News Release

By MARIA BLEIER
Ackland Art Museum

CHAPEL HILL -- Pablo Picasso’s "The Artist and the Child" will be just one of 80 prints on display beginning Aug. 24 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Ackland Art Museum.

"Three Sides to a Sheet of Paper: How Prints Communicate, Represent and Transform (1482-2002)" will showcase prints made over a period of more than 500 years – with techniques as diverse as woodcuts and photomechanical prints. All of the pieces are from the Ackland’s own permanent collection.

The prints will be on display until Nov. 13. A free public reception from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 28 will celebrate the exhibit’s opening. Ackland members may attend a gallery talk at 1:30 p.m.

"We invite people to explore their understanding of prints with this exhibition and to enjoy some of the highlights of the Ackland’s extensive print collection of more than 8,000 works," said Timothy Riggs, curator of collections.

The exhibition marks the reopening of the Ackland after six weeks of renovation. Included are new installations, improved signage and a monthly guide to enhance visitor experiences.

Some of the pieces in the exhibition are easily recognizable as art, as is the Picasso, which shows a woman painting what appears to be a self-portrait while a child plays on the floor. Others are less obvious examples of prints, such as "The Sopranos, Fourth Season" poster by Annie Leibovitz, in which characters from the HBO show pose against the backdrop of an Italian restaurant.

"More than any other form of art, the print raises questions in the minds of museum visitor," Riggs said. "Just what is a print? Why are some prints considered works of art and others not? What is the difference between an original print and a reproduction? This exhibition answers these and other questions about prints."

The exhibition includes masters of the hand-made print from Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) to Picasso (1881-1973), alongside rare works by less familiar artists including Lucas van Leyden (1494-1533), Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617), Jacques Callot (1592-1635) and Rodolphe Bresdin (1822-1885).

Also shown will be works by master artists not typically known for their prints, including Pieter Bruegel (1525-1569), Raffaello Sanzio – better known as Raphael – (1483-1520) and Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640).

Several events, in addition to the Aug. 28 celebration, are being presented in conjunction with the exhibition:

• Seminar series: "Up Close: Prints and Print Collecting," 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25 with Timothy Riggs, curator of collections. Sessions one through four are: "Introduction to the Exhibition," "What Didn’t Make the Cut," "Going Shopping: Building a Print Collection" and "What Is a Print? (What Isn’t?)." $60 for the series for the public, and $40 for Ackland members. Space is limited. To register or for more information, call (919) 843-3676 or email acklandprograms@unc.edu.
  
• Panel discussion: "Building a Collection," 2 p.m. Nov. 13 with Riggs; John Eckblad, private collector; Bob Healy, private collector; and Charles Young of Charles M. Young Fine Prints and Drawings LLC. Museum curators and private collectors will share insights and stories about building art collections.

The museum, on South Columbia Street near Franklin Street, opens from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Beginning Sept. 9, the museum will open until 9 p.m. on the second Friday of every month.

Admission is free. For more information, call (919) 843-1611 (recorded information), (919) 966-5736 (museum office), (919) 962-0837 (TTY) or visit the Web site at www.ackland.org. For program details, call (919) 843-3676.

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• http://www.unc.edu/news/pics/picasso.jpg,

CAPTION: Pablo Picasso, Spanish, 1881-1973: "The Artist and the Child," 1949; lithograph. Gift of W.P. Jacocks. Ackland Art Museum, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Copyright 2005 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

• http://www.unc.edu/news/pics/bonnard.jpg,

CAPTION: Pierre Bonnard, French 1867-1947: "La Revue Blanche," 1894; color lithograph. UNC Art Department Collection. Ackland Art Museum, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

• http://www.unc.edu/news/pics/lichtenstein.jpg,

CAPTION: Roy Lichtenstein, American, 1923-1997: "Crying Girl," 1963; photomechanical color offset lithograph. Ackland Fund. Ackland Art Museum, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Copyright Estate of Roy Lichtenstein.

Ackland Art Museum contact: Maria Bleier, (919) 843-3675 or maria_bleier@unc.edu

News Services contacts: Deb Saine, (919) 962-8415 or deborah_saine; Karen Moon, (919) 962-8595