High Museum Missteps With Rise of Sneaker Culture

In recent years, I've been to three presentations by Michael Shapiro, the High Museum of Art's executive director from 2000 through July 2015. For the sake of disclosure, the High was a public relations client in 2005 and again from 2012 to 2015.

At all three of Shapiro's speeches, he stated the 1996 Cultural Olympiad exhibition "Rings: Five Passions of World Art" -- which the High presented during Atlanta's Olympics -- marked a major milestone and critical turning point (for the better) for the Southeast's premier museum of art. 

Shapiro's and his peer's remarks echo in news reports and in general Atlanta arts conversations; it seems that most people agree that "Rings" put the High on the map of art museums with which to be reckoned. 

Given this summer's 20th anniversary for both Atlanta's Games and the High's main ascension point, I thought for certain a commemoration might take place in step with next week's party for all things Olympic in Atlanta. 

And when the museum announced "Out of the Box: The Rise of the Sneaker Culture" as this summer's main exhibition, an Olympic or "Rings" commemoration seemed even closer to "shoe-in" status.

Sadly, upon finally visiting the exhibition yesterday, the certainty unlaced.

And the museum's lack of promotion for the exhibition's many five-ringed connections seems like a big-time missed opportunity (insert grating, high-pitched squeaks of rubber smudging basketball courts here).

Before shoehorning the good parts of "The Rise of Sneaker Culture" below, it's worth mentioning the lack of Olympic promotion rests not entirely at the High's feet. 

The exhibition is on tour, arriving from its source curators of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto by way of the first U.S. presentation at The Brooklyn Museum in New York last fall, and a winter stop at Ohio's Toledo Museum of Art. 

Much of the exhibition's content -- such as a 256-page catalog or the wall text (in this exhibition, at the toe or heel of each shoe's display space in horizontal glass cases) -- was written by non-Atlantans with less knowledge of Georgia's capital or the High's Olympic legacies.

Though the catalog is beautiful and chock-full of interesting facts, figures, specially-written contributions and gorgeous photos, the Olympic notes are riddled with copy errors. 

Specifically, on page 79 the section author, Bata Shoe Museum Senior Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack, incorrectly referenced "Gold medalist Heinz Fütterer ran in Pumas at the 1954 Olympics" (Fütterer golds were earned at the world championships in 1954, a non-Olympic year, and he won a team relay bronze at Melbourne's 1956 Olympiad).

More surprising: Beside of color photo of Mexico City Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos barefoot on the medal stand beside their suede Pumas, the author incorrectly reports that "At the medal ceremony, both athletes too off their black Suedes"

Somewhere, Elvis is joining me in musically admonishing Semmelhack because the photo has "blue, blue, blue suede shoes, baby!"

In the High, there's no mention of Smith nor Carlos and their iconic Olympic moment. Rather, the Suede Puma sample appears beside an signed orange version with the autograph of Atlanta-born NBA star Walt "Clyde" Frazier. Unmentioned in the catalog and exhibition: In 2008, Smith reportedly gave one of his 1968 Pumas to Usain Bolt as a birthday gift. 

The catalog copy errors hop over to page 218 with a reference to "Mohammad Ali" (it's Muhammad, thank u) as the inspiration for a rare Adidas sneaker design. 

Skip back to page 54 for a reference to Jesse Owens as "the winningest Olympian" up to 1936 (Finland's Paavo Nurmi won nine gold medals from 1920 to 1928).

Jump to the same page photo cutline to find it erroneously states Owens was "the first athlete to receive four gold medals in the Olympic Games" (Nurmi earned five golds at Paris in 1924). Does the researcher for this section still have a job?

