After A $200 Million Upgrade Glenstone May Fulfill The Fantasy Of The Perfect Private Museum Its Also A Little Unsettling
Glenstone is perhaps the most meticulous, detail-oriented museum you will ever visit.
,September 25, 2018
Big Phrygian
What would a museum look like if money were no object? If there were no need to get bodies in the door to generate attendance revenue, no limit to the acquisitions budget, and no constraints placed on the artists or the founders visions?
Glenstone, the bucolic private museum nestled in a wealthy suburb of Washington, DC, is about as close to this fantasy as we are likely to getwith all the benefits and blind spots that entails. The original CharlesGwathmey-designed space opened quietly in 2006 to showcase the collection of industrialist Mitchell Rales and his wife, the curator and former gallerist Emily Rales, just a stones throw from their home.
Now, a five-year, $200 million expansion has just been completed, increasing the size of Glenstone by a factor of almost seven. By our calculations, the new 204,000-square-foot, Thomas Phifer-designed complexdubbed the Pavilionsmakes Glenstone the largest contemporary private museum in the country, putting it ahead of the Broad in Los Angeles and the Rubell Family Collection in Miami.
A Choreographed Experience
Approach to the Pavilions at Glenstone. Photo: Iwan Baan, courtesy of the Glenstone Museum.
Once inside, visitors will encounter the kind of blue-chip contemporary artBasquiats, Pollocks, Twomblysthat almost no public museum could afford to purchase today.
A Slow Art Approach
The Art Itself
Luxury And Degradation Series And Kiepenkerl
First shown in Koons’ eponymous exhibitions at the short-lived International With Monument Gallery, New York, and at Daniel Weinberg Gallery, Los Angeles, in 1986, the Luxury and Degradation series is a group of works thematically centered on alcohol. This group included a stainless steel travel cocktail cabinet, a Baccarat crystal decanter and other hand-made renderings of alcohol-related paraphernalia, as well as reprinted and framed ads for drinks such as Gordon’s Gin , Hennessy , Bacardi , Dewars , and Frangelico in seductively intensified colors on canvas Koons appropriated these advertisements and revalued them by recontextualizing them into artworks. They “deliver a critique of traditional advertising that supports Baudrillard‘s censorious view of the obscene promiscuity of consumer signs”. Another work, Jim Beam J.B. Turner Engine , is based on a commemorative, collectible in bottle in the form of a locomotive that was created by Jim Beam however, Koons appropriated this model and had it cast in gleaming stainless-steel. The train model cast in steel titled Jim Beam Baggage Car even contains Jim Beam bourbon. With the Luxury and Degradation series Koons interfered into the realms of the social. He created an artificial and gleaming surface which represented a proletarian luxury. It was interpreted as seduction by simulation because it was fake luxury. Being the producer of this deception brought him to a kind of leadership, as he commented himself.
Glenstone A Private Art Xanadu Invests $200 Million In A Public Vision
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POTOMAC, Md. When they were building a gallery here at Glenstone for Robert Gobers 1992 Untitled immersive installation featuring spouting sinks, stacked newspapers and woodland scenery Mitchell P. Rales and Emily Wei Rales worked with the artist to design the room to his specifications. That meant lowered ceilings, special plumbing, placement of the exit signs, consultation with a theatrical lighting specialist and about 70 meetings with the architects.
Similarly, Charles Ray spent hours arranging the four sculptures in his gallery down to the inch. And On Kawara before he died in 2014 was explicit about how he wanted his triptych of Date Paintings, Moon Landing, to be exhibited. As a result, its the only gallery with a wooden floor.
These are the lengths to which the Raleses went in shaping Glenstone as a bespoke temple for artists they have collected in depth over the last 12 years in this affluent exurb of Washington. Works by the likes of Brice Marden, Pipilotti Rist and Roni Horn will now be displayed in a new 204,000-square-foot museum building called the Pavilions, designed by Thomas Phifer. It opens Oct. 4, but the first block of reservations have already been snapped up. The next block becomes available Oct. 1.
Theyre giving birth to a whole new institution, said the dealer Matthew Marks, who has artists in Glenstones collection.
She added, I dont care if they are getting a tax break.
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What You Should Know Before Going To Glenstone
Glenstone is located at 12100 Glen Road in Potomac, Md., roughly 40 minutes from downtown DC by car. Parking is readily available. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Glenstone asks that its guests reserve a visit in advance online. Visits can be scheduled on the half hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are released on the first of every month for the next three months . If you arrive without a reservation, Glenstone will work to accommodate you, but reservations are highly recommended.
Admission to the museum is always free. Due to the fragility of the works on view, all visitors to Glenstone must be 12 or older and all minors must be accompanied by an adult at all times. While photography is not allowed inside the museum, guests can take photos of the outdoor artworks for their Instagram and for personal use. Glenstone does not allow the use auxiliary lighting, selfie sticks, drones, tripods or commercial photography of any kind.
