The Frick Pittsburgh announces its 2027 season
The Frick Pittsburgh has announced its 2027 season, including an exhibit of watercolor illustrations by a Pennsylvania-based storybook author, a look at the women artists of the Abstract Expressionism movement and a multimedia show organized by the Frick on the paradoxical history of the pearl.
The exhibits are:
“Soul, Sound and Voice: Watercolors by Jerry Pinkney”
Feb. 6-May 9, 2027
“Soul, Sound & Voice: Watercolors by Jerry Pinkney” showcases work by Jerry Pinkney, who is regarded as one of America’s great illustrators, and a virtuosic watercolor artist.
Pinkney, who died in 2021, created artworks that updated classic fables and fairy tales, chronicled landmark historic moments, and celebrated the creative power of music. Over the course of his 50-year career, Pinkney–who was born and raised in Pennsylvania–illustrated over 100 children’s books, including award-winning titles like “The Lion & the Mouse” and “The Little Mermaid.”
Extending his vision beyond books, Pinkney brought his immense talent to commercial work, creating album covers, posters and magazine illustrations featuring figures like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Ma Rainey and Pittsburgh legend Roy Eldridge.
The exhibit will feature nearly 100 of his bright and bold watercolors along with rarely seen black and white drawings.
Abstract Expressionists: The Women
June 12-Sept. 26, 2027
“Abstract Expressionists: The Women” unites nearly 40 paintings by more than 30 artists between 1936 and 1977, including Elaine de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, Howardena Pindell, Alma Thomas and many others.
The development of radical and monumental Abstract Expressionist paintings has historically been associated with male creativity.
When Abstract Expressionism entered the art world, it was a shockingly radical approach to painting that upended traditional techniques. Once it was eventually regarded as a “triumph” of American painting, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning were often credited as some of the great Abstract Expressionists. The women artists of the movement, however, have been overwhelmingly underappreciated and marginalized in their contributions.
The exhibit challenges the misconceptions of the movement and focuses on the women artists who shaped Abstract Expressionism through innovation and risk-taking, offering a more expansive and inclusive account of the movement’s history.
Paradox of Pearls: Renaissance to the Gilded Age
Nov. 6, 2027-Feb. 27, 2028
“Paradox of Pearls: Renaissance to the Gilded Age” invites visitors to look under the lustrous layers of the sea’s most precious and contradictory gem to learn how pearls adorn, empower and perform from the 16th century to today.
The exhibit highlights the pearl as more than a fashion accessory. As one of the most sought-after commodities of the early modern colonial enterprise and a precious jewel tied to bondage and violence, pearls have a complex history that will be unraveled and reframed in this exhibit.
“Paradox of Pearls” is a show organized by The Frick Pittsburgh in partnership with Duquesne University professor Laura Engel.
Tickets for the three exhibitions will go on sale in November. For information about the 2027 exhibits, go online to thefrickpittsburgh.org
.