Fortunately, here's what the exhibition gets right:

-- Display of a 1936 shoe like those presented to Owens in Berlin by Adolf "Adi" Dassler, founder of Adidas and brother of Puma founder Rudolph Dassler; I noticed more visitors stopped to study this shoe in detail, and one person even remembered the shoe scene depicted in the recent Owens biopic "Race"

-- Showcase of the aforementioned 1968 Puma blue Suede style akin to what Team USA gave Smith and Carlos in Mexico City. This shoe really does look cool

-- Numerous Nike and Air Jordan brand shoes donned by Michael Jordan just after his 1984 Olympic debut and later when he played for the Dream Team in 1992

-- Michael Johnson's gold Nike track spikes tailored to his specifications (one is a half-size larger than the other), worn at Atlanta Olympic Stadium 20 years ago

-- Autographed Fila Grant Hill II shoe worn in play at the 1996 Olympics at the Georgia Dome

-- Numerous other designs celebrating and mentioning Olympic basketball players Patrick Ewing (1984, 1992), Shaquille O'Neal (1996), Danny Manning (1988) and LeBron James (2004, 2008, 2012). But when you're looking at James' comical and colorful Stewie Griffin LeBron IV sneakers by Nike, don't expect to find mention of the player's 2016 MVP status for the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

-- Gold Puma X Undefeated Clyde Gametime Gold sneakers honoring 2012 Olympic basketball at London.

-- In the non-Olympic realm, I enjoyed the Roy Lichtenstein-inspired design, original Onitsuka Tiger Tai Chi lace-ups like those worn by Bruce Lee and Uma Thurman, Damien Hirst's contributions for a pair of Converse X, and a pair of rubber "overshoes" from Brazil circa the 1830s.

-- There's not an exhibition-specific app, but the museum presents some interesting video content about select shoes via the site SneakerHigh.org. The Owens footage is interesting, as is the No. 1 video regarding the anniversary of Reebok Pump Fury celebrated a few years ago. 

I do think that with so many shoes tied directly to the 1996 Atlanta Games, the High could or should have laced up some promotions, an infographic for sports fans, or an invitation for Johnson to revisit his donated gold shoes. 

The Brazilian shoes from 1830 even provide a potential shoe box feature tied to the Rio 2016 Olympics -- imagine, safety from rubbers!

With several Atlanta-based gold medalists such as current Wheaties box athletics champion Edwin Moses, NBA player and Olympian Dwight Howard, or high jumper Chaunté Lowe nearby, why not engage them for their footnotes on Olympic shoes?

Most of the sneakers are presented in one large gallery, with a smaller side gallery showcasing the more historic (translation: older) designs spanning the mid-1800s to the 1960s. Each shoe rests in place, so it's not possible to peer at every angle unless a design happens to be placed at a glass case end cap. 

Suggestion for future shoe exhibitions: Place the objets d'art atop motorized Lazy Susans for a fresh spin of the moccasin.

The bottom line: For readers considering museum options, "Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture" is worth visiting for its wealth of shoe artistry. Ruminating on its potential for Atlanta Olympic ties for more than a year, I could not help but be disappointed on that front, but the sneakers on view do fill in many interesting footnotes on history.

With that said, I haven't been this perplexed/disappointed by a High exhibition since they mounted a 2011 assemblage titled "The Art of Golf" whose curator obliviously left out the two most influential modern golf and sports artists, Leroy Neiman and Bart Forbes, perhaps another example (prior to Bata's catalog researcher and copy editor errors) when curators jumped for "sports meets arts" but only tossed a brick or air ball.

"The Rise of Sneaker Culture" remains on view at the High though Aug. 11 before it stumbles into the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Ky. Maybe while in "The Greatest" Ali's hometown they'll get the spelling right for Muhammad. 

Images via High.org and Bata Shoe Museum; Olympic photo credit TBD.

Remembering The Greatest

I read about Muhammad Ali twice on Friday, hours before meeting a new friend for late-night drinks and spotting the TV  headlines reporting his death.

During the afternoon, a promo showed up advertising a weekend cable TV special set to describe the search for Ali's "lost" gold medal. And at dinner hours later, Ali's health appeared in headlines out of Arizona.

Very sad to read he is no longer with us, and like learning about others who left this world earlier this year, the memory of learning of Ali's death -- where I was and who shared that experience -- will likely stay with me for decades. 

