‘The Show of the Century’ celebration held at Crystal Bridges

On Thursday (Nov. 14), Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art hosted "The Show of the Century" as a part of its Art Night Out program.

More than 100 guests enjoyed a sit-down dinner hosted by Kyle Kellams of KUAF radio, a variety show featuring The Hogtown Hotclub’s gypsy jazz swing music, and a performance by ArkansasStaged of Picasso at the Lapin Agile, a play by Steve Martin in which Picasso and Einstein meet in a bar in 1904. The event celebrated the 100th anniversary of the 1913 Armory Show in New York City

Inspired by the 1913 show, individuals performed live art as human statues, greeting guests as they entered the museum. Fayetteville native Roger Haak performed Henri Matisse's Blue Nude. Haak, commenting on guest reactions, said “It's hilarious, because you never know what they will be like around the corner. We had two people who were just astounded.”

Dannelle Tomarchio, an accountant for the museum, performed Marcel Duchamp's Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2. Tomarchio, who frequently works with the museum in entertainment, posed in a bodysuit next to a projection of Duchamp's work. “ I love that [the museum] is creative and steps out of the box,” said Tomarchio. “People think the suit is amazing,” she added. In 1913, Duchamp's painting shocked Americans at the Armory Show.

The 1913 exhibition, titled The New Spirit: An International Exhibition of Modern Art, was the first major exhibition in the US of modern European and American art. Many guests dressed as their favorite Modern artist or in the gala attire of the early twentieth century.

“The 1913 Armory Show is what made art accessible to everyone across America. It traveled from various cities showcasing European and American artists,” noted Sarah Segerlin, the museum’s Senior Educator for Public Programs, and panelist during the event.  “We actually have over 20 of these artists in the Crystal Bridges collection,” she added.

Kris Holland, the museum’s Special Events Specialist, said "I hope people walk away from the event feeling like they were actually at the Armory Show."

Janelle Redlaczyk, the museum’s Public Programs Manager, commented that this particular Art Night Out event was smaller than others in the past, which provided a more intimate feel and offered “a different slant on looking at the museum’s Stieglitz exhibition.”

Segerlin believes the live dinner theater provided something “more expansive than just giving an art talk.”

The museum’s Art Night Out program offers several events throughout the year. Crystal Bridges hosted “The Show of the Century” in conjunction with the museum’s new exhibit, The Artists’ Eye: Georgia O’Keeffe and the Alfred Stieglitz Collection.