Exhibition - in Pursuit of the Masters: Stories From the Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection December 7, 2008

To mark its 5th anniversary, the Nasher Sculpture Center will mount an exhibition in celebration of its founders. In Pursuit of the Masters: Stories from the Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection presents a personalized and intimate view of the Nasher Collection and the couple that assembled it. Featuring the great masterworks of the collection, as well as a selection of significant and personally meaningful works from its humble beginnings, the exhibition highlights the personal stories behind the works of art, including Patsy and Raymond Nasher’s partnership in pursuit of the finest examples of modern and contemporary sculpture; their close friendships with artists, art dealers, and curators; and the insights that came from living with and sharing the works of art that they loved. The Nashers began collecting with the simple desire to surround themselves with beautiful, meaningful objects and share them with others. Both took much joy in the process, learning about the works of art that they considered and pursuing the ones that touched them most. As they were fond of saying, they looked at everything, but only brought home the objects that “gave them butterflies.” This love of art and desire to share it provided the foundation for what would become the Nasher Collection and the Nasher Sculpture Center, and initiated over forty years of fulfilling adventures in the world of modern art. In Pursuit of the Masters: Stories from the Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection chronicles many of the exciting and momentous acquisitions, including a rare wood carving by Paul Gauguin, the Large Seated Nude by Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso’s iconic Head of a Woman (Fernande). The exhibition also considers many of the challenges in collecting sculpture, particularly the large-scale works of Richard Serra and Tony Smith. While collecting the work of these important artists, the Nashers also had the rare pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with many of them and their subjects. The Dallas collectors enjoyed a warm friendship with Henry Moore, visiting each other several times, one of them inspiring the artist to create a new work of art that he gave to the Nashers. Patsy Nasher shared with Andy Warhol a love of art, ancient American artifacts, and jewelry, which she traded with the artist for portraits of her and her three daughters. And Jacqueline Picasso, the artist’s wife and final muse, visited the Nashers’ home in Dallas, sharing intimate details about the works by her husband in the collection; the Nashers later visited Jacqueline in Picasso’s home, dining amongst his work and toasting him from the glasses he had made. In Pursuit of the Masters: Stories from the Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection highlights many of these encounters. The exhibition also unveils several important works in the collection that had not yet been shown at the Nasher Sculpture Center, including masterworks by Willem de Kooning, Pablo Picasso, and Tony Smith. Many, such as Jean Arp’s Torso with Buds, had remained in the Nasher residence because of their personal significance: the Arp was the collection’s first major modern sculpture, which Patsy had given to Raymond as a gift on his 46th birthday. Comprising the first major reorganization of the interior galleries since our opening in 2003, the new installation is complemented by numerous photographs documenting the Nashers’ adventures and revealing what it was like to live with these incredible objects. The exhibition will also feature a new video (premiering October 17) and additions to the audio tour that include recollections of the Nashers from the artists, art world figures, family and friends who knew them best. On this occasion, we also invite our members and guests to share with us their own memories of Patsy and Raymond and their unparalleled collection. Date: September 20, 2008 — January 4, 2009