What a legend!

Though hundreds of tributes will appear soon, perhaps the most fitting so far is The New York Times' banner headline "Muhammad Ali, Titan of Boxing and the 20th Century, dies at 74." 

A titan, indeed.

My earliest Ali memories are from highlight reels on ABC "Wide World of Sports" or in Olympic history books of my youth.

"The Greatest" popping up to greet Janet Evans in the 1996 Olympic Opening Ceremony of Atlanta brings to mind my all-time favorite Olympic torch relay moment and torchbearer, not likely to be topped for this blogger as Ali's perseverance and ties to civil rights helped shape my POV on race over and over again.

What a breathtaking moment it was for billions on July 19, 1996 -- hardly a dry eye in the stadium.

A few months later, it was an honor to meet Ali briefly at his post-Games book and memorabilia signing events in the Buckhead Barnes & Noble, where the line of fans extended out the door and along Peachtree Street (only Hillary Clinton and Tom Wolfe drew similar crowds, but not nearly as many patient fans, as Ali did). The boxing legend stayed for extended overtime to be sure every single person in line got their moment. 

The Oscar-winning documentary "When We Were Kings" -- which detailed the boxer's march toward the "Rumble in the Jungle" -- provided me the most thorough lessons in Ali's global influence. Who could forget Ali and George Foreman on stage at the Academy Awards? Even the most elite Hollywood royals appeared starstruck.

Also enjoyed a front row seat to witness Ali as the first torchbearer for the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Torch Relay when it started in downtown Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park. It was not long after September 11, 2001, and Ali's appearance with Peggy Fleming was a bright spot in an otherwise dour autumn.

Somewhere in my photo archive, I have an image snapped of Ali and then-SLOC leader Mitt Romney moments after the flame embarked on its journey to Utah.

It was reassuring to see Ali again during the London Olympic opening ceremony. 

By his appearance in the Sochi Olympic opening ceremony, however, his decline seemed far worse -- at that event, I was dealing with my parents' failing health from 14,000 miles away, and for me Ali's weakened state foreshadowed my parents' passing as well as Ali's; I remember thinking and saying out loud, "This is the last time Ali will be at the Games." 

But these 2012 and 2014 Olympic cameos illustrated Ali's lasting importance/relevance and Olympic icon status -- I think of Ali as "The Greatest" not only in Olympic and professional boxing, but perhaps the greatest champion and ambassador of The Olympic Movement since he won gold in 1960 as Cassius Clay.

It was very cool when the IOC replaced his lost medal at a ceremony in the Georgia Dome in 1996. 

Ali's career and personality also shaped my love of sports photography and art. 

Just a few weeks ago, NPR aired a special segment on Neil Leifer, the sports photojournalist who captured several world-famous images of Ali in the ring. 

And Bart Forbes, the Dallas-based fine artist whose first major assignment for Sports Illustrated featured Ali and Larry Holmes, wrote about his experience depicting the boxers in the book "The Sports Art of Bart Forbes."

My best friend Jason's dad, Philip, also painted Ali on a canvas I've pined for for 30+ years.

I also learned a lot about Ali via dozens of pages in Howard Cosell's autobiographies "Cosell" and "I Never Played The Game," in which Cosell described his later interactions with Ali during the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.

It was really too bad Cosell did not live to see Ali in the Atlanta ceremony.

Though my introduction to Janet Evans earlier this year was a mixed bag behind-the-scenes at the Team USA Rio Media Summit, I admired Evans for her LA2024 statement about sharing the Olympic flame with Ali in 1996.

"Muhammad Ali was truly the greatest - an athlete who transcended sports to become a global icon.

"He inspired me, and millions of others around the world, to be the best version of ourselves. Passing the Olympic torch to Muhammad to light the cauldron at the Atlanta Games in 1996 was the defining moment of my career, and a memory I will treasure forever, as much as any of the medals I won.

