Explore the highly-anticipated exhibition, “Edward Hopper and the American Hotel,” presented by Schahet Hotels at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields through October 25, 2020. This exhibition will be welcoming guests back inside the IMA Galleries for the first time since mid-March. Travel back in time to experience the iconic American painter like never before in this major loan exhibition.
“Newfields is thrilled to welcome guests back inside the Indianapolis Museum of Art with this major exhibition,” said Dr. Charles L. Venable, the Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO of Newfields. “While Hopper has long been considered one of the most important American masters, interest in his work has soared during this period of anxiousness and isolation. His depictions of individuals alone in their hotel rooms and even completely empty rooms have even more relevance now.”
The exhibition will feature 57 of Edward Hopper’s (1882-1967) paintings, drawings, watercolors, and magazine covers – including the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s iconic Hotel Lobby — that show his fascination with commonplace hospitality settings of the time. Hopper’s work is often explored through a lens of loneliness, but American Hotel provides a different context for the celebrated American artist’s work.
Guests will discover how 20th-century Americans participated in travel culture, depending on their race, gender, and class; and see how Hopper’s works fit into a larger tradition of the role of the hotel in art. Hopper’s paintings and works on paper will be presented alongside 31 works by over 20 other artists including Derrick Adams, David Hockney, Cindy Sherman and John Singer Sargent.
The works will be accompanied by firsthand accounts of travel culture in Hopper’s time in the form of photographs, postcards and personal stories from Americans of different walks of life. While the white artist and his wife Josephine ‘Jo” Nivision Hopper could check into virtually any hotel of their choice in the mid-20th century, this was not true for Black Americans nor single women because of racism and sexism. These facts are highlighted in the show to give a more accurate depiction of hotel culture in America during this time.
The exhibition will feature a life-size recreation of Hopper’s Western Motel painting that will invite guests to peer into a mid-century modern getaway, much like the woman painted in the original scene. After a long day of travel (through Newfields) stop by Pop-Up: Hotel Bar, just steps away from the exhibition space, to sip cocktails that were popular among Americans during this time.
“Edward Hopper and the American Hotel” was organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, in partnership with the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. The exhibition was conceived and curated by Dr. Leo G. Mazow, the Virginia Museum of Fine Art’s Louise B. and J. Hartwood Cochrane Curator of American Art, and curated for the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields by Anna Stein, Assistant Curator of Works on Paper.
“There have been so many exhibitions and books written about the famous Edward Hopper. This one takes an especially thoughtful and creative approach to de-mystifying a great artist,” said Stein. “Dr. Mazow has brought together a stunning group of artworks that can rarely be seen together, and our team is so excited to present them in Indianapolis.”
Members will have the first chance to see the exhibition on July 17 and 18 during Member Days. AskMe! docents will be available to answer questions, chat about artwork and provide insider stories Tuesday through Thursday from 2 to 3 p.m. and Friday through Sunday 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m. An exhibition catalogue complete with removable maps of Hoppers travels will be available for purchase in The Museum & Garden Shop as well as the exhibition shop at the end of the exhibition.
“Supporting this exhibition is a perfect way for Schahet Hotels to give back to our community as we all begin to emerge from our homes and visit arts and culture institutions again” said Gary Schahet, president of Schahet Hotels LLC and member of the Board of Trustees at Newfields. “We are so proud to support this stellar exhibition.”
Edward Hopper and the American Hotel is presented by Schahet Hotels. Lead support is provided by Charles L. Venable & Martin K. Webb and Drs. Marian and Patrick Pettengill. Additional support is generously provided by Ann W. King, Barnes & Thornburg LLP, Ms. Nancy L. McMillan and Brad & Terri Warnecke.
Newfields indoor spaces including the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Lilly House, The Museum & Garden Shop, and The Café, opened to the public on July 19. The Garden, The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park and The Beer Garden will also remain open. Newfields will require all guests to wear facial covering while inside, and maintain a social distance of six feet. All guests, including members, will need to reserve tickets in advance on the Newfields website. This process will allow us to safely control the crowd size to comply with large gathering protocols, and will also ensure your visit is completely contactless. Learn more and reserve tickets at discovernewfields.org.
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