Please join us in celebrating the opening of Russian Sacred Art: Connecting Heaven and Earth at The Museum of Russian Art!  The evening will be dedicated to the unveiling of  this exquisite new exhibition, along with The Vladimir School of Painting in the mezzanine gallery, and the permanent installation of Milkmaids, Novella in The IZBA Gift shop.

Saturday, October 14th  |  6:30 – 8:30pm  |  The Museum of Russian Art

The evening will feature remarks by the Director, Curator, and special guests – as well as spotlight performances curated for the evening.  A cash bar will be available for your enjoyment.

RSVP HERE

The exhibition Russian Sacred Art: Connecting Heaven and Earth will bring together more than fifty 19th century icons and other religious objects, drawing on a significant private American collection of icons.

Of all the treasures of sacred Russian art, 19th century icons are the least well-known and appreciated.   The exhibition Russian Sacred Art is the first presentation in North America of the artworks coming from a remarkable private collection of 19th century icons. A distinctly realistic style of icon painting emerged during the reign of Peter the Great. Peter’s westernizing reforms brought new art styles to Russia adding a modern twist to age-old Orthodox worship. Considered a ‘new-fangled ill’ throughout the 20th century, 19th century icons are promptly entering the contemporary art scene as artworks of great interest to collectors and museums.

Also included in the exhibition is an altar cross on loan from the collections of the University of St. Thomas.

– ALSO OPENING – 

The Vladimir School of Painting

The exhibition will uncover the unique regional art style that emerged in the town of Vladimir (120 miles east of Moscow) in the 1960s and 1970s. Festive and vibrantly colorful, the works of Vladimir artists were a striking contrast to subdued, albeit well balanced, color palettes of the masters of official Soviet art. Deeply rooted in the folk traditions of the ancient Vladimir land, paintings of local artists explored connections to icon-painting, lacquer miniature art, brightly painted wooden household objects, and traditional textiles. Northern landscapes, scenes of village life, views of quaint small towns are recurrent themes in Vladimir paintings.

Drawn from the celebrated collection of TMORA founder Ray Johnson, the exhibition will include more than 30 works by the Vladimir art style’s founders Kim Britov, Vladimir Yukin, Valery Kokurin, and several other prominent Vladimir artists.

Vladimir Ya. Yukin. Earth Suzdal, 1973
51 1/2 x 57 3/4 in
Oil on Canvas
The Raymond and Susan Johnson Collection of Russian Art