"As Olympians, our role is to inspire others to achieve their dreams, and no person has ever lived that role more than Muhammad Ali. On behalf of all of us at LA 2024, we offer our deepest condolences to Muhammad's family and friends. He will be sorely missed, but his legacy will forever endure." -- Janet Evans, LA2024 vice chair and director of athlete relations.

Well said.

Images via Getty/International Olympic Committee, Esquire, ABC Sports, Bart Forbes, Neil Leifer, Andy Warhol

One Brandywine, Many Wyeths

In mid-January, on a business trip to Pennsylvania, I tacked on an extra day or two for museum exploration around Philadelphia.

What a treat it was to visit the Brandywine River Museum of Art in Chadds Ford, Pa., home to an extensive collection of paintings by N.C., Andrew and Jamie Wyeth, additional Wyeth family painters and other artists.

With thanks to the museum P.R. department for a media ticket, I was treated to views of several dozen N.C. Wyeth canvases known since childhood via the pages of adventure books "Treasure Island" and "Kidnapped" or "Robin Hood."

Though renovations are underway this winter, their permanent collection items on view were impressive, starting with a large room dedicated to the most senior Wyeth, N.C.

The third floor gallery features several of the artist's earliest work including his breakthrough commissions and follow up material that vividly captured literature enjoyed by millions. Over here, pirates! Over there, shipwrecks! Around each corner seemed a new yet familiar surprise awaiting discovery.

Many of these large, colorful illustrations remind me of the Dallas-based artist Bart Forbes -- a painter and illustrator known for his Olympic art commissions and paintings created for the U.S. Postal Service (my introduction to Forbes, when I was a teenager, included comparing his sports portraits to some of Wyeth's illustrations and paintings of literary characters).

One canvas that was new to my eyes was N.C. Wyeth's "Death of Edwin" with a young man drawing his last breath atop some hay. This jumped off the canvas for me as it reminded me of a favorite painting by Andrew, one of N.C.'s sons.

My expectations were elevated for the next gallery, which is dedicated to Andrew, an artist who I met briefly while working with with the P.R. account team for the High Museum of Art expansion.

The museum's new-in-2005 galleries in a Renzo Piano-designed building were filled with Wyeths, creating one of my all-time favorite exhibitions. Upon arrival at Brandywine, I was curious which of the Atlanta exhibition works would be on view.

It made me very happy to spot Andrew's work titled "Spring" featuring a hillside covered with dead, damp grass and just two remaining patches of snow, with one pile of powder sporting the likeness of "Old Man Winter" gazing skyward.

Having just seen "Death of Edwin" in the previous gallery, for the first time I noticed Andrew's possible homage to his father's illustration via the melting snowman (my guess is this comparison is commonly drawn but it was new to me).

I also enjoyed learning about the people and location depicted in the large Andrew Wyeth canvas titled "Snow Hill" featuring a May Pole-like structure and several adults enjoying winter play.

My best guess was the men and women included the artist's siblings, but this thinking was quickly corrected by a helpful staff member who explained the dancers instead include the artist's models and one "blank space" perhaps as a placeholder for Andrew's other source of inspiration, his father.

The hilltop setting is only steps from the current Brandywine site.

Gallery three included a handful of works by Jamie Wyeth -- the third generation of American painters -- and works by other Wyeths including Andrew's sisters.

The museum also presented a temporary exhibition titled "Natural Selections: Andrew Wyeth Plant Studies" -- my favorite in this room was the sycamore-inspired "Summer Freshet Study" which reminded me of spring in my parents' backyard in Edmond, Okla., where they planted four sycamores that are now enormous (for this writer, Wyeth is the best sycamore painter anywhere).

The Brandywine staff shared that the 2005 partnership with the High is getting recharged later this year as the museums are teaming up for a new exhibition titled "Rural Modern: American Art Beyond The City" on view initially at the Brandywine from Oct. 29 to Jan. 22, 2017 (the dates for the High exhibition remain "to be announced").

I hope to return to Chadds Ford during the spring or summer when the Brandywine offers tours of both N.C. and Andrew's studios and several other indoor and outdoor experiences.

