The Taubman Museum of Art is excited to announce “Art & Sole: Fantasy Shoes from the Jane Gershon Weitzman Collection” their latest exhibit for visitors. We were lucky enough to snag a short interview with Jane Gershon Weitzman. Read our interview below, as well as learn more information about the exhibit and women’s luncheon held at the Taubman!
1. Explain your concept behind the “Art & Sole” exhibit?
The show, based on my book, Art&Sole, brings together the best art shoes that were featured in the Stuart Weitzman store windows over many years.
2. What was your thought process on how to accomplish your “Art & Sole” art?
I worked with over 100 artists who each had their own visions of creating shoes out of many different materials. Even artists who worked with the same materials made shoes that were totally different. For example, several artists in the book worked with paper, yet their techniques were totally different.
3. What do you hope visitors get out of seeing your exhibit?
I hope that they have a good time and enjoy seeing all of the different variations on one theme.
4. Where or how do you find inspiration in daily life?
Every day is an adventure and I am always reading about interesting things to see or places to visit. I keep files on countries and cities and when I go places, I try to follow up on all of the articles that I read.
5. Any particular artists you admire or identify with?
My favorite artist of all times is John Singer Sargent. I love Lucio Fontana’s elegant red paintings and I recently discovered Do Ho Suh and Tauba Auerbach. I am not artistic at all, but I love art and really appreciate what good artists create.
6. What advice would you give aspiring artists?
Study art and learn how the great artists created. If you look at the great modern artists like Picasso, they could paint realistically before they developed their own styles. He painted in the styles of the great artists, not to copy them, but so that he could learn their techniques. Then he developed his own.
Be sure to see more about the exhibit at the Taubman Museum of Art here.
And read the press release to learn more here!
Taubman Museum of Art Presents Art & Sole: Fantasy Shoes from the Jane Gershon Weitzman Collection
Fashion Maven, Author and Philanthropist Jane Gershon Weitzman to Headline Museum’s 2016 Women’s Luncheon
ROANOKE, Va. (Aug. 10, 2016) — The Taubman Museum of Art is pleased to present Art & Sole: Fantasy Shoes from the Jane Gershon Weitzman Collection, Sept. 3-Dec. 31, 2016.
The exhibition features more than 70 inventive examples of fantasy art shoes chosen from the Jane Gershon Weitzman collection, remarkable for their imaginative construction and elaborate adornment.
Weitzman, who served as executive vice president of Stuart Weitzman and first vice president of Stuart Weitzman Retail, invited hundreds of artists over two decades to make these shoes for window displays in the company’s flagship boutique on Madison Avenue in New York City. They later inspired her book, Art & Sole, which features nearly 150 of the shoes.
Each delicate shoe is constructed from unexpected materials such as bronze, ceramic, wire, Plexiglas and corrugated cardboard. Other shoes are noteworthy for their surfaces, embellished with feathers, gems, and even cake frosting.
“I tried to find artists who worked in as many different materials and styles as possible,” said Weitzman. “ I looked at the [store’s] windows as variations on a theme.”
Notable artists whose work will be on view at the Taubman include Joan Klimo, who designed shoes for Christian Dior; Sharon von Senden, who designed and constructed more than 18,000 square feet of mosaics for the City Museum in St. Louis, Mo.; and Danielle Pollitz, who is known for her resin work and was commissioned by the G&P Foundation for Cancer Research to sculpt an award presented to President Bill Clinton.
“While delighting the eye, the shoes on view at the Taubman Museum of Art will provide our visitors wonderful opportunities to see notable artists transforming functional objects into whimsical and humorous art. No pair is alike, and each one sparks the imagination,” said Amy G. Moorefield, deputy director of exhibitions and collections for the Museum.
Weitzman will headline the Taubman Museum of Art 2016 Women’s Luncheon Monday, Oct. 24. The event is a n annual fundraiser celebrating women, art and education. Proceeds benefit the Museum’s dynamic roster of exhibitions and programming. In addition to Weitzman’s talk, the event also will feature a live auction, with bid items to include a private tour of the Stuart Weitzman showroom in New York and the opportunity to choose one pair of shoes from the company’s latest line.
At the luncheon, the Museum annually honors a woman for her vision, commitment and support of the arts, education and quality of life in the community with the Ann Fralin Award. This year’s honoree is Jenny Taubman, a longtime friend and benefactor of the Museum who is known throughout the country for her advocacy and philanthropy in the arts. She is also the wife of Nicholas Taubman, founder of Advance Auto and former U.S. ambassador to Romania.
The Museum also will honor Roanoke City Vice Mayor Anita Price with the annual Art Venture Award, which recognizes a woman for her outstanding leadership in arts education and for her volunteerism in partnership with the Taubman Museum of Art.
The Museum is located at 110 Salem Ave. SE. Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 12-5 p.m. Additional hours include every First Friday and Third Thursday when the Museum is open until 9 p.m.
For additional information, visit TaubmanMuseum.org or call 540.342.5760.
Media inquiries, including interview and image requests, may be directed to Sunny Nelson at snelson@taubmanmuseum.org or 919.452.9689.
About Jane Gershon Weitzman
Jane Gershon Weitzman was the Executive Vice President of Stuart Weitzman and the first Vice President of Stuart Weitzman Retail. She spearheaded philanthropy for the company by generating funds to support breast and ovarian cancer research and awareness. Her efforts were brought to life through innovative charity events on the brand’s website, such as the Stuart Weitzman Celebrity Breast Cancer Shoe Auction, and its retail stores. She serves on the Trust Board of the Boston Children’s Hospital.
