Media Contact: Orlando Museum of Art
Public Relations Department
Media Phone: (407) 896-4231, ext. 233
Fax: (407) 896-9920
Media e-mail: mghorbanian@omart.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Orlando Museum of Art Presents
Frank Moore: Green Thumb in a Dark Eden
June 8 - July 28, 2002

ORLANDO, FL - The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) presents the eighth exhibition in the Currents series, Frank Moore: Green Thumb in a Dark Eden, featuring the contemporary works of New York artist Frank Moore (1953-2002), from June 8 through July 28, 2002.

 

The exhibition includes both paintings and works on paper that focus on various aspects of the garden and its dark double, the anti-garden. According to Moore, gardens speak to the human need for spaces that are controlled, productive, nurturing, spiritual, calm and cultivated. They refer to cultural myths of Eden, Arcadia and Shangri-la. This need formed the foundation of many of his paintings and drawings.

 

"But as beautiful as our modern Arcadia may appear to be," said Moore, "it is a beauty which is alloyed with all the complexities and toxicities of modern life. Focusing primarily on issues of human health (including AIDS) and environmental issues, I also work with images which can be seen as anti-gardens: spaces which are disordered, decaying, toxic, depressing, stressful and raw. It is perhaps a conundrum of life today that many of these images function on both levels: sites of great, but toxic, beauty."

 

Works showcased in the exhibition date from 1989 to the present and range from depictions of private gardens to those of America's national parks. According to Sue Scott, the adjunct curator of contemporary American art for the OMA, "This show seeks to look at the garden as a metaphor for the environment and the role of humanity as caretaker. Frank worked in a highly realistic style that brings to mind the beautiful surfaces of the Old Masters. And yet, beneath the seductive veneer is often a commentary on the darker side of contemporary life."

 

About the Artist
Born on June 22, 1953, in New York City, Moore's beautifully rendered paintings incorporate a powerful social message. He graduated from Yale University with a concentration in art and psychology. His first major gallery show was at New York's Sperone Westwater in 1993. Frank Moore passed away in April 2002. His work is included in many major museums around the country including The Museum of Modern Art, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

 

Brochure
A full-color brochure produced in conjunction with the exhibition is available.

 

Special Adult Tour Packages (Minimum of 15 people per tour)
Self-guided tours: $5 per person
Reservations are not required, but recommended.

Docent-guided tours: $6 per person
Reservations are required 10 business days in advance, Tuesday-Friday.

Box luncheon tour: $15 per person (includes lunch and docent-guided tour of the exhibition)
Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Reservations are required 10 business days in advance.

For reservations, or more information, please call (407) 896-4231, ext. 248.

WOW (Weird or Wonderful) Tours: $6 per adult; $5 per child
Reservations are required 10 business days in advance, Tuesday-Friday.
Exploring contemporary art can lead to the WOW effect. At OMA, WOW stands for the question, is it weird or is it wonderful? Join us for this discovery program designed to let you be the judge. You may find out it's both weird and wonderful! Call (407) 896-4231, ext. 248, to book adult tours or ext. 240 to book student tours.

 

Location
The OMA is located at 2416 N. Mills Ave., Orlando Loch Haven Park, Orlando, FL 32803-1483. The Museum is easily accessible from Interstate 4. From I-4, take the Princeton Street exit #85 east to Mills Avenue. Turn left onto Mills and left again onto Rollins Street.

 

For Further Information
For further information, call (407) 896-4231 or visit the OMA's web site at http://www.OMArt.org Admission to the OMA is $6 for adults, $5 for senior citizens (55+), $5 for students with a valid ID, $3 for children (ages 4-11) and free for OMA Members and children 3 and under. The OMA is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; and closed Mondays.

Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is supported by earned income and sponsored in part by United Arts of Central Florida, the Council of 101, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts, donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations, and the OMA's Partners in Excellence.