When visitors find themselves near the Brandywine campus, I recommend a stop at the nearby eatery Hank's Place just across the highway. This place is hopping with great food and conversation (Andrew Wyeth himself dined there, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer).

Images include items from the Brandywine River Museum website and/or photos in the museum by Nicholas Wolaver. Image of "Spring" by Andrew Wyeth via this site. 

Lessons Learned Snowed In In Indiana

Four years at Minnesota State University in Mankato provided more than a few lessons in how to brave cold weather.

For instance, the experience taught me never, ever, EVER again reside at an address north of Tennessee.


Polar Vortex of January 2014


Winter weather driving lessons of MSU days came into play this past Sunday during a post-holiday road trip from Milwaukee to Atlanta.

The highways were terrible and only got worse with deepening wet snow as fellow drivers joined the 20 mph crawl from Chicago across the Indiana state line. In four hours, I got only as far as West Lafayette before calling it quits in white-out snowfall, which officially closed I-65 for three days.

Thanks to the Polar Vortex, even if the Interstate had re-opened Monday, my Volvo S70 was having none of the subzero temperatures.

How cold was it?

It was so cold the key hole for the ignition froze shut! And even after a day of prying the key slot open with a pocket knife, the car still did not defrost until Wednesday afternoon as the steering column remained locked in the bitter cold. It was so frustrating to remain among the last three snow-bound travelers stranded at The Lodge.

Yessir, three nights and four days at the Econo Lodge provided many reflections on patience and how Hades may not be hot but more like an Arctic Circle of Hell.


View from W. Lafayette Econo Lodge

When the key finally did slip into the Volvo ignition and turn, at last starting the car, I hollered "yes!" with pleasure, giggled uncontrollably and even got tears of joy in my eyes -- euphoria likened to losing my virginity. 

Finally made it back to Atlanta this afternoon, thankful for the experience but more appreciative of its conclusion.

During the day's drive to Georgia, several lessons learned from being snowed in in Indiana emerged:

1. There are a lot of good people in Indiana, and many of them work at the fast food, fuel and lodging establishments at Exit 178/N. River Road
2. The West Lafayette Econo Lodge is nothing fancy but it was clean and warm and I think most of the other snowbound guests would concur we were treated well during the experience
3. According to friends and this news article, Indian-Americans with the name Patel own a large percentage of economy lodging establishments across the U.S.
4. On cable TV in northwest Indiana, advertisements are in heavy rotation for the dating website FarmersOnly.com
5. A little cabin fever goes a long way toward getting things done, including the establishment of the official Facebook page for this Olympic blog (please check it out)
6. The HBO broadcast of "Life of Pi" provided a timely reminder that God is with you even when you are adrift in the Midwest Regions of Siberia
7. When you realign the letters of "Volvo S70" it almost looks like "Volvo P.O.S"
8. The lyrics to the Genesis song "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" take on a whole new meaning after one is ice bound for a few days: "Please get me out of here, Someone get me out of here/Just help me, I'll do anything, ANYTHING, if you'll just help get me out of heeeeeeeeerrrre, Tonight - oh, ohhhhhhh!"
9. There are dozens of Olympians from The Hoosier State including Lafayette's own Ray Ewry (among the most decorated Olympic athletes in history)
   
10. In Indiana, when it snows, they do not plow the Interstate exits nor rest areas (and I will always wonder "why not?").

During the crying, er, waiting game in West Lafayette, I also earned another dose of tested patience as the USPS held in limbo my passport and Russia Federation visa paperwork mailed to Washington last week (finally delivered today).

It will be a tremendous relief when that document soon arrives back in Atlanta.

On to Sochi! And Volvo reminds you, Drive Safely!

Volvo interior and exterior photos by Nicholas Wolaver; map image via this link; postage stamp image painted by Bart Forbes via this link

Laurels for Sports Art

 

In Greek mythology, Daphne's demise inspired creation of laurels.

If there are laurels for Olympic and sports art, it's appropriate Daphne, Ala., is the U.S. hometown for such honors.