Glenstone presents a holistic experience of art, architecture and landscape, a central part of the mission of its founders, Emily and Mitch Rales. The museum features two gallery buildings, numerous outdoor sculptures and more than 230 acres of landscape in total. Make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes, as a visit to Glenstone is a journey in and of itself.
Life As A Museum Lover
There is no end to the intrigue of someone fascinated by museums, as there are all kinds of museums and topics to find interest in. While initial interest in museums may be found with compulsory field trips as a youth, the range of museums as a whole can fully be explored to be more than a mild use of time. Everyone enjoys something or finds intense intrigue with a certain subject, object, or place, and with museums that can be fully explored in ways that can’t be done with books or the internet. While pictures and descriptions can be a great way to be introduced to something or learn the basics, it doesn’t quite give you all of the specifics or details that you would get when seeing it all laid out in front of you in person. There’s something amazing about museums that can’t be properly translated, so you’ll just have to go on your own adventure and find your own experiences at your local museum of your choice.
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Developing A Work Back Plan
A Work Plan or Work-back Plan is just a little different from a critical path in that it creates a timeline for the festival or event by working backwards from the festival or event date. Tasks are typically categorized by month instead of assigned a completion or due date. By noting these key deadlines, the organizer can devise a more detailed Critical Path and determine what steps need to be taken in advance of the deadline to ensure deliverables are met. To facilitate the development of a work back plan, refer to the sample plan in the online Community Festivals and Events Planning Toolkit.
Programming and entertainment can range from attractions, activities, interactive games, live bands, DJs, magicians, strolling performers, etc. Selecting the appropriate type of programming and entertainment depends on the target audience and the type of atmosphere the organizer wants to create.
Before securing your entertainers, it is critical to determine the following:
Local newspapers, pubs, clubs and theatre groups are potential sources to help locate live entertainment. Remember a key variable in ensuring a successful festival or event is ensuring attendees are entertained. Programming that is engaging is the most desirable.
A timeline should include the arrival of contractors, suppliers, vendors, rehearsal times, performance times, speeches, interactive displays/booths, etc.
Creating A Festival Or Event Timeline
The next step in the process is to begin preparing a festival or event timeline that sets out the timeframe for action and implementation. This timeline can be in the form of a critical path or a work back plan. A critical path is essentially a calendar that states the tasks and responsibilities needed to be completed leading up to the festival or event. It helps to keep track of deadlines and responsibilities amongst the Board and/or Organizing Committee members.
Critical paths are useful tools to refer to on an annual basis. They should include all elements and steps involved in planning and execution of your specific festival or event. This will help maintain consistency in the festival or event moving forward and make modifications or enhancements as the festival or event progresses.
Steps to creating a critical path:
Each of the Board and/or Organizing Committee Chairs should create their own timeline that includes a schedule of critical dates . The Chair can then add this information to the critical path to ensure key deadlines are adhered to. The critical path must be reviewed and updated regularly and circulated to all individuals responsible for assigned tasks.
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The Artnews Accord: Curators Legacy Russell And Adrienne Edwards Discuss The Evolution Of Performance Art
The first galleries introduce Super Realism, Ringgolds signature style of abstracted figuration and sharp graphic and conceptual contrasts, which she developed to address the halting progress of the pursuit of social and political equality in the United States. Flat planes of color edged in black delineate the figures of her early work from the 1960s, where compositions often illustrate tense interracial relationspeople torn between peace and violence, ambivalence and anger. In American People #4: The Civil Rights Triangle , a white man stands above, yet behind, a phalanx of four darker-skinned men his symbolic participation is removed from the corporeal vulnerability so central to the social justice movement.
The ideals represented by Americaequality, liberty, and justiceare more literally overwritten in later works reflecting the violence following Malcolm Xs assassination in 1965. Ringgold famously contorted the American flag into a structure of confinement in American People #18: The Flag Is Bleeding . Red stripes enclose a white woman and the two men, one white and one Black, with whom she links arms white stars obscure the face of the Black man, who holds a knife in one hand and covers a seemingly self-inflicted wound with the other, his blood the same vermilion as the flags.
American People #4: The Civil Rights TriangleBlack Light #12: Party Time
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What You Will Find At Glenstone
Glenstone initially opened in 2006 as one gallery building featuring 9,000 square feet of exhibition space overlooking a three-acre pond, with an accompanying assortment of sculptures outdoors. However, on Oct. 4, 2018, the museum unveiled its extensive additions to the public, the culmination of a 15-year process. Glenstone now features a series of indoor and outdoor spaces that showcase post-World War II artworks that will challenge visitors to think deeply while also providing a global perspective on seminal art from the past 70 years. The collection is considered one of the best in the United States.
Your experience at Glenstone begins with the Arrival Hall, a new building in which you can get a sense of the museums minimalist design aesthetic and peruse a gift shop filled with books that highlight and illuminate modern and abstract art.
