Tony Vaccaro American Icons Exhibition Program: In Conversation with Agapita Judy Lopez on Georgia O’Keeffe

 Via Taliesin West

IN CONVERSATION – Agapita Judy Lopez on Georgia O’Keeffe
March 7, 2024

American Icons: Frank Lloyd Wright and Georgia O’Keeffe explores the similarities and differences between two American masters, born in Wisconsin, who found homes in the Desert Southwest, as captured through the lens of photographer Tony Vaccaro. Join us as Agapita “Pita” Judy Lopez discusses her time as working at Georgia O’Keeffe’s home Abiquiú as O’Keeffe’s secretary and companion, and her close relationship with Ms. O’Keeffe.

*Please note that this program grants guests access only to the program location. To see more of our property, please consider adding a tour to your program.

Time:
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Cabaret Theatre

Price:
Adults $35
Students (13-25 with student ID) $24
Members $31.50

Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Members receive discounts on Cultural Programs, have access to special Member-Only programs, and more. Learn about Membership here.

Tickets here

Meet Our Presenter

Agapita “Pita” Lopez began working with American artist Georgia O’Keeffe in 1974, and became her personal secretary in 1978 until her death on March 6, 1986. A third generation employee, her grandfather and mother also worked for O’Keeffe as has her maternal grandmother, father, brothers, and sister. In 1986, Pita continued working with the O’Keeffe Estate, and then The Georgia O’Keeffe Foundation as Secretary. She served as the Foundation’s Executive Director from 1999 to 2006. Currently, Projects Director of the O’Keeffe properties at Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch, she oversees the maintenance and preservation of both houses and the seasonal tours offered at the Abiquiu home and studio. She co-authored a book on the houses with Barbara Buhler Lynes, Curator of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum released by Abrams in the fall of 2012. With her brother, Belarmino Lopez, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division.

Never-Before-Seen Photos of Frank Lloyd Wright & Georgia O’Keeffe to Debut at Taliesin West This Friday, October 20

 

Via The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation


Never-Before-Seen Photos of Frank Lloyd Wright & Georgia O’Keeffe to Debut at Taliesin West’s “American Icons: Wright and O’Keeffe” Exhibition Starting Friday, October 20, 2023

Curated by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, the Exhibition Will Treat Guests to an Intimate, Behind-The-Scenes Look Into the Lives & Similarities of Two Artistic, American Legends



SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.  – Following the massive success of the “Chihuly In The Desert” exhibition in 2022, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation continues to explore the ways that Wright connects with other iconic artists of his time through unique exhibitions at Taliesin West. As the latest iteration, the World Heritage Site will debut an exclusive “American Icons: Wright and O’Keeffe” exhibition this fall, offering guests the opportunity to view photographs of Frank Lloyd Wright and Georgia O’Keeffe – two legends of American art and architecture – taken by Michael A. “Tony” Vaccaro while on assignment for LOOK Magazine from 1957 to 1960, including some never-before-seen images.

The exhibition, curated by the Foundation in partnership with the Tony Vaccaro Studio in Long Island City, N.Y., and the Monroe Gallery in Santa Fe, N.M, renowned for its unrivaled vault of historic photography, will present a behind-the-scenes, intimate visual pairing of Wright and O’Keeffe in their homes and studios. Through Vaccaro’s images and excerpts from LOOK, the exhibition - on display in the Dining Room at Taliesin West - will offer a closer look into the similar lives of the two American geniuses, how they inspired one another and how their Modernist principles continue to inspire the public today. Tickets for the exhibition, which will run from Oct. 20, 2023, to June 3, 2024, will be included with an audio or guided tour purchase.

Wright and O’Keeffe are seen as giants in their fields but are rarely connected. Many are unaware that the pair met in 1942 and had a mutual admiration for one another’s work for many years, whilst sharing other similarities including their birthplace of rural Wisconsin; careers that took them to New York, Chicago and Japan; dwellings in the Southwest; and finding inspiration in nature for their creations of abstract versions of the world in their art. By sharing stories around their connections, the Foundation aims to contribute to a larger narrative about artists in America – they do not all work in isolation; rather, they inspire one another and find ways to connect through friendship.

“Frank Lloyd Wright and Georgia O’Keeffe are American Icons. Their legacies are larger-than-life, and their names are known worldwide. What’s lesser known is their connection; they met in person in the 1940s and corresponded over the years, sharing ideas, and exchanging gifts,” said Niki Stewart, exhibition curator and vice president and chief learning & engagement officer for the Foundation. “In this exhibition, we explore that connection through the intimate photographs of Tony Vaccaro, from their shared start in Wisconsin to the homes and studios they built in the American Southwest. I’m excited to bring Wright and O’Keeffe together again through these beautiful photographs.”

Vaccaro’s photos of Wright and O’Keeffe have visual symmetry, which is why they will be displayed in pairs. By partnering with the Monroe Gallery--Tony Vaccaro’s exclusive representation--the Foundation has access to many photographs not shown to the public previously. Through the exhibition, guests will not only learn about the relationship between Wright and O’Keeffe, but also about Vaccaro’s long and impressive career.

