PHOENIX (May 26, 2021) — The Heard Museum is pleased to announce a five-week extension to its popular Grand Gallery exhibition, Leon Polk Smith: Hiding in Plain Sight. The exhibit explores the influence of American Indian creative expression on the work of iconic artist Leon Polk Smith. The exhibition will now close on Saturday, July 3.
Smith was a celebrated modernist painter and leader of the Hard-edge painting movement. This art form gained popularity in the late 1950s and ’60s and emphasized geometric forms and bright colors.
“This exhibition has received tremendous visitor feedback, and we’re seeing strong upward attendance trends month-over-month, which we attribute to the success of this show,” said David M. Roche, Dickey Family Director & CEO. He continued, “We are thankful to the Leon Polk Smith Foundation and other lenders to the exhibition for making the extension possible and providing Valley residents and visitors the additional time to experience Leon Polk Smith: Hiding in Plain Sight.”
This is the largest exhibition of Smith’s paintings in more than 25 years. The exhibit features 37 works that span seven decades. Smith’s paintings and works on paper pair with examples of American Indian beadwork, ribbon appliqué and painted hides from his native Oklahoma.
A fully illustrated catalogue with new scholarship is available at heardmuseumshop.com. Visit Heard Museum – Home Page (blackbaudhosting.com) for tickets!