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Andy Warhol: Portraits and Transamerica/n: Gender, Identity, Appearance Today Open at McNay Art Museum on June 20

San Antonio Community Invited to Exhibition Information Session on June 6

San Antonio, TX (May 21, 2019) This summer, the McNay Art Museum presents two innovative and inclusive exhibitions—Andy Warhol: Portraits and Transamerica/n: Gender, Identity, Appearance Today—from June 20 to September 15, 2019.

ANDY Warhol: Portraits features over 120 paintings, prints, photographs, films, and videos that depict the artist’s favorite genre. The exhibition presents a vibrant snapshot of New York’s art and social scene from the 1960s through the 1980s with portraits of Warhol’s inner circle; among them Joan Collins, Debbie Harry, Dennis Hopper, Mick Jagger, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol himself. 

Andy Warhol: Portraits invites the viewer into Warhol’s world by examining the artist’s personal life, studio process, and use of a variety of mediums. 

A substantial media experience—nine different video, television, and film programs—feature recordings of Warhol’s Polaroid portrait sessions and black-and-white screen tests from the 1960s that Warhol shot on 16mm film – including one of Salvador Dalí.

Over a dozen fashion ensembles in the exhibition by Halston, Yves Saint Laurent, Pucci, Mary McFadden, Roberto Cavalli, Gucci, and Bob Mackie illustrate the highly fashionable circle surrounding Warhol during this infamous period. 

Exhibition support is provided by Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation and the Host Committee, chaired by Rick Liberto.

TRANSAMERICA/n: Gender, Identity, Appearance Today is the country’s first broad survey of contemporary artwork from across North America to explore the construction of identity through gender and outward appearance. Lead funding is most generously provided by the Ford Foundation. Major funding is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation, Inc. Additional support is provided by Metropolitan Methodist Hospital and the Host Committee, chaired by Dr. Carlos E. Alvarez-Meraz. 

“This exhibition is about love,” said Richard Aste, McNay Director. “It is about honoring the authentic identities of artists by adding their dignified portrayals to our walls. Art museums can bridge their communities, and Transamerica/n will help the McNay do that better.”

Transamerica/n celebrates a spectrum of gender identity through artists from underrepresented backgrounds in the United States (many from the San Antonio community), Mexico, and Canada. The exhibition also commemorates the 50^th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots, which served as a catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ movement around the world.

“This exhibition is a teaching moment, reflecting the identities of a part of our global community previously underrepresented at the McNay,” said

René Paul Barilleaux, Head of Curatorial Affairs. “Everyone should be able to see themselves, their cultures, their identities, and their passions reflected in our collections and exhibitions. Educating everyone is at the core of our mission.”

Transamerica/n focuses on generational shifts from the 1970s to today through photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe and Catherine Opie, figurative sculptures by Greer Lankton and Frank Benson, and installations by Xavier Schipani and Jacolby Satterwhite.

A public information session will be held at the McNay on June 6 at 6:30 p.m. Please note: this presentation will include images of potentially sensitive works of art that include nudity. A Transamerica/n microsite will be available to provide additional resources and information about the exhibition and its content.

Andy Warhol: Portraits is organized by the McNay Art Museum from the collection of The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Curator-in-charge at the McNay Art Museum is René Paul Barilleaux, Head of Curatorial Affairs.Transamerica/n: Gender, Identity, Appearance Today is organized by the McNay Art Museum and conceived by René Paul Barilleaux, Head of Curatorial Affairs; and is organized with Jackie Edwards, Assistant Curator; Bianca Alvarez, 2017-2018 Semmes Foundation Intern in Museum Studies; and Lauren Thompson, 2018-2019 Semmes Foundation Intern in Museum Studies.

Link to High-Resolution Images: http://bit.ly/McNayWarholTransamerican

About the McNay Art Museum

The McNay Art Museum engages a diverse community in the discovery and enjoyment of the visual arts. Built in the 1920s by artist and educator Marion Koogler McNay, the Spanish Colonial Revival residence became the site of Texas’s first museum of modern art when it opened in 1954. Today, 200,000 visitors a year enjoy works by modern masters including Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Edward Hopper, Joan Mitchell, Alice Neel, Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The 23 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds include sculptures by Robert Indiana, Luis A. Jiménez Jr., George Rickey, Joel Shapiro, and Kiki Smith. For almost 65 years, the McNay has enchanted visitors with its art, architecture, and ambiance. The museum offers rich and varied exhibitions as well as rotating displays in the Main Collection Galleries from the 20,000 works in the collection; more than 45,000 adults, teachers, students, and families take advantage of a variety of education programs and innovative educational resources.