The Pavilions are your next stop, but not before a brisk 7-minute walk on a peaceful trail. Along the way, youll see Jeff Koons The Split Rocker perched on a hill, perhaps the museums signature piece. This intersection of art with nature is an essential component of Glenstone.
During your extensive Glenstone excursion, hunger and thirst may strike. No worries: the museum has also added a new cafe, set into the forest and the perfect place to stop during your exploration of the property.
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Good Luck Getting Tickets Let Us Know How You Did It
My friend and I were both online this morning well before the 10:00 am monthly dispatch of tickets for Glenstone, this time for April. On our screens, at the appointed hour, we were not able to access April, so we had no chance to even compete. By the time we could see April, three minutes later, all the tickets were of course, gone. This was much like trying to get tickets in the early days to Hamilton, when bots prevented ordinary humans from accessing tickets. Or perhaps only insiders are given first access to Glenstone. It looks like a wonderful place to visit but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
116121204Washington DC, District of Columbia
Glenstone Museum has been on my bucket list for several years, and I had never been successful in getting tickets. Today, however, was my lucky day. The museum is thoughtfully designed, melding the art, architecture and landscape into a stunning whole. Prepare for an unhurried visit through one couple’s artistic vision. The employees are also eager to share their love for modern art and are happy to answer questions. This is a museum I look forward to revisiting in different seasons. On this crisp and cold day, the snow crunched under our feet as we made our way across the grounds. I can’t wait to see Glenstone again in spring or fall.
Glenstone Museum To Expand With Major Richard Serra Acquisition And New Pavilion To House It
Outside the main building at Glenstone, the private museum with sprawling grounds in Potomac, Md., visitors encounter two monumental works by Richard Serra. Slashing across the grass and hillocks is one of the American sculptors classic oxidized steel-plate works, Contour 290, and on a plaza near the entrance to the original museum gallery is Sylvester, one of his torqued ellipses curved steel plates that create a spiral maze of canted walls. Then, inside the galleries, there are two of his important early pieces from the 1960s.
Now the museum is adding another major work by the 82-year-old artist.
We are long on Richard Serras work, there is no question about it, says Emily Wei Rales, Glenstones director. But a lot of people would agree that he is the greatest living sculptor, and we believe very deeply in his work and are very committed to it.
Glenstone announced Monday the acquisition of a large-scale work by Richard Serra. The name or other details of the sculpture havent been revealed, beyond that its recent. But work has already begun on a 4,000-square foot concrete structure to house the new sculpture. Construction started in April, and the museum hopes to unveil the Serra in its specially designed, free-standing gallery in the spring or summer of 2022.
Phifer has been working closely with Serra to design the new structure.
Is there a point when the campus will be full?
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Reservations Now Available To Visit The New Glenstone
An Expanded Glenstone Will Open to the Public on October 4, Offering a Six-Fold Increase in Exhibition Space and Another 130 Acres of Landscape
POTOMAC, MD, Reservations to visit the new Glenstone Museum are now available and can be booked online by visiting glenstonestag.wpengine.com. Admission is free at all times. The new Glenstone, which includes an additional 50,000 square feet of exhibition space for modern and contemporary art, two cafes, a bookstore, and a total of 230 acres of landscaped meadows, woods, and streams, will open to the public on October 4, 2018.
As part of Glenstones effort to maintain a serene and contemplative environment for each visitor, visits are scheduled in advance. Reservations are now available for visits through the end of November. Additional tickets will be released on the first of every month beginning October 1 for the upcoming 3 months.
After years of planning and building, were excited to reach this moment when were ready to share so much more of the Glenstone collection with the public, said Emily Wei Rales, director and co-founder of Glenstone. We look forward to welcoming visitors soon to our fully realized vision of art, architecture, and landscape combined in a single experience.
Single-artist installations in the Pavilions include:
Visitors will also have the opportunity to walk the 230-acre site, which includes 10 monumental outdoor sculptures. These include:
Media Release Vs Media Advisory
A news release, media release, press release, press statement or video release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for announcing something newsworthy.
A news release has a different purpose than a media advisory. It should read like an article and include facts that the media can use to write a story. Whereas, a media advisory offers basic information, a news release is all about sharing news that journalists can use alone or use as background when writing a story. News releases are written using the inverted pyramid style of news writingwith a headline and the most important information at the top. It should include contact details should the media have questions and include quotes from a spokesperson. A news release might be used to announce a title sponsorship or the appearance of a well-known celebrity or a unique element or feature at your festival or event.
In addition, the organizer can pitch a story to the media. This typically involves a telephone call or a brief email outlining some of the main details about the upcoming event and why it would be of interest to their readers.
Not to be confused with a news release, a media advisory is a document used to invite reporters to cover some kind of festival or event, including community festivals or events, press conferences, forums or rallies.
Refer to the Community Festivals and Events Planning Toolkit for a Media Advisory or Media Release templates.
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