Hyperrealism Art Exhibit Will Make a Splash at the Medici Museum

HOWLAND TOWNSHIP, Ohio – The Medici Museum of Art will celebrate the opening of its new addition with an exhibition of the eye-catching hyper-realism sculpture of Carole A. Feuerman.

Titled “The Importance of Being Human,” the 18-piece exhibition will open Friday and run until Feb. 1.

Feuerman was one of the founders of the hyperrealism art movement in the 1970s. She is best known for her works of swimmers and dancers and is the only sculptor in the world creating hyperreal art installations for outdoor display.

The exhibition will also include “Monumental Quan,” a larger-than-life Feuerman sculpture that will be permanently displayed on the front lawn of the Medici, said Katelyn Amendolara-Russo, curator and director of the museum.

Feuerman’s work is already in the permanent collections of 31 museums.

Amendolara-Russo said the Feuerman exhibit ion is a perfect way to celebrate the museum’s expansion.

“We are so fortunate to have this international exhibit here in Ohio,” she said. “The announcement of this display has already piqued the interest of art enthusiasts across the country who want to experience Carole’s iconic figurative work.” 

Amendolara-Russo said the size and dimensions of the museum’s addition, which opened last November, makes it ideal for the Feuerman exhibition.

“The new space is 35 feet high, a large space that lends self to multiple mediums,” she said.

Although this will not be the first show in the addition, it will be the first one involving three-dimensional works.

Amendolara-Russo’s efforts to land the exhibit go back several years. She met Feuerman years ago when she was a graduate student and attending the Venice Biennale.

“I called her studio two years ago to see if she would do a show here,” Amendolara-Russo said. “This was when the expansion project was nearing completion. At first, it was just going to be one sculpture and then it turned into a full exhibition.”

Amendolara-Russo was eager to seize the opportunity for the Mahoning Valley community, but interest is pouring in from across the country.

“With the help of social media, I’m getting 5,000 views [when new videos are posted], and messages from all over the globe,” she said.

The crowd-pleasing quality of Feuerman’s work comes from its amazing accuracy.

“It’s the magic of how she takes resin and basic materials and creates a lifelike figure,” Amendolara-Russo said. “The veins in the hands, right down to the fingernails. It draws you in.”

Feuerman, 77, along with Duane Hanson and John DeAndrea, are credited with the founding of the hyperrealistic art movement.

“[Feuerman’s art has] a connective thread to our life experiences that will bring an understanding to her sculptures,” Amendolara-Russo said. “Just as when a swimmer emerges from the water, we escape the stresses of everyday life and dive into the water. Once we emerge, we are refreshed and inspired.”

Those who look closely will see water droplets trailing down the swimmer’s skin that actually look wet.
“They look so real as they cascade across the body,” Amendolara-Russo said.

Feuerman is the sculptor in the world who creates art that can withstand the elements, and her piece “Monumental Quan” will be placed on the Medici’s front lawn. “It will stop traffic,” Amendolara-Russo said.

The piece depicts a female swimmer balancing on a gigantic reflective sphere.

“Quan is the Chinese goddess of compassion, and the female on top of the sphere looks downward as if she is watching over the world. [It displays] the idea of equilibrium and calmness.”

Feuerman’s solo show will be on display Wednesday-Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., through Feb. 1.

 The artist will be present at an opening reception on Friday, Oct. 21, from 5-8 p.m. Admission is free and the public is welcome. Attendees will get a first look at the exhibit and be able to purchase a signed hardcover copy of Feuerman’s book “My Hyperrealist Life and Legacy.”

The Medici Museum, 9350 E. Market St., opened in March 2020 with the “Norman Rockwell: American Scouting Collection” – the second-largest collection of Rockwell pieces on public display. 

The museum has custodial ownership of the entire Boy Scouts of American Fine Art Collection. It has expanded its public presentation of this artwork to feature additional pieces, including Joseph Csatari, Walt Disney, and Joseph Christian Leyendecker, among others, exploring themes such as classic America, our American values, and traditions.

The Boy Scout collection is subject to being sold off in the future to raise money to settle lawsuits against the organization. But Amendolara-Russo said sale of the art is not imminent at this point.

Additionally, the museum is permanently exhibiting the James and Renie Grohl Collection, including works by Matisse, Calder and Japanese artist Noda pieces. The late James Grohl of Warren was the father of rock’n’roll superstar Dave Grohl. 

Pictured at top: Phil Dobranski and Dallas Horrocks, specialists in art moving and mounting, prepare to hang one of Carole Feuerman’s hyperrealism sculptures at the Medici Museum in Howland.

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