In mid-May, Initiatives in Art and Culture (IAC) welcomed approximately 130 people to its 30th annual American Art Conference. For several days, there were stimulating lectures, presentations and panel discussions on an eclectic, yet interconnected array of topics tied to this year’s theme of Boundless Horizons. The event was hosted by Heritage Auctions at its Park Avenue showroom in New York City, where works by Norman Rockwell and other major examples from its American Art Signature Auction set the mood.
Curator Lowery Stokes Sims, left, and artist Joyce Scott, right. Photography by Violet Kotzin.
The topics ranged from a fresh take on Grant Wood’s American Gothic by scholar Wanda Corn that examined the image’s reuse and repurposing across popular culture; and another by Suzanne Sematon about the significance of Wood’s choice of frame. A particularly spirited conversation between curator and writer Lowery Stokes Sims, and pioneering African American artist Joyce J. Scott, brought a jolt of energy—and laughter—to the room as they discussed Scott’s innovative and provocative beadwork.
Mark Nelson, author of Hollywood Arensberg: Avant-Garde Collecting in Mid-century L.A., shared a touching personal essay tied to the subject of his book, famous collectors Louise and Walter Arensberg. John P. Murphy of Vassar College, avid collector Dan Shogren, and others, led discussions about the importance of WPA-era / Neal Deal art. Other lectures tackled topics such as “a culture in peril;” reimagining the Western landscape; the enduring appeal of illustration art; and the painstaking process of mural restoration.
Artist Don Stinton, left, and Andrew J. Walker, former executive director of Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Photography by Violet Kotzin.
While academic in nature, the American Art Conference is anything but a stilted series of talks—they are far-reaching and exploratory, and encourage novel and more expansive ways of thinking about art, history and the world around us. It opens up new pathways in the mind, and makes surprising connections that trigger light bulb moments. One walks away feeling inspired, invigorated and part of a greater community.
IAC founder and president Lisa Koenigsberg, left, with Heritage Deputy Chair of Fine Art, Aviva Lehmann, right. Photography by Violet Kotzin.
Initiatives in Art and Culture founder and president Lisa Koenigsberg says, “We are honored to have marked the 30th anniversary of IAC’s American Art Conference at such a propitious time in our nations history…it is more important than ever to appreciate the creativity, possibility and the inspiring dynamism of the American artist. Now more than ever, we must engage with American art in all its forms and expressions and grasp that it is a vehicle not only to understand the past but to shape our future. IAC’s American Art Conference is committed to ensuring exploration of American art in its broadest interpretation and ensuring its broadest possible audience.”
The American Fine Art Magazine team with Lisa Koenigsberg. From left to right: Senior account executive Jennifer Gombash, co-publisher Wendie Martin, managing editor Sarah Gianell and Lisa Koenigsberg.
The American Art Conference is one of several major events curated by Initiatives in Art and Culture each year. On the horizon is the 28th annual Arts and Crafts Conference, which explores the arts and crafts movement in a different part of the country each fall. Visit artinitiatives.com for updates. —
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