“Working with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation affords Monroe Gallery the opportunity to place Tony Vaccaro’s iconic portraits of American Modernist Masters, Frank Lloyd Wright and Georgia O’Keeffe, together in conversation with the visitors to Taliesin West. Surrounded by the grace of Wright’s architecture, O’Keeffe and Wright as Tony Vaccaro understood them are reunited within their century’s glorious creative context,” said Monroe Gallery owners Michelle and Sid Monroe.



For the most up-to-date information on the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, to donate or to become a member, visit FrankLloydWright.org.

About the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, established by Wright in 1940, is dedicated to preserving Taliesin and Taliesin West, both on the UNESCO World Heritage List, for future generations, and inspiring people to discover and embrace an architecture for better living through meaningful connections to nature, the arts, and each other. The Foundation continues the Frank Lloyd Wright legacy by broadening access to his ideas, works, and organic design principles — considered just as relevant today as in his own time — and provides new pathways for audiences to create beauty and connectedness in their own lives. Conveniently located 20 minutes north of historic Old Town Scottsdale, Taliesin West was recently named among the top 10% of attractions worldwide by TripAdvisor. Visit FrankLloydWright.org for more information on tour schedules, cultural and educational experiences, and events. To shop the latest Wright-inspired home, design, and lifestyle products, visit FrankLloydWrightStore.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Savannah Kirmis / 480-626-1671 / Savannah@JLaurenPR.com

Rachel Eroh / 928-231-0112 / Rachel@JLaurenPR.com

 

Pollock Krasner House: Photographer Tony Vaccaro’s 100th Birthday/ Exhibit & Tribute

 Via Pollock Krasner House

Dec. 20, 2022

LEGENDARY PHOTOGRAPHER TONY VACCARO’S 100th BIRTHDAY

click here to view the recording of our tribute with his son Frank Vaccaro

Jackson Pollock, East Hampton, 1953

Imagine photographing on the front lines while being a soldier in combat during World War II. And later photographing the most celebrated artists, Pollock, Krasner, Picasso, deKooning, and others.

Joyce Raimondo, Education Coordinator, leads a discussion with Vaccaro’s son, Frank Vaccaro, about his father’s acclaimed war photographs and Vaccaro’s iconic photographs of Pollock and Lee. Helen Harrison, Director of the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center leads a virtual tour of the barn studio where Vaccaro’s photos of Jackson and Lee are displayed.

Tony Vaccaro: A Centennial Tribute

The Art of War: A Look Back at 10 Important Works That Took on the Conflict in Iraq

Every newspaper and news report has been filled with stories about the "end" of the Iraq War. Artinfo.com has compiled  a list of "what seem to us to be the most notable examples" of art dealing with the war.

Courtesy the artist and Jen Bekman projects

http://artinfo.com/news/story/753960/iraq-war-art#

Nina Berman's "Ty with gun," 2009, from "Marine Wedding," 2006/2008, pigment print

Iraq's future remains unclear, but whatever happens, the effects of the war are likely to remain with us for a long time. No work illustrates this more clearly than photographer Nina Berman’s “Marine Wedding" series (memorably seen in the 2009 Whitney Biennial as well as in the recent Dublin Contemporary in Ireland) documenting the marriage of former Marine sergeant Ty Ziegel to his high school sweetheart, Renee Kline. Ziegel was wounded in a suicide bomber’s attack in Iraq, leaving him terribly disfigured. Employing a straightforward and unflinching documentary aesthetic, Berman’s photos show him simply trying to live his life despite his horrible scars, driving his truck, walking his dog, or posing in uniform with his bride — who looks hauntingly lost — for a wedding portrait (the two divorced after a year). Though bordering on the exploitative, Berman’s work offers disturbing testimony to the way the Iraq War has torn through people’s lives, and how its affects are liable to be with us for a long, long time.


Related:  Nina Berman's Blog: Remember the Iraq War
Part 1
Part 2

Selections from "Marine Wedding" featured in the exhibition "History's Big Picture"

SPANISH MARKET: July 24 & 25, 2010

We'll take a brief break from photography to highlight one of Santa Fe's premiere summer events: The Annual Traditional Spanish Market, this year, it will be celebrating its 59th anniversary, Saturday and Sunday, July 24 & 25, 2010 on the Santa Fe Plaza. A popular event for residents and visitors alike, Spanish Market features handmade traditional arts by over 200 local Hispanic artists as well as continuous live music and dance, art demonstrations and regional foods. A separate youth exhibition area also features the work of some 100 emerging artists. The Market provides a unique opportunity for visitors to enjoy a taste of New Mexico’s vibrant Spanish culture, both past and present. Admission is free. More information is here.

Of course, you can take a break from the Market and pop into Monroe Gallery of Photography for a look at the current Bill Eppridge: An American Treasure exhibition, along with some of the best photography the 20th and 21st century have to offer.