An ambitious new show is blazing into the McNay Art Museum. Running February 25 to September 19, "Limitless! Five Women Reshape Contemporary Art" showcases five impactful artists working today, in an exhibition that spans mediums and subjects.
In curating the show, the McNay says it "focus[es] on exploring how artists of different generations manifest their ideas and make them relevant to their own and future audiences."
Letitia Huckaby's haunting wall installation in the AT&T Lobby, titled Koinonia, welcomes visitors into the show. Huckaby, who is just coming off a recent artist-in-residence at Artpace, is the only Texas-based artist to appear in Limitless!
Inside the gallery, Martine Gutierrez’s "four fanciful videos explore the intersections of film, fashion, and music," and are presented in a club-like setting, notes a McNay release. Massachusetts-born Sandy Skoglund, whose Cheez Doodle-crafted The Cocktail Party is part of the McNay Collection, will be on display along with a new piece entitled Winter.
Another artist using video is Jennifer Steinkamp, whose Botanic 3 is also from the McNay’s permanent collection. Botanic 3 will be showcased alongside Steinkamp's X-Ray Eyes, which appears as "swirling, wall-sized animations."
Perhaps best-known, however, is Yayoi Kusama’s All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins, on loan from the Dallas Museum of Art, and the artist's first infinity mirror room featuring pumpkins since 1991. The immersive experience, featuring acrylic yellow gourds covered in black polka dots, caused art fans to flock to the DMA when it first opened in 2018, and will undoubtedly be a huge draw for San Antonio.
“Each of these artists has carved out a path for her creative vision, rather than conforming to overriding art trends,” said René Paul Barilleaux, head of Curatorial Affairs at the McNay. “The artwork on view reflects the dynamic and dramatic shifts occurring in the visual arts over the past several decades, defying categorization and reminding us of the truly limitless possibilities contemporary art embodies.”
Along with the exhibits, patrons can partake in a series of touch-free extras meant to enhance the experience, such as a text bot that delivers artist-focused content to mobile devices, a floral wall photo-op, an in-exhibition dance challenge, and custom Instagram filters.
Limitless! opens February 25 with COVID-19 safety measures in place. Tickets are on sale now and priced $20 for adults; $15 for students, seniors (ages 65 and up), and active military and veterans; $10 for teens; free for children 12 and under, and McNay Members. Free admission is also available for recipients of SNAP, WIC, and MAP.
Entering the All the Eternal Love... room will be a timed, touch-free event in order to maintain social distancing. Timed tickets are required for all, including McNay members, and only two masked guests are allowed in the room at a time for a period of 45 seconds.
Guests can purchase tickets online at mcnayart.org, or in person at the Museum Front Desk.
Sandy Skoglund's The Cocktail Party.
