The Elmhurst Art Museum announces the programming for Picasso: Fifty Years Later, inviting visitors of all ages to engage with Pablo Picasso’s work, lasting influence, and legacy. Programs complementing the exhibition reflect on both lasting impressions and new interpretations of Picasso, including lectures by speakers from a variety of backgrounds, and art-making activities for families to create their own works inspired by the famed artist. Picasso: Fifty Years Later takes place at the Elmhurst Art Museum from September 9, 2023 to January 7, 2024.
Through Picasso: Fifty Years Later, the Elmhurst Art Museum is participating in the worldwide Picasso 1973-2023 Celebration, timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Pablo Picasso’s death in 1973. One of numerous exhibitions taking place across the US and around the globe, Picasso: Fifty Years Later reflects on the artist in three parts: a section dedicated to introducing Picasso in the context of his contemporaries such as Alexander Archipenko, Wilfredo Lam, Fernand Léger, and Joan Miró; a gallery exploring the demanding process of Picasso’s printmaking; and a presentation of contemporary figurative artists including Laura Berger, Liz Flores, Richard Hull, Leasho Johnson, and José Lerma.
A highlight of Picasso: Fifty Years Later is the debut of Picasso and the Progressive Proof: Linocut Prints from a Private Collection, a gallery-sized exhibition within the exhibition curated by Richard P. Townsend. Picasso and the Progressive Proof features seventeen progressive proofs showing the detailed steps–and demanding printmaking processes–that allowed Picasso to experiment with recurring themes throughout his career.
Following its presentation at the Elmhurst Art Museum, Picasso and the Progressive Proof: Linocut Prints from a Private Collection exhibition will travel to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (August 2024), Hilliard Art Museum at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (February 2025), and Vero Beach Museum of Art (October 2025), accompanied by a full color exhibition catalogue.
Co-curated by John McKinnon and Richard P. Townsend
Picasso and the Progressive Proof: Linocut Prints from a Private Collection is organized by Townsend Art Advisory LLC.
With thanks to Presenting Sponsor: Wintrust Bank and additional sponsorship by Anonymous, Sally J. and Raymond J. Allen, Marcia Goltermann, Gigi and James Owens, Tony & Mary Ann Pasquinelli Foundation, Gary Metzner & Scott Johnson, Discover DuPage, the Illinois Office of Tourism, and Lakeside Bank. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
All programs are free with timed ticket reservation unless otherwise noted:
Conversation with Liz Flores
Sunday, September 17, 1:00pm
The Elmhurst Art Museum presents a conversation with exhibiting artist Liz Flores. She will share processes and concepts guiding her work, as well as how she sees Picasso’s experiments challenged, furthered, and broken since his passing fifty years ago.
Family Day: Picasso & Pastels
Saturday, September 23, 1:00 – 4:00pm
Drawing inspiration from the rich works found in Picasso: Fifty Years Later, families are invited to create unique still life paintings with oil pastels.
Soirée 2023
Saturday, September 30, 6:00pm
Tickets $375
The Elmhurst Art Museum celebrates an extraordinary year—including two blockbuster exhibitions and a $1.1 million renovation—with a special evening including cocktails, a multi-course dinner, entertainment, and an art auction. This year’s Soirée décor will be inspired by the work of Liz Flores, a painter and muralist originally from Berwyn, IL, whose work is on view in Picasso: Fifty Years Later.
Lecture | Picasso: Printers, Art Dealers, and Lovers by Jay A. Clarke
Saturday, October 14, 1:00pm
Jay A. Clarke, Rothman Family Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago, gives a lecture on the many ways Picasso’s life and art intersected with others, specifically his printers, art dealers, and lovers. Clarke connects themes between Picasso: Fifty Years Later and the Art Institute’s Picasso: Drawing from Life, the two Chicagoland exhibitions taking part in the worldwide Picasso 1973-2023 Celebration.
Family Day: Cubism Portraits
Saturday, October 28, 1:00 – 4:00pm
Visitors are invited to explore the works found in Picasso: Fifty Years Later and discover Cubism, the process that Picasso and others used to reinvent traditional portraiture. Using oil pastels and 3D materials, families create their own fragmented portrait sculptures in Picasso’s well-known style.
Family Day: Print Like Picasso!
Saturday, November 18, 1:00 – 4:00pm
Families explore printmaking techniques inspired by Picasso: Fifty Year Later to create their own colorful prints to take home.
Lecture | Christine Poggi
Saturday, December 2, 1:00pm
In partnership with Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Art Historian and Professor of Fine Arts at New York University Christine Poggi (Ph.D.) discusses Picasso and her book, In Defiance of Painting: Cubism, Futurism, and the Invention of Collage.
Family Day: Holiday Party
Saturday, December 16, 1:00 – 4:00pm
The Elmhurst Art Museum’s annual Family Day: Holiday Party kicks off this year with hands-on art activities inspired by Picasso: Fifty Years Later, hot cocoa, cookies, and a visit from Santa. Families are invited to visit the exhibition and make holiday cards inspired by Picasso’s cubist techniques and colorful paintings.
ABOUT THE ELMHURST ART MUSEUM
The Elmhurst Art Museum is located at 150 South Cottage Hill Avenue in Elmhurst (IL), 25 minutes from downtown Chicago by car or public transportation (Metra). On the museum’s campus is the McCormick House, a single-family home designed in 1952 by Mies van der Rohe, one of the great architects of the 20th Century. The McCormick House is one of only three residences designed and built by Mies in the United States – and one of only two open to the public.
The Museum is open Wednesday and Thursday from 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., Friday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Regular admission prices are $18 for Adults (ages 18+), $15 for Seniors, $10 for Students, and $5 for Children. For more information, please call 630.834.0202 or visit elmhurstartmuseum.org
