New Exhibitions at the National Academy Museum & School

Will Barnet's show

   The newly renovated National Academy Museum is now open to the public.  The museum is located across from Central Park, near the Guggenheim museum, and around the corner from the National Academy School.  It is currently showing a selection from the museum's permanent collection, and the first New York retrospective of  Will Barnet's work.  Will Barnet is now 100 years old, and has been an artist for about 80 years! Hats off to him for such a prolific career in the arts.  He has been involved with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Student's League in NY, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and other art institutions, and has received numerous awards.  The exhibition focuses mainly on his abstract and contemporary work, however in one room, around the corner, I saw a small and beautiful representational piece.  This artist has explored a number of genres from figurative to abstract, and mediums, from graphic arts to printmaking and painting.  The main body of works in the show is heavenly influenced by graphic arts (posters came to my mind) and  are very strong on design and composition. 

J S Sargent "Self Portrait"

  Other works currently on display are paintings from the permanent collection, including a self portrait by Sargent, and a figure painting by William Merritt Chase.  Most of these paintings are displayed 'salon' style, one on top of the other, and very close to each other.  Some of the paintings are hanging too high and are hard to see.

  The museum looks great, like an elegant mansion of the past, with all the amenities of the present.  However, I was a little disappointed with the quality and number of art works on display.  I expected more from a 4 floor museum that has been around for such a long time and has such a rich tradition.

Gallery in the museum