Gene Davis and “The Long Sixties”

This semester, our Muscarelle Explorations lecture series will dive into the people, the art and the stories that have defined the Muscarelle over the past 40 years.

One of the most iconic elements of the Muscarelle Museum of Art is the large installation of colorful illuminated tubes on its front facade. The work, entitled Sun Sonata, features color arrangements designed by artist Gene Davis, a central figure of the Washington Color School, a movement epitomized by color field painting and centered in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the artist and the movement in this lecture by Jack Rasmussen of the American University Museum. One of the defining characteristics of Washington art made during “the long sixties” (roughly 1957 to 1982) was its adherence to aesthetic and commercial constraints that encouraged artists to remain silent in the face of bias, violence and war — in fact, Gene Davis and fellow artists took great pains to avoid social and political content. Join us to explore the art of Gene Davis in the context of the culture that produced it.

This talk will take place in Tucker Theatre on the first floor of Tucker Hall. Registrants will receive a parking pass via email; Street parking is also available on Richmond Road.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jack Rasmussen is the Director and Curator of the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center. He previously held Executive Director positions at di Rosa Preserve: Art & Nature, Maryland Art Place, and Rockville Arts Place. He was the owner and director of Jack Rasmussen Gallery in Washington, DC.