Triple Take: Dialogues with the Terra Collection-in-Residence

The Ackland is fortunate to have American paintings on long-term loan from the Terra Foundation for American Art. These paintings are the centerpieces of the three sections of Triple Take: Dialogues with the Terra Collection-in-Residence. Each section of about twenty objects has different curators, who have gathered works from the Ackland that connect in often unexpected ways with the Terra Foundation loans.

This three-part exhibition begins with Lyonel Feininger’s Denstedt (1917), a powerful and expressionistic view of a German village. This painting serves as the starting point for an exploration of the artist’s achievements across his career, curated by Peter Nisbet. Dana Cowen explores themes of looking, the mirror, and privacy through Archibald Motley’s Between Acts (1935). Ammi Phillips’s Girl in a Red Dress (c. 1835) and Robert Henri’s Sylvester (1914) anchor a selection of representations of children chosen by Lauren Turner and Carolyn Allmendinger. This final part of the exhibition explores how knowing or not knowing the names and biographical details of the people depicted can affect our experience of the artworks.

Cumulatively, Triple Take invites the visitor to experience the Terra Foundation loans in a  new way. The three contrasting curatorial approaches show how the Ackland’s rich and deep collection can create a space for reinterpreting works of art.

This exhibition is supported in part by the Terra Foundation for American Art and Laura & Walter Elcock. It was organized by Peter Nisbet, deputy director for curatorial affairs; Dana Cowen, Sheldon Peck curator for European and American art before 1950; Lauren Turner, associate curator for contemporary art and special projects; and Carolyn Allmendinger, interim director and director of education and interpretation.

ART-INSPIRED EVENTS
Visitors can enjoy a special tour led by the curators, a book discussion program, family-friendly events, and more throughout the exhibition. Events listed below will be linked to the calendar soon.

Sunday, February 23 | 1-5 p.m. | Free, no registration required.
F.A.M. Day
An afternoon of art-inspired activities for the whole family with inspiration from our exhibition Triple Take featuring American art from the Terra Foundation and works from the Ackland’s collection that complement the visiting works in imaginative ways. Craft paper dolls, a close-looking kaleidoscope, abstract crinkle art, and more.

Saturday, March 22 | 11 a.m. | Free, space is limited. Register at events.ackland.org.
Triple Take Tour
Join the curators of Triple Take for a look the exhibition’s three sections — each organized by different Ackland curators — from the perspective of the curators who didn’t curate them. This conversational tour will offer insight into a selection of the works on view as well as the curatorial decision-making process and ways that personal perspectives shape our interpretation of art and exhibitions. Led by Peter Nisbet, Carolyn Allmendinger, and Dana Cowen.

Friday, May 2 | 3-4:30 p.m.
Art & Lit: All the Beauty in the World | $40 includes a copy of the book and light snacks. Register at humanities.unc.edu
Join Melissa Faliveno (UNC English and Comparative Literature) and Lauren Turner (Ackland Associate Curator of Contemporary Art and Special Projects) for a discussion of All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me (Patrick Bringley, 2023) in the context of Triple Take: Dialogues with the Terra Collection in Residence.

Select Fridays, February 7-May 9 | 1-1:30 p.m.
Tour: A Closer Look at Triple Take

RESOURCES FOR VISITORS TO TRIPLE TAKE

Community Curation: Your Own Take
Visitors to the Ackland website can make a favorites folder to curate their own digital exhibition inspired by one of the four works on loan from the Terra Foundation of American Art. Using the Ackland’s collection search, visitors can find artworks that relate to one of the Terra works and add them to their folder.

F.A.M. Craft Kit
Young (and young at heart) visitors are invited to use a craft kit make their own art inspired by a work on view in Triple Take. Kits are free and available to pick up and use in the Ackland’s ART& Gallery or take home. Triple Take craft kits will be available February 1 – March 31 on the F.A.M. Cart in the Ackland’s lobby.

Look & Listen
Explore the music of the Blaue Reiter, or Blue Rider Group, in a special Spotify playlist curated to broaden our understanding of Lyonel Feininger’s artistic world. The playlist includes composers Feininger knew and worked with.

Book Nook
A corner of the Ackland’s ART& Gallery will be devoted to books related to the exhibition that can be read onsite.

Reader’s Guide
Visitors who want to learn more about the exhibition can explore a Reader’s Guide created especially for the Ackland by Chapel Hill Public Library.

Portraiture Self-Guide
A self-guide focused on portraiture will be available for visitors.

Image credit:

Robert Henri, American, 1865 – 1929, Sylvester, 1914, oil on canvas. image: 32 × 26 in.  (81.3 × 66 cm); frame: 39 1/4 × 33 1/4 in. (99.7 × 84.5 cm). Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Art Acquisition Endowment Fund, 2017.2, L2023.2.4