Lend us your ear, AVL. In just over two weeks, the much-anticipated Van Gogh and His Inspirations exhibition opens at the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, S.C. This is a big deal. As in, the closest place you can see an exhibition like this is The Tate in London.
Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) | Self-Portrait, 1887 | Oil on canvas | 15 15/16 x 13 3/8 in. (40.3 x 34 cm) | Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT, Gift of Philip L. Goodwin in memory of his mother, Josephine S. Goodwin, 1954.189. | Photograph courtesy of Allen Phillips/Wadsworth Atheneum.
Before you make your Columbia #RoadTrip plans to see Van Gogh and His Inspirations sometime during its Oct. 4-Jan. 12 run, here is a breakdown of everything you need to Van know:
What inspired the exhibition:
- New York Times bestselling book Van Gogh: The Life.
- Written by Steven Naifeh + Greg Smith (from Aiken, S.C.) after a decade of research.
- While writing, the authors built a collection of works by artists who influenced Van Gogh.
What you’ll see when you get there:
- Naifeh’s and Smith’s collection + how it explores Van Gogh’s evolution.
- Further exploration through artwork on loan from 12 museums across the U.S.
- A dozen original paintings + drawings by Van Gogh himself, including his world-famous self-portrait.
Just how big of a deal is it?
- Having a Van Gogh exhibition is rare.
- Like, really rare. According to this list, there are only three in the U.S. currently.
- This is the first time the Naifeh/Smith collection will be exhibited (a piece from it has been exhibited here and there, but never before as a whole collection).
We recommend reserving your ticket in advance + deep-diving into more info about the exhibition before you (Van) go. We can’t help ourselves.
Bonus: Enter to win two tickets to the exhibition over on COLAtoday’s Instagram by clicking here.
