Opening Reception: Saturday, August 2, 6 – 8 pm
Location: Arthur Roger Gallery, 432 Julia St., New Orleans, LA 70130
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm
Contact Info: 504.522.1999; www.arthurrogergallery.com
Lesley Dill, Red Thread Fall. 2003, thread, mixed media. 92 x 56 inches.
Among the noteworthy artists, photographers and sculptors included in the anniversary exhibit are: Charles Arnoldi, Luis Cruz Azaceta, Radcliffe Bailey, David Bates, Lynda Benglis, Willie Birch, Jacqueline Bishop, Douglas Bourgeois, Roger Brown, Debbie Fleming Caffery, Dale Chihuly, Robert Colescott, Clyde Connell, Lesley Dill, James Drake, George Dureau, Lin Emery, Mitchell Gaudet, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Robert Gordy, Keith Haring, Hans Hoffman, Deborah Kass, Ida Kohlmeyer, Clarence John Laughlin, Gene Koss, Robert Mapplethorpe, Elemore Morgan Jr., Nic Nicosia, Mary Jane Parker, Francis Pavy, Jim Richard, Linda Ridgeway, Herb Ritts, Dan Rizzie, W. Steve Rucker, John Scott, Matthew Sontheimer, Al Souza, Allison Stewart, James Surls, John Waters Bruce Weber, Joel Peter Witkin and Edward Whiteman. The extraordinary exhibit will be displayed throughout the entire gallery space.
The Arthur Roger Gallery first opened in June 1978 on Magazine Street in the Garden District, the first major gallery featuring the work of contemporary artists to be located in uptown New Orleans. Concentrating on original work by Louisiana and New York artists including Ida Kohlmeyer and Robert Gordy, the Arthur Roger Gallery quickly assumed a leadership position in New Orleans.
During its 25 year history the Arthur Roger Gallery has provided work by artists associated with the gallery for inclusion in several important collections including: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The New Orleans Museum of Art, The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, The Weisman Foundation, Morris Museum of Art, Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art, Masur Museum, Columbus Museum, Honolulu Museum, Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Dallas Museum of Art, Arkansas Arts Center, American Express, Microsoft, Pan-American Life Insurance, the Aquarium of the Americas, The Tulane Law School, Iberia Bank, Frilot, Partridge, Kohnke and Clements Law Firm, Adams and Reese Law Firm, McGlinchey, Stafford Law Firm, The Hotel Inter-Continental New Orleans and Le Cirque Hotel.
The Arthur Roger Gallery has included significant curated exhibitions such as “Energism” a survey of the New York art scene of the 80’s, “Preacher Art” curated by William Fagaly, “Regarding Masculinity” curated by Deborah Kass, “Comedies Dramatique” and “New York New” curated by Peter Halley as well as organized numerous events including artist lectures, recitals and panel discussions.
In 1984 the Arthur Roger Gallery played a central role in arranging the large well-received Louisiana Arts exhibition at the World’s Fair in New Orleans. Since 1984 the Arthur Roger Gallery has participated annually in art fairs including Art Chicago and The Chicago International Art Exposition, The Los Angeles Art Fair, The Miami Art Fair, The San Francisco Art Fair and The Seattle Art Fair. In 1985 the Arthur Roger Gallery presented a successful month long group show in New York at the Exhibition Space in SoHo.
In 1988 the Arthur Roger Gallery moved to a new 5,000 square foot award winning exhibition space designed by Wellington Reiter and located in the historic Warehouse District in downtown New Orleans. The gallery has been active in establishing the area as the Art District of New Orleans.
In 1988 and 1989 the Arthur Roger Gallery originated and hosted the Art Against Aids Ornament Exhibition, which immediately became a leading fund raising event in New Orleans for United Services for AIDS.
From 1991 through 1993 the Arthur Roger Gallery with the assistance of Frederic R. Weisman opened a New York gallery and mounted 38 exhibitions including several first New York exhibitions of New Orleans artists including Douglas Bourgeois, George Dureau, Steve Rucker, Gene Koss, Francis Pavy and Jim Richard. The gallery also featured a curated exhibition titled “Fear of Painting”, by Dan Cameron.
The Arthur Roger Gallery was listed as one of the 36 most influential galleries in the Contemporary American Art Market Guide by Richard Polsky, in which he stated “The gallery emerged as a part of a new hybrid: a gallery that retains its regional flavor while showing enough established artists to have a national identity.”
In September 2003 the Arthur Roger Gallery will open an additional 2500 square foot exhibition space located in the 700 block of Tchoupitoulas Street.