Huntsville, Ala – Beginning Sunday, May 4, the Huntsville Museum of Art and Lead Corporate Co-sponsors PNC and Davidson Technologies will celebrate light, color and shadow masterfully captured in 44 vibrant paintings by renowned contemporary American artist Janet Fish. The museum organized this retrospective of Fish’s career, Janet Fish: Master of Light and Shadow, with paintings executed between 1969 and 2008. It includes key works borrowed from important institutional collections including the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. The exhibition will be on view through July 27, 2014.

“Janet’s signature style of capturing the nuances of light and shadow, as they interact with a collection of seemingly random and mundane objects, is nothing short of masterful,” said Christopher J. Madkour, Executive Director of the Huntsville Museum of Art. “Very few contemporary artists’ works compare to Fish’s command of painterly technique in creating such arresting compositions.”
Fish’s works can also be found in the permanent collections of museums such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

“It’s a pleasure for PNC to continue our support of the Huntsville Museum of Art,” said Jim Hansen, regional president, PNC. “We’re grateful for their partnership and creativity to bring the works of Janet Fish to the Rocket City.”

“Our organizations share a mindset that arts and business are not separate entities – they’re integral to each other,” he added. “We’re firmly committed to thoughtful collaborations that continue to produce impactful arts and cultural programming for North Alabama.”

Dorothy Davidson, CEO of Davidson Technologies which is the co-lead sponsor for the exhibit, stated “It is important to me to support the arts in Huntsville and the Tennessee Valley, and I’m delighted to help bring high caliber, nationally-known artists and exhibitions through my support of the Huntsville Museum of Art.”

Born in Boston, Fish attributes her fascination with light and intense color to having grown up amid the brightness and vibrant tropical colors of Bermuda. Being part of an artistic family also contributed to Fish’s early interest in art. Her grandfather was Clark Voorhees (1871–1933), an American Impressionist; her mother and uncle were sculptors; and her father occasionally taught Art History. She attended Smith College, where she received a bachelor’s degree in arts, before earning a master’s degree in Fine Art from Yale in 1963.

Madkour first encountered Fish in the summer of 1989, during his early days as executive director of the Southern Vermont Art Center. Also a resident of Vermont, Fish divided her time between her home studio and a studio she kept in New York City. Madkour has since had the good fortune to work with the artist in Vermont, New York and elsewhere on numerous occasions.

Honorary Chairs Mayor Tommy Battle and Eula Battle and Lead Co-Sponsor and Event Chair Dorothy Davidson invite the public to a PREVIEW PARTY on Saturday, May 3, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Museum.  Guests will spend the evening with the artist, viewing her works before the exhibition opens to the public, while enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Fish will also sign exhibition catalogs available for sale in the Museum Store. The party is dressy casual attire. Tickets are $50 for museum members and $75 for non-members. Individuals should RSVP to 256-535-4350 ext. 208 or purchase tickets at www.hsvmuseum.org by Wednesday, April 30.

Additional sponsors and supporters include The Olin B. King Foundation, Dianne and Calame Sammons, Kelly and Randy Schrimsher, Buddy Teich, The Alabama State Council on the Arts, Altherr Howard Design, DC Moore Gallery, and The Women’s Guild of the Huntsville Museum of Art.

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