THE WENDE MUSEUM
THE WENDE MUSEUM
THE WENDE MUSEUM COMMEMORATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF BUILDING OF BERLIN WALL WITH DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES ART WALK EXHIBITION OF SOVIET PORTRAITS
In response to the 50th anniversary of the building of the Berlin Wall on August 13, The Wende Museum announces the launch of ACROSS THE WALL at the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk.
Sixteen portraits reproduced from the Museum’s collection of Soviet paintings were installed on an exterior building wall in the Old Bank District at Main Street and Winston in Downtown Los Angeles to coincide with Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk, which attracts 30,000 people to Gallery Row in the Historic Core on the 2nd Thursday of every month.
The Berlin Wall divided Europe into East and West and pitted the United States against the Soviet Union. But behind the scenes, and beyond the politics, both countries contained diverse peoples with myriad human desires and dreams. Even in modern times does the same sense of adversarial conditions facing people all over the world remind us that we are all friend or foe, we are all Human.
The Old Bank District in conjunction with the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk are proud to bring these 16 expressive portraits and museum quality experience to the streets of Downtown Los Angeles and local community. The mission of the Art Walk is to create a museum without walls experience, and the 16 works from the Wende Museum installed on Main St, bring that concept to life. Pedestrians, cyclists, commuters, visitors and locals alike will now all have an opportunity to experience as part of their normal daily lives. “The Downtown Art Walk is many people’s first cultural experience with the arts.
The works from the Wende collection and the generosity of Old Bank District will add value to the experience for all who attend. The emotion of these portraits reflects life from over 50 years ago, which is not that different from the issues we contend with today. We hope this experience makes appreciating museum quality works more accessible to the community. These pieces reminded us that we are all citizens of the same planet.” said Joe Moller, Executive Director of the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk.
Tom Gilmore from the Old Bank District, a long time patron of the arts and supporter of Art Walk said “Art has always had a home and audience in Downtown Los Angeles. These works represent individuals dealing with life, something we can all relate too and appreciate.”
—– Justinian Jampol Founder/Executive Director The Wende Museum 5741 Buckingham Parkway, Suite E Culver City, California 90230 ph. 310.216.1600 ext. 302 fax. 310.216.1609 www.wendemuseum.org
