“Wall: Five Decades of Contemporary Art” to Open at CF Appleton Museum

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, presents “Wall: Five Decades of Contemporary Art.”

On view now in the second-floor galleries, “Wall” is an inventive survey of artwork from the permanent collection featuring 30 works by 28 artists, created over a 53-year timespan (1964-2017) anchored in the 20th and 21st centuries. The exhibition’s namesake, “Wall,” is a nod to Robert Indiana’s large-scale industrial print that is on display. “Wall” is also a reminder that, although ubiquitous and seemingly mundane, walls have multiple sides that represent many things. They construct spaces that literally function but also symbolize the ideas of “inside vs. outside” and “free vs. confined.” Across three gallery spaces, the Appleton curatorial team juxtaposed the works to create dynamic groupings that illustrate how artists push the limits of medium, line, form, texture and color to communicate with audiences.

“The exhibition showcases newly acquired gifts to the collection alongside visitor favorites,” noted Appleton Director Jason Steuber. “We invite everyone to come spend time with these world-class works that grace the gallery walls. Masterpieces by Andy Warhol, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Janet Fish, Alison Saar, Robert Indiana and more than 20 other artists await you.”

Born in the 19th and 20th centuries, the artists included in “Wall” hail from Belarus, Canada, Cuba, France, Greece, Spain, Ukraine and United States, embracing a wide range of media and techniques. Their embrace of previous epochs, art movements and styles is clear, yet simultaneously, they each disrupt and challenge these inherited traditions to distinguish themselves.

Regular admission fees apply to visit. Admission is free on the first Saturday of each month as part of the Free First Saturday program.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.