The other day I stumbled upon a news item about the Daphne-based American Sport Art Museum and Archives (ASAMA). According to the Al.com story, ASAMA recently received a five-ringed donation of numerous (and very valuable) Official Reports for several Olympic Games. Score!

They also unveiled a large statue honoring Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin.

A bit about ASAMA from their website:

Located on the campus of the U.S. Sports Academy ... the ASAMA collection is comprised of more than 1,000 pieces across all media including paintings, sculpture, prints, posters, photography and assemblage. The collection is believed to be the largest of sport art in North America and possibly the world. Also featured is the largest public art offering in the state of Alabama, the famed two-story tall mural by Maestro Cristóbal Gabarrón. “A Tribute to the Human Spirit” graces one wall of the main campus building and has become a landmark on the Eastern Shore [of Mobile Bay].

Scanning ASAMA's online details and virtual tour, it pleased me to learn the organization presents the annual Sports Artist of the Year Award, and I was doubly pleased to find family friend Bart Forbes among the first five recipients of these artsy laurels (his Seoul '88 Olympic stamps were paired with my Olympic Festival commemorative cancellations used by the U.S. Postal Service at U.S. Olympic Festival '89).

Neither Mobile, Ala., nor Daphne are destinations often on my radar, but I may just have to make a special trip to experience ASAMA in person. It's open weekdays and admission is free.

Anyone reading: Have you visited ASAMA and, if so, what did you enjoy most there?

Photos via ASAMA

London 2012 Unveils Official Posters

Today the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) unveiled the official posters for London 2012, including six Olympic and six Paralympic designs.

Check out the full press release (including artist bios) and links to the designs!
Building on an Olympic arts tradition spanning several decades, the LOCOG-commissioned works by 12 leading U.K. artists highlight competition and athletic themes of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Looking at the collection, I am enthusiastically drawn to the work titled "Big Ben 2012" by Sarah Morris. The poster features a modernized view of the Clock Tower in a framework reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright windows. Beautiful! I want this poster in my apartment!

Another poster titled "Divers" -- created by Anthea Hamilton -- is also appealing with vivid color and silhouetted legs and Olympic rings in white.

The third and poster of note, however, sort of made me think, "Huh?!"

The work titled "Swimming" by Howard Hodgkin is described in LOCOG press materials with the following note: "The fluidity of the brushstrokes perfectly captures the movement of water and the sensation of swimming."

Not so much.

For this blogger, it sort of captures the movement of child's fingers dipped in finger paint.

Though to Hodgkin's credit, the painting did also remind me of a favorite R.E.M. song titled "Night Swimming" so I guess the poster is OK, just not for my walls.

Next!

Like Athens 2004's terrible selection of official posters, the rest of the London 2012 official poster series leave a bit to be desired. For instance, the illustration of two birds appearing under an inspiring message was to me, well, inspiring, yet better suited for the cartoon collections of The New Yorker magazine.

The other workz juzt make me zort of **yawn** zleepy ... ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz ...

I guess my Olympic official poster tastes are influenced by the dazzling array of memorable official works created for LA84, Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996. LA's official works, including artists Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg and Martin Puryear, are just tough to beat. Javier Mariscal's 1992 designs, and the 1996 posters by Howard Finster and James Rizzi, stand out as exceptional.

Other favorites Olympic poster works include designs by Jacob Lawrence, David Hockney, Andy Warhol and (official or not) the works of Dallas artist Bart Forbes are personal favorites (his works for several U.S. Postal Service stamps are tops in my book).

I'm sure the London 2012 official posters will be quite popular in spite of my remarks. Would love to hear which London 2012 Olympic posters are most liked -- or disliked -- by readers of this blog, and I will send an official 1996 Atlanta Olympic Opening Ceremony postcard of Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic cauldron to the person(s) who post the most colorful comment(s) during the next three days.

Disclosures: LOCOG and the IPC/Paralympics are clients of Edelman, the agency where I work. Photo credits: London 2012/LOCOG website.