Hola Pablo

After a Decade of Dreaming, The Hudgens Center for the Arts Unveils Picasso’s Long-Awaited Exhibit

By Amy Meadows

    For the entirety of his career, Spanish-born artist Pablo Picasso kept his critics and his fans guessing. While he was most noted for his abstract paintings, which marked his acclaimed foray into Cubism, he was actually the epitome of a Renaissance man, moving seamlessly between styles and mediums. Over time, Picasso mastered painting, sculpting, etching and lithography. He worked as well on canvas as he did with metal and never rested on his laurels, reinventing himself when the mood struck him. Picasso unquestionably earned his reputation as a creative genius and reveled in his standing as an artistic icon of the
20th century.
     Yet, there is a side of Picasso that, until recently, remained unseen by the public. In the twilight of his life, this exalted craftsman became enthralled by ceramics. And for 25 years, from 1947 to 1971, he amassed a remarkable collection of pieces that reflect his constant evolution as creator while showcasing the distinctive motifs that are synonymous with the name Picasso. For the last decade, an exclusive exhibition of this unique work, culled from the Edward and Ann Westin Collection, has traveled the nation, making stops at some of the country’s most respected arts venues. And now, “Picasso: 25 Years of Edition Ceramics” will finally be on display in the Peach State at Gwinnett’s very own Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for the Arts. The almost three-month-long engagement, which runs from Feb. 3 to April 2, marks the first time the Arts Center has presented a national touring show of this magnitude for Northside residents and the surrounding areas.
    “This is going to be a real benchmark,” said Nancy Gullickson, executive director of the Gwinnett Council for the Arts, which owns and operates the Hudgens Arts Center. “It’s the first time we’ve had a name of international fame, and certainly one of the great masters. It’s also the only tour stop in the state of Georgia, so this is something we have been looking very forward to.”
Bringing Picasso’s newfound masterpieces to the Hudgens Center for the Arts has been quite an adventure for the facility’s staff. The highly anticipated event is nearly a decade in the making, having first brewed 10 years ago over a hot cup o’ joe and the morning newspaper.

From Dream to Reality
Several years ago, Arts Council board member Mary Kitsner read an article in The New York Times about “Picasso: 25 Years of Edition Ceramics,” a show developed by independent curator and former director of the San Francisco Art Museum Gerald Nordland and produced by Los Angeles-based Landau Traveling Exhibitions. The concept intrigued her, and she brought the article to Nancy Gullickson.
    “We started consulting with the Landau people, but weren’t able to work it out then,” Gullickson explained. One reason was that securing traveling exhibits like this can be very expensive, and the funding was not available at the time. A couple of years later, though, Gullickson and Arts Center curator Lucy Ennis decided to revisit the idea. Unfortunately, the world suddenly faced the tragic events of 9/11, which brought everything to a screeching halt. “So we put it on the shelf again,”
she added.
     As luck would have it, the third time’s a charm. Just over a year ago, George Thorndyke, husband of board member Lynn Thorndyke, took an objective look at the Hudgens Arts Center and devised a plan to help draw more attention to the impressive facility. “He said, ‘I think people would be a lot more excited about the museum if it were able to get more [artwork] by some of the old masters and popular artists. They could have a big show once a year like the large museums do and really get the local community enthused,’ ” Lynn Thorndyke recalled.
     So he showed up at the front desk of the Arts Center one day and got an audience with Gullickson. “He said he really thought it was time for us to have a major exhibition,” she explained. “I told Lucy to go to my office and get the Picasso catalog. He didn’t get out the door before he had that catalog in his hand.”
The Thorndykes eagerly offered to provide the seed money to bring the exhibition to the Hudgens Arts Center, as well as spearhead the fundraising initiative, which everyone knew would be a major undertaking. “When we make a commitment to get in an expensive exhibit, we know that we are committing to raising the funds for it as well,” said Patricia Bolden, the Arts Council’s chairman of the board.
     Even if everyone was on board for the fundraising effort, however, the timing of the event had to work as well. “I thought I was being too optimistic when I asked Lucy to call [Landau Traveling Exhibitions]. She came back stunned because we had an opening in the schedule, and the show was available at that very time period,” Gullickson asserted. “We thought we had missed the boat. We’re just very lucky that the tour had been extended for two more years.”
     After almost 10 years of waiting, she thought she could not have heard better news. That is until the Hudgens Center staff began its fundraising efforts.

