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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2021
Large-scale Panoramic Wall Drawing by Contemporary Artist Ethan Murrow on View this Summer
at the Cahoon Museum of American Art
(Cotuit, Massachusetts) In June, contemporary artist Ethan Murrow and a team of assistants will create a site-specific installation entitled The Greenhouse at the Cahoon Museum of American Art. On view June 16 through October 3, this panoramic wall drawing will span the entire 75 feet of the museum’s Trustee Gallery and will draw inspiration from old growth forests that once existed on Cape Cod.
The primary subject of The Greenhouse is a massive felled oak tree, a cautionary reference to the effects of colonization and development on the Cape’s natural environment. In a testament to nature’s resilience and regeneration, the dead tree plays host to sprouts of new growth. A hybrid treehouse/greenhouse (perhaps an earlier failed attempt to utilize the tree, perhaps a sign of new human intervention) has windows looking out onto a vast green landscape, creating a potential vision of a hopeful future.
To create the installation, Murrow will work with a team of artists using high flow acrylic paint and refillable pens to draw directly onto gallery walls. Museum visitors will have the opportunity to watch the artists at work during the installation starting on June 9.
The Greenhouse will encourage discussion and optimism about how human beings can preserve and restore natural habitats and coexist in balance with nature. Murrow explains that this installation is “an homage to the massive oaks that once stood on Cape Cod before being cut wholesale. This massive drawing is intended to be a testament to the ability of plants to outlast the invasive actions of human hands.” Murrow asks us, “How do we use and abuse resources? How can we work closely and collaboratively with plants to build sustainability?”
Murrow will also set up a live oak tree in the middle of the gallery, as part of his gift of multiple trees for the Cahoon Museum property. While the wall drawing is temporal in nature and will be painted over at the end of the exhibition, the gift of live trees will remain past the imagery that honors them.
Partnered with the installation, The Greenhouse, Murrow has created a series of new color drawings centering around an unusual figure engaged in open-ended activities. Where the large-scale wall drawing has an optimistic view of new growth and cyclical repair, these smaller drawings are intended to stand as cautionary tales and uncertain narrative beginnings. They feature a mysterious character scrambling through the woods, juggling massive terrariums of rare plants, including bonsais. The artist leaves the story and the figure’s intentions open; his unknown role could be that of a thief, protector, irresponsible gardener, or thoughtful propagator.
“We are thrilled to bring leading contemporary artist, Ethan Murrow, to the Cahoon Museum,” said Sarah Johnson, Executive Director of the Cahoon Museum of American Art. “His ambitious approach to art-making aligns with the Cahoon’s focus on cultivating art from contemporary artists who engage with history and the wider story of American art. Ethan’s virtuosic drawing ability allows him to pull viewers into imaginative and unexpected scenes that explore the relationship between humans and the natural world in uniquely evocative ways. This compelling new installation, overlaid with messages about Cape Cod’s fragile environment, will resonate deeply with our community.”
About Ethan Murrow:
Ethan Murrow is Professor of the Practice and Chair, Painting and Drawing at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Tufts University. He received his BA from Carleton College and his MFA from The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Recent solo museum shows include the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, The Currier Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, and the Clay Center in West Virginia. Murrow is represented by Filles Du Calvaire in Paris, Slete Gallery in Los Angeles, and Winston Wachter Fine Art in New York City and Seattle. He was recently part of an Artist Residency at the Expedia Group, Inc. headquarters in Seattle and completed multi-story wall drawings on the themes of engineering, experimentation and risk.
Murrow was awarded the Stein Emerging Artist Prize by MOCA Jacksonville, participated as Artist in Residence at Facebook Inc., was a fellow at the Ballinglen Foundation in Ireland, received a Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship and was included in the 2013 deCordova Museum’s Biennial with a three-story wall drawing. His work is in many public, private, and corporate collections and has been reviewed and published widely around the world. A monograph on his work was release in 2015 with the German publisher Hatje Cantz. His film project “Dust” with Harvest Films and wife Vita Weinstein Murrow was an official selection of the 2008 New York Film Festival. www.bigpaperairplane.com
Related Programs:
Gallery Talk with Michael MacMahon – Ethan Murrow: The Greenhouse
Friday, June 19, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Free with admission; registration required.
