MEET THE HIGH MUSEUM OF ART’S CHIEF CURATOR.
With a seven-decade career, modernist painter Georgia O’Keeffe is one of the preeminent artists of the 20th century. While most know her for Southwestern landscapes and dramatic floral motifs, she spent five years early in her career exploring the urban landscape of New York. That time is the subject of a major exhibition coming to the High Museum of Art Oct. 25 through Feb. 16. The High’s chief curator, Kevin W. Tucker, worked for several years to bring this exploration of O’Keeffe’s paintings, drawings and pastels to Atlanta. Here, Tucker shares more about Georgia O’Keeffe: “My New Yorks” and other ways to engage with Atlanta’s top museum.
Having the High host the upcoming Georgia O’Keefe exhibit is big. Why should Atlantans make plans to see it?
No matter how familiar one might be with O’Keeffe, this exhibition is a special opportunity, a revealing of an extended body of work that has not been seen in such a comprehensive way since it was painted in the 1920s and ’30s. “My New Yorks” presents an important perspective on the scope of her work while living there in the years before moving to New Mexico. Importantly, these urban scenes produced in Manhattan proved to have a life-long influence upon her career, informing her sensibilities around composition, abstraction and her approach to landscapes and nature. From skyscrapers to flowers, the exhibition illuminates her ability to infuse her subjects with quiet drama, power and incredible visual impact, allowing one to better understand the artist she came to be.
The exhibition was organized by the Art Institute of Chicago; the High is the only other venue and opportunity to see the exhibition at this time.
Outside of major new exhibits, how often is there something new for High Museum visitors to see?
There is always something new to see at the High! The museum hosts multiple changing exhibitions at once, so as one exhibition leaves, another has already opened elsewhere in the building. Like most art museums, the High rotates portions of its collection galleries as curators develop new ideas and acquire works, or art is lent to and borrowed from museums around the country and world. This is a constant for the High, so chances are you will always find something new among your favorites.
For people who may be intimidated by fine art, how do you recommend they plug in?
Between our regular schedule of late-night music and other events, the High also offers free admission through our UPS Second Sunday and Access for All programs. These are all great ways to take a peek at what we offer. We will always appreciate those first steps and continue to encourage our visitors’ curiosity.
You’ve been at the High since 2017. What made you want to call Atlanta home?
Atlanta is such a fantastic city, and I had some idea of that greatness from visiting friends and colleagues over the decades. When the opportunity arose, I could not resist; I felt communities here were, and are, incredibly vibrant, and the High was well-poised to grow with them. I am deeply committed to and passionate about being a part of the dialogue that helps shape the future of the visual arts in the Southeast.
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