Chrysler Museum Presents “Adeline’s Portal” by Beth Lipman

NORFOLK, Va. – (March 2013) – Lines between past and present blur as the Chrysler Museum of Art invites internationally acclaimed artist Beth Lipman to exhibit a new work, Adeline’s Portal, in the historic Moses Myers House at 608 E. Freemason Street, Norfolk. This unique, site-specific installation is inspired by the Myers House and its collection, and the public can watch Lipman create pieces of this large-scale glass sculpture during her March 16–24 residency at the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio, 745 Duke Street, in Norfolk, adjacent to the Museum.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Beth Lipman back to the Chrysler,” said Museum Director Bill Hennessey. “Her work was a highlight of our Art of Glass 2 exhibition in 2009, and this project will be even bigger and more exciting.”

Based in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, Lipman has exhibited internationally, and her large glass sculptures have been acquired by the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the Corning Museum of Glass, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and numerous other institutions.

When Lipman dips her blowpipe into the furnace of the Glass Studio, she will join the growing list of renowned artists who have worked in the 7,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility since it opened in November 2011, including Lino Tagliapietra, Dante Marioni, and April Surgent. However, unlike these earlier prominent visitors, Lipman will devote her entire 10-day residency to the creation of a single new work of art, with assistance from the talented Glass Studio team.

“Beth will be our first Resident Artist in Response,” said Glass Studio Manager Charlotte Potter. “These residencies are designed to nurture the creativity of experienced artists. First we introduce them to the cultural riches of Hampton Roads,” Potter explained, “and then we give them the time and tools to make something directly inspired by our community.”

Lipman’s project will respond to the history and collection of the Federal-era Moses Myers House, a grand townhouse built in the 1790s by one of Norfolk’s leading merchants and its first permanent Jewish resident. In particular, it considers the figure of Adeline Myers (1791–1832), the lively oldest daughter of Moses and his wife, Eliza. After touring the house in September 2012, Lipman conceived Adeline’s Portal to be installed adjacent to the upstairs bedroom Adeline once occupied.

Lipman’s projects are often in dialogue with historical objects and works of art. “The narrative of life is told and mythologized in the objects that remain long after we are gone,” Lipman explained, “inviting us to conjecture about what has come before.” Adeline’s Portal is based on the rich accumulation of original Myers family possessions on display throughout the house, asking what these communicate about Adeline Myers’ life and personality. Fabricated in Lipman’s signature medium of transparent colorless glass, it will offer a ghostly interpretation of Adeline’s material world.

Adeline’s Portal will be the Chrysler Museum’s first exhibition of contemporary art at the Moses Myers House, which has been open to the public as a museum since 1931. “Beth Lipman’s passion for history makes her the perfect artist for this milestone,” said Alex Mann, Brock Curator of American Art and the organizer of this project. “It also reminds us that Moses Myers was a prolific patron of contemporary art. He commissioned portraits from famous living painters like Gilbert Stuart and ordered custom furniture in the latest styles. This installation honors his legacy and continues that tradition.”

Visitors to the Myers House can admire this valuable collection of early American furniture and fine art, arranged much as it would have been in the early 1800s. They can also explore exhibitions on Moses Myers’ trading empire and on the Myers family’s contributions across generations to the history of Tidewater Virginia.

Adeline’s Portal will be on view at the Moses Myers House from March 29 to November 3, 2013. The home is open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Beth Lipman will be in residence at the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio from March 16–24, working before the public Wednesday through Sunday. Her work will inspire the Studio’s glass demonstrations at noon, and the artist will deliver a public lecture on Wednesday, March 27 at 7 p.m. at the Studio. Admission to these events is free.

This project is supported by generous gifts from T. Parker Host, Jr. and from the Business Exhibition Council of the Chrysler Museum of Art. For more information, call (757) 664-6200 or visit Chrysler.org.

The Chrysler Museum of Art is one of America’s most distinguished mid-sized art museums with a world-class collection of more than 30,000 objects, including one of the great glass collections in America, and a new Glass Studio. The Museum campus is located at 245 West Olney Rd., in Norfolk.  The Chrysler Museum is closed during 2013 for a major expansion, but the Museum has organized off-site exhibitions throughout the region. The Chrysler Museum Glass Studio and its two historic houses are open. The Glass Studio, located at 745 Duke St., Norfolk, is open Wednesday to Sunday with free glass demonstrations at noon. The Willoughby-Baylor House, 601 E. Freemason St., and the Moses Myers House, 323 E. Freemason St., Norfolk are open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free at these venues. To learn more about the Chrysler Museum Roadshow exhibitions and regional events, visit chrysler.org or call 757-664-6200.

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