THOMAS HART BENTON AND THE NAVY

THOMAS HART BENTON

MAR 2 - MAY 28

Moved by the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Thomas Hart Benton completed seven large paintings known as the “Year of Peril” series. These paintings were later published as books and posters by Abbott Laboratories, a pharmaceutical company that was producing essential and improved drugs for war effort.  Benton created a total of 25 artworks for Abbot Labs, showcasing what he witnessed on board the submarine USS Dorado and LSTs (Landing Ships for Tanks) along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.  These original paintings and drawings were turned over by Abbott Labs to the Navy which comprises the artwork within this exhibition.

Censorship, Controversy, and Scandal

PAUL CADMUS

MAR 2 - MAY 28

Censorship has claimed the creative freedoms of many artists throughout history. This exhibition uses Paul Cadmus’ painting, “The Fleet’s In!” as a case study in why this happens. The image of poorly behaved sailors, exaggerated sexuality, inebriated figures, and its latent homoeroticism was not well received. In 1934, the painting was pulled from an exhibition of WPA art after a retired Navy admiral publicly described it as “… an unwarranted insult to the enlisted personnel of our Navy… [which] evidently originated in the sordid, depraved imagination of someone who has no conception of actual conditions in our service.” In the time since, “The Fleet’s In!” went from censorship, controversy, and scandal to becoming one of the most noteworthy artworks in the US Navy’s collection.

Tom Lea