Join us for a gallery tour of the Ethan Murrow: The Greenhouse installation – a 75-foot gallery wall drawing that took four artists more than a week to create. This is a unique opportunity to learn more about the artist Ethan Murrow, his materials, and artistic process, and to better understand the message behind this important artwork. The tour will be led by Cahoon Museum Education and Programs Manager Michael MacMahon. Register online for this in-person event at https://cahoonmuseum.org/ethan-murrow/
Virtual Art Talk With the Artists of Ethan Murrow: The Greenhouse
Thursday, August 5, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Free; registration required.
Join artist Ethan Murrow and the talented team of artists who helped complete The Greenhouse installation: Nicholas Papa, Karli Tucker, and Shailinn Messer. Murrow will discuss how he developed the idea for the artwork and the collaborative effort that led to the creation of the 75-foot wall drawing. Each artist will offer insight into their personal artistic practices and the artistic partnership. The program will include a question-and-answer period and will be moderated by Education and Programs Manager Michael MacMahon. The program will take place on Zoom. Register online at https://cahoonmuseum.org/ethan-murrow/ Advance registration for this event is required. Registrants will receive an email with a private link to this live virtual program prior to the event.
Ethan Murrow: The Greenhouse: Forests on Cape Cod - Past, Present, and Future
Tuesday, September 14, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Free; registration required.
Join regional botanists, artists, and land conservationists in a virtual conversation with the artist Ethan Murrow. The panelists will discuss the subject of Murrow’s current art installation, The Greenhouse, which depicts a massive felled oak tree and serves as a cautionary reference to the effects of colonization and development on the Cape’s natural environment. The program will also premiere Murrow’s film exploring the old growth forests on Naushon Island. The discussion will include the history and current state of Cape Cod’s forests and how human beings can preserve and restore natural habitats and coexist in balance with nature. The panelists will also consider what the future holds for our valuable ecosystem. The discussion will be followed by a question and answer period and will be moderated by Education and Programs Manager Michael MacMahon and will take place on Zoom. Register online at https://cahoonmuseum.org/ethan-murrow/
Gallery Talk with Michael MacMahon: Ethan Murrow: The Greenhouse
Wednesday, September 15, 1 p.m.
Free with admission, registration required.
Join us for a gallery tour of the Ethan Murrow: The Greenhouse installation – a 75-foot gallery wall drawing that took four artists more than a week to create. This is a unique opportunity to learn more about the artist Ethan Murrow, his materials, and artistic process, and to better understand the message behind this important artwork. The tour will be led by Cahoon Museum Education and Programs Manager Michael MacMahon. In person event at museum, register online at https://cahoonmuseum.org/ethan-murrow/
Artist Reception for Ethan Murrow: The Greenhouse and Duncan Johnson: Under Construction Exhibitions
Saturday, September 18, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Free admission.
Stop by the Museum for your last chance to see our summer exhibitions, Ethan Murrow: The Greenhouse and Duncan Johnson: Under Construction and meet both artists. Bring your friends, enjoy lively conversation, pick up something in the museum shop, and have a great time!
Social Media:
Share your thoughts and images #greenhouse #cahoonmuseum.
Image caption:
Ethan Murrow, Interloper, 2021, high flow acrylic on board, 48 x 36 inches.
About the Cahoon Museum of American Art
The Cahoon Museum of American Art presents historical and contemporary art exhibitions in the landmark Crocker House in Cotuit, MA. The Museum welcomes visitors of all ages to learn about art and art history, to enjoy fun, family friendly events, to delight in creative programming, and to embrace the enduring story of the important folk artists Ralph and Martha Cahoon. The Museum is committed to its mission to celebrate American art in ways that expand knowledge, enrich the spirit, and engage the heart.
The Cahoon Museum of American Art is located at 4676 Falmouth Road (Rt. 28) in Cotuit, MA. The Museum opens for the season on March 18 and hours are Thursday through Saturday, 10am-4pm. Registration to visit the Museum is requested; drop-ins welcome as gallery space allows. For more information, visit Cahoonmuseum.org or call (508) 428-7581.
Media Contacts:
Annie Dean, Marketing and Special Projects Consultant, adean@CahoonMuseum.org, 508-428-7581, x3
Kristen Levesque, Exhibition Publicist, kristen@kristenlevesquepr.com, 207-329-3090
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