.m. Saturday at Riverwind Casino, 1544 West Hwy 9. Information: www.riverwind.com.
Larry the Cable Guy
- SHAWNEE – Laugh along with Larry the Cable Guy at 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday at Firelake Grand Casino, 1601 S Gordon Cooper Drive. Information: www.firelakegrand.com.
- TULSA – Celebrate the Red Dirt Rangers’ 20th Anniversary at a benefit show at 7 tonight at Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N Main. The show will raise money for musicians facing medical problems. The concert also will feature the Turnpike Troubadours and reunited band Medicine Show. Information: www.cainsballroom.com.
- Listen to Student Film, Feel Spectres and Depth And Current at 8 tonight at The Conservatory, 8911 N Western. Information: www.conservatoryokc.com.
- See Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park’s performance of “Twelfth Night” at 8 tonight and Saturday on the Myriad Gardens Water Stage in downtown. Performances will continue through Sept. 5. Information: www.oklahomashakespeare.com.
Pat Green
- MIAMI – Hear Pat Green at 8 p.m. Saturday at Buffalo Run Casino, 1000 Buffalo Run Blvd. Information: www.buffalorun.com.
- Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Individual Artists of Oklahoma with visual and performance art, poetry, film, live music, dancing, free food and a cash bar from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday at the new IAO Gallery, 706 W Sheridan. Information: www.iaogalleryorg.
- TULSA – Check out the Hardwork Summer Fest featuring Native Lights, Dead Sea Choir, Unwed Sailor, Callupsie and Fiawna Forte at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Marquee, 222 N Main Street. Information: www.ticketstorm.com.
- Take in the Oklahoma County Free Fair today and Saturday at State Fair Park. Information: www.okstatefairpark.com.
-BAM
Oklahoma Film Critics Circle honors film advocates
Oklahoma Film Critics Circle President Phil Bacharach, center, with Brian Hearn, left, and Clark Wiens, recipients of the OFFC’s 2009 Tilghman Award.
The Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, of which I’m a founding member, earlier this week honored two Oklahomans with its 2009 Tilghman Award celebrating achievement in cinema in the state.
The recipients are Brian Hearn, Oklahoma City Museum of Art film program curator, and Clark Wiens, president of the nonprofit foundation that operates the Circle Cinema in Tulsa.
OFCC’s 18 member critics choose as recipients of the award those individuals who have made significant contributions to film, advanced awareness of film in Oklahoma or highlighted Oklahoma as the home of talented and productive filmmakers, actors and others in the industry. This is the second Tilghman Award OFCC has bestowed; the first went to documentary filmmaker Bradley Beesley, whose credits include “Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo,” “Okie Noodling” and “The Fearless Freaks: The Wildly Improbable Story of The Flaming Lips.”
OFCC president Phil Bacharach said both Hearn and Wiens have been instrumental in bringing certain movies to Oklahoma that otherwise likely would not be shown.
“Oklahoma movie fans owe a great debt to these two individuals behind Circle Cinema and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s film program for their commitment to showing documentary, art-house, independent and foreign motion pictures that otherwise might well bypass the state altogether,” he said in a news release. “Oklahoma’s thriving and vibrant film community is deeply enriched as a result of the drive, energy and talents of Brian Hearn and Clark Wiens.”
Hearn, an Oklahoma City native, has been film curator of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art since 1995. Under his stewardship, the museum’s film program has grown to show more than 300 screenings annually. In 2006, it was recognized as one of the founding members of the Sundance Institute Art House Project, a network of mission-driven, community-based cinemas.
Screenings at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art have included such illustrious guest speakers as Robert Redford, Janet Leigh, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Horton Foote and Flaming Lips lead singer Wayne Coyne.
In the release, Hearn said he is humbled to receive the honor.
“It’s an honor to share the Tilghman Award with our sister cinema in Tulsa, which is equally committed to building audiences and cultivating community for cinema lovers in Oklahoma,” he said in the release. “I would like to thank philanthropist Jeanne Hoffman Smith, and former museum director Carolyn Hill, for their continuous support of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art film program.”
In addition to booking films, Hearn has developed curricula and taught film courses at the University of Oklahoma, University of Central Oklahoma and the Museum School. He is also a programmer and board member for the deadCENTER Film Festival and an advisory board member of the Circle Cinema.
