By Chip Chandler — Digital Content Producer
In this roundup of the latest arts news, learn about two major new exhibitions and a one-man show about a famed lawyer.
AMoA Achievement in Art
Amarillo art collectors Mike and Dalia Engler will be honored by Amarillo Museum of Art in a Saturday gala, with an exhibition of their collection on view beginning Sunday.
The Englers have built an extensive collection — many works in a modernist, reductive or concrete-minimalist aesthetic. That is, they're often seemingly solid blocks of color, but they have depths that come clear with study.
"Each of the artworks in this exhibition calls for close observation, contemplation, and the active participation of the viewer," according to AMoA's description of the show.
"Historically, a painting has been a picture plane, with paint used as a vehicle for illusion and narrative," wrote Alex Gregory, AMoA curator of art, in the exhibition catalog. "Yet, when (the works in the Engler collection) are given time and attention by the viewer, it becomes clear that these artists are exceptionally skilled, with a deep understanding and consideration of materials (,) along with widely diverse creative motivations."
Works by Joseph Marioni, Agnes Martin, Florence Pierce, Sir Anthony Caro, Lino Tagliapietra and Hiroshi Sugimoto, among others, will be on view through March 31 at the museum, 2200 S. Van Buren St. The exhibition will show highlights from their collection of paintings, sculpture, glass and photography.
Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is free.
Call 806-371-5050.
Hard Work & Horse Power
An exhibition exploring the many uses of horses in American history opens Friday at American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum.
Hard Work & Horse Power, on view through July 28, will feature photos and artifacts, including a wagon loaned from Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum and pieces from the AQHA museum's archives.
In the exhibition, visitors will learn how horses have been used for transportation, cattle drives, cavalry and more.
The museum, 2601 E. Interstate 40, is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for children ages 6 to 18, or free for members.
Call 806-376-5181.
Clarence Darrow
Austin-area actor Gary Payne will star in a one-man show telling the story of one of America's most famous lawyers.
Clarence Darrow will be staged at 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at the Amarillo Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4901 Cornell St. Admission is $10 or free with student ID.
In the play, written by David W. Rintels, Darrow looks back on his storied career, including the Scopes Monkey trial and the Leopold and Loeb case.
"A year ago, I was looking for a simple to stage play with bite and humor," Payne said in an email. "I then did a three-week, nine-performance run in Austin in May, just before moving to Kerrville. I have since pitched the show to several liberal-leaning organizations, though I think Darrow's folksy brilliance appeals to any openminded theatergoer."
Call 806-355-9351.
Chip Chandler is a digital content producer for Panhandle PBS. He can be contacted at Chip.Chandler@actx.edu, at @chipchandler1 on Twitter and on Facebook.