A Benevolent Community
     According to Gullickson, George and Lynn Thorndyke set the pace for the fundraising campaign, bringing a level of excitement to the project that was simply contagious and encouraged other board members to go out into the community to spread the word. And as soon as the Arts Center began the grant writing process and a sponsorship drive, it quickly yielded impressive results. In fact, early on, Bowen Family Homes became the title sponsor of the exhibition.
    “[We] typically sponsor organizations in need, such as the Gwinnett Children’s Shelter, and the company had not participated in a sponsorship with the fine arts,” revealed Mike Phelps, co-owner of Bowen Family Homes. “Our children have participated in activities that the museum offers, and we felt strongly that this was a wonderful opportunity to support the fine arts community — to make this event the best it could be for residents and visitors to the Metro Atlanta area.”
     Several other corporations, as well as numerous patrons, agreed. Companies and organizations like Scientific Atlanta and the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation became sponsors. And Arts Council members and local citizens offered donations. “We couldn’t do something like this without our supporters and our sponsors,” Gullickson contended. “Any arts institution will tell you that the staff can dream up all kinds of wonderful projects, but without the enthusiasm of dedicated board members, patrons and the community, it just does not happen.”

Preparing For Picasso
     With the funds in place, it was time for the Hudgens Arts Center to shift its planning into high gear. In mid-January, the collection was shipped from Illinois to Gwinnett. Within the crates awaited 65 spectacular pieces of art that represent the work Picasso did at Madoura Pottery, a workshop owned by Georges and Suzanne Raime that is located in the Mediterranean city of Vallauris Golfe-Juan.
     The collection features many functional pieces, including plates, bowls, pitchers, vases and plaques. Gullickson noted that most of the pieces have very unusual shapes — something that is quintessential Picasso. And the ceramics boast bold colors and are decorated with characteristic designs, from bullfighting to the female form. “The flow of the clay inspired him,” she said. “He liked painting on a curved surface, and you can see how the brush would narrow and broaden as it followed the contours of the clay.”
     Highlighting these unique aspects of the ceramics is very important to Gullickson, who personally designed the layout of the show, which will be presented in the Mary S. Kistner Atrium and the Robert D. Fowler Gallery. The galleries, comprising 267 feet of exhibition space, were closed in January so the staff could spend a month on the installation, including painting faux finishes on the wall, devising a lighting scheme, updating the galleries’ security system (a requirement for the traveling exhibition) and positioning the pieces.
    “I want to introduce Picasso as a human being — one of the more colorful ones that has ever inhabited the planet,” said Gullickson, who actually created 3D models of each piece in the collection so she could fashion a working floor plan. “I think when you understand the artist, then you understand his artwork. But we’re not going to take the academic route that’s sometimes taken. We’re going to try to make people comfortable with one of the great masters of the 20th century.”
     That means that, in addition to the exhibition itself, the Arts Center will offer a complementary array of programming, with a regional teapot competition, workshops, classes, lectures and much more for people of all ages. “This is a tremendous educational opportunity for children and adults,” Ennis observed. “Right now, our education director is working on projects for family days and school children. Some of the projects will be hands-on, while others will be more art/history oriented.” And with a state-of-the-art ceramics department and pottery studio onsite, it will be the perfect time for visitors to try their own hand at throwing pottery while being inspired by one of the greatest artists of
all time.
     Arts Council members will get a sneak preview of the show on Feb. 2, and a gala celebration will officially launch the exhibition on Feb. 18. This ticketed event, called “Casa Picasso: Breaking all the Rules,” is a way for the Hudgens Arts Center staff to commemorate its grand achievement and thank the community for its support. And the key word for the night will be fun. “I don’t see having a stiff, formal introduction to Picasso,” Gullickson remarked. “He was all about fun and seeing the world in many different ways.”
Just The Beginning
     Sadly, Mary Kistner passed away several years ago and will not see her dream come to fruition. But her vision of the Picasso opportunity laid the groundwork for a whole new way of thinking at the Hudgens Arts Center. “The response [to the Picasso exhibition] has been so exciting — this will not be a one-time deal,” Gullickson asserted. “What we’re looking at is an ongoing program.”
     Plans are already underway to bring another big show to the Arts Center next year, to take place during the same time period. “It’s more exciting for everyone to be involved in something that’s so big,” she added. “We’re going to reach from here on. It’s a challenge, but we’re certainly up for it and we’re looking forward to it.” v

Photos courtesy of Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for the Arts.