Wiens is president of the Circle Cinema Foundation, which operates Tulsa’s last remaining neighborhood theater, the Circle Cinema. In 2003, the foundation purchased the theater and began extensive renovations on the facility, which is located in Tulsa’s historic Whittier Square.
The new Circle Cinema opened its first phase in 2004 and provides Tulsa moviegoers the latest independent, documentary and educational film, as well as film-related special events. It is celebrating its 81th anniversary this summer.
Wiens, who owns and operates Cedar Creek Wholesale Lumber Inc., said movies have always been a huge part of his life. During World War II, his family lived in California. There, he said, his father would gather farmers to show them wartime films, inspiring them to work harder to grow more crops for the soldiers.
“My father said films are so powerful that the farmers would go out with their flashlights and start plowing after the showings,” Wiens said in the release. “He would pound that into our heads, the power of films.”
Wiens, who lives in Tulsa, said he was flattered to receive the Tilghman Award.
“There are certainly people who know more about film than me,” he said in the release. “I don’t want to take personal credit, but I do want to accept it on behalf of all those who have worked so hard to make the Circle Cinema such a special place.”
The Tilghman Award is named for William Matthew “Bill” Tilghman (1854-1924), the subject of the 1999 film “You Know My Name,” starring Sam Elliott. Tilghman was the first individual to make a movie in what is now Oklahoma. He served as a deputy U.S. marshal and police chief in Oklahoma City, among other law-related positions. Tilghman also served as a state senator. In 1908, he made “A Bank Robbery,” which starred real-life bank robber Al Jennings recreating one of his crimes.
It was the first of several movies Tilghman set in the state. In 1915, the lawman-turned-filmmaker made “Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws,” again starring actual bad guys and the good guys who chased them. He is known for his attempts to deglamorize the outlaw villain and for striving to prove there are no outlaw heroes.
-BAM
Movie review: “Herb & Dorothy”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. 3 of 4 stars with extra encouragement for art lovers to see the film and then check out the related exhibit.
Film profiles collectors behind donated artwork
The story rings like pure cinematic gold: Dorothy and Herbert Vogel, a New York couple of modest means, over 30 years parlayed their passion for art into a world-class collection of contemporary works.
With her documentary “Herb & Dorothy,” director Megumi Sasaki tells the tale in engaging, straightforward fashion, wisely keeping the focus on her loveable, shining stars. But the first-time filmmaker doesn’t fully cash in on the treasure trove of insights her subjects could offer.
“Herb & Dorothy” is screening today-Sunday at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, one of 50 institutions around the country chosen to receive 50 works from the vast Vogel collection. The exhibit “The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: Fifty Works for Fifty States” is on view at the museum.
Married in 1962, Herb and Dorothy Vogel visited the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., on their honeymoon. They started taking art classes, painting and frequenting galleries. They eventually turned their attention from creating art to collecting it.
Dorothy, a librarian, and Herb, a postal worker, couldn’t afford works by established artists, so they focused on up-and-comers, particularly those working in minimalist and conceptual art. They befriended many artists and became fixtures on New York’s art scene.
The couple lived on Dorothy’s salary and used Herb’s paycheck to buy art, limiting their purchases to small-scale works that would fit in their tiny one-bedroom Manhattan apartment.
Not only were they obsessive about collecting – their collection ultimately grew to more than 4,000 works – the Vogels were uncannily skilled at recognizing talent on the verge. They were early supporters of many renowned artists, including Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Robert and Sylvia Mangold, Chuck Close and Richard Tuttle.
These artists, along with relatives, art critics and curators from the National Gallery, are among those interviewed in the documentary. Sasaki’s obtained impressive access to sources and the couple’s eccentric art- and pet-crammed apartment.
In the early 1990s, after years of steadfastly refusing to sell any of their collection, the Vogels transferred it to the National Gallery, largely as a gift to the institution. The process of moving these works, which covered virtually every surface of their apartment, is worth the price of admission alone.
The Vogels are charming subjects whose love of the art lights up the screen. The couple repeatedly claims they just collected the art they liked, but Sasaki misses a golden opportunity to dig deeper into why such challenging artistic movements were so appealing to these relatable collectors.
A sequel about the “Fifty Works for Fifty States” is planned, and it certainly will be a worthwhile project, just for offering the chance to spend more time with Dorothy and Herb.
Now playing
“Herb & Dorothy”
Where: Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive.
When: 5:30 p.m. today and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Information: 236-3100 or www.okcmoa.com/film.
- BAM
