February 21, 2014
Ray Eames: In the Spotlight Exhibition at ArtCenter College of Design Celebrates a Design Icon
February 25 through May 4, 2014
(Note to editors: Images will be provided upon request.)
(Pasadena, Calif.) February 21, 2014 – The lifelong pursuits of 20th-century design icon, Ray Eames—design partner in the famous husband and wife team of Charles and Ray Eames—are celebrated in a new exhibition opening at ArtCenter College of Design on February 25 and continuing through May 4, 2014. Ray Eames: In the Spotlight, is a unique collaboration between Eames Office, the Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery at ArtCenter College of Design and the A+D Architecture and Design Museum. The opening night reception on Friday, Feb. 28 from 7 to 10 p.m. is free and open to the public.
The exhibition, curated by Carla Hartman, an Eames granddaughter, traces the connections between each of Ray’s interests—interests that, while developed in childhood, continued throughout her lifetime. A rich array of letters, notes, sketches, paintings, photographs, process drawings, furniture, film and collections focuses on Ray’s interaction with key people, places and institutions. The exhibition explores the time periods from her youth in Sacramento, California, and time at Bennett College, to her studies with Hans Hofmann and work at Cranbrook Academy of Art, as well as in her home state of California, where she returned to live, work and play for nearly 50 remaining years of her life. The show will examine her partnership with husband and collaborator Charles Eames.
An intimate study of Ray’s world, Ray Eames: In the Spotlight concentrates on the iterative, hands-on process that the Eameses are known for, as well as the “way-it-should-be-ness” that defined the way they worked and lived. The exhibition encourages visitors to make their own connections with Ray’s work, to explore their own creativity and to apply Eames tools to their lives.
Williamson Gallery exhibitions are made possible in part through the generous support of the Williamson Gallery Patrons and a grant from the Pasadena Art Alliance. Additional support for this installation was provided by Eames Office, Herman Miller, Vitra and Fab.
The Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery at Art Center College of Design is located at 1700 Lida Street in Pasadena; hours are noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, with extended hours on Fridays, until 9 p.m. The gallery is closed Mondays and holidays. For more gallery information, call (626) 396-2446.
About the Exhibition
Ray Eames: In the Spotlight, is a project of Eames Office: Carla Hartman, curator, designer, and educator; Eames Demetrios, producer for Eames Office; Eames Office team David Hertsgaard, Marlow Hoffman, Llisa Demetrios and Genevieve Fong. The photographs and films presented in the exhibition are courtesy of the Eames Office/Library of Congress, The Work of Charles and Ray Eames. The vast majority of objects in the exhibition have been loaned by the Eames family. The organizers of the exhibition would like to express deep gratitude to Lucia Eames, Byron Atwood, Lucia Atwood, Jackie Atwood, Ross Atwood, Shelley Mills, Xander Demetrios, Guthrie Demetrios, Dan Ostroff, Shane Zaier, Jeremy Hansen, Ric Keefer, Kit Gray, Danielle Elliott, Tim McQuaide, Roz Walker, Digital Grange, Christopher Gray Post-Production, and all of Ray and Charles’s family, friends, employees and associates for their contribution to this show.
About the Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery
The Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery at ArtCenter College of Design has established a broad reputation for its ongoing series of exhibitions exploring the boundaries, relationships and perspectives of art and science. Recent exhibitions in the series include WORLDS, a medley of objects, images, sounds and videos that explored celestial phenomena and our Earthbound perspectives; HYPERBOLIC: Reefs, Rubbish, and Reason, an exhibition of mathematics, ocean ecology and crochet handicraft; ENERGY, a composite engagement with art, science, history and poetry around the theme of natural forces; OBSERVE, a collaboration between invited artists and scientists at the NASA/JPL-Caltech Spitzer Space Telescope; In The Dermisphere, a look at the art and natural history of skin; and TOOLS, an exploration of the art and science of extensions to human biology.
About ArtCenter College of Design
Founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, Calif., ArtCenter College of Design is a global leader in art and design education. ArtCenter offers 11 undergraduate and six graduate degrees in a wide variety of art and design disciplines, as well as public programs for all ages and levels of experience. Renowned for its ties to industry, ArtCenter is the first design school to receive the United Nations’ Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) status, providing opportunities for students to create design-based solutions for humanitarian and nonprofit agencies around the world. During the College’s 83-year history, ArtCenter’s alumni have had a profound impact on popular culture, the way we live and important issues in our society.
Media Contact:
Teri Bond
626.396.2385 - office
310.738.2077 – mobile
teri.bond@artcenter.edu