Celebrating 30 Years at the Kreeger
By • June 6, 2024 0 317
By Forbes Dudley
Honoring an impressive 30 years as a museum, the Kreeger celebrated their anniversary this past Saturday evening with food, drinks, live jazz music, and the opening of the exhibit, Here, in this little Bay: Celebrating 30 Years at the Kreeger.
Starting in 1959, David and Carmen Kreeger thoughtfully began to bring together a space that celebrates the beauty and strength of art. The Kreegers early mission of sharing art, music, and architecture with the DC community is certainly not lost today and was honored through the festivities on Saturday. Through the opening of the anniversary exhibit, the importance of what the museum has done, and what it will continue to offer in the future was highlighted for the community.
Guest Curator Kristen Hileman for Here, in this little Bay: Celebrating 30 Years at the Kreeger, opened the evening with some remarks reflecting on the exhibit’s theme and introducing all 14 artists featured. Inspiration for the exhibit’s name comes from a favorite poem of Hileman’s, “Magna Est Veritas” by Coventry Patmore which explores topics of nature and time. Hileman explained to the gathering audience that, “The theme of time is very much in alignment with the passage of time that is marked by an anniversary project like this one.”
The exhibit is powerfully marked by an invisible string that effortlessly ties all the artwork together through the theme of time. Each artist brings their unique signature to Here, in this little Bay, that is thematically reflective of the Kreeger Museum’s permanent collection. In the Curator’s foreword, Hileman writes, “Several pieces invoke water-oriented metaphors–erosion, absorption, and flow among them…Some of the artists consider historical and present-day human interactions on a planet with limits to its resources.” Here, in this little Bay: Celebrating 30 Years at the Kreeger is a thought-provoking and expertly crafted exhibit not to be missed.
The exhibition will be open from June 1, 2024, until October 5, 2024, and can be visited during normal museum hours. The Kreeger is also offering a tour of the exhibit personally led by Kristen Hileman on Thursday, June 27 at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. Register for the tour online at the Kreeger Museum’s website. Participating artists featured in Here, in this Little Bay include, Shahla Arbabi, David Carlson, Chan Chao, Kei Ito, Jae Ko, Marty Koelsch, Juan Maidagan, linn meyers, Kristin Putchinski, Soledad Salamé, Jim Sanborn, Athena Tacha, Dolores Zinny, and Monsieur Zohore.
See below for a photo gallery of the event. Photos by Mariah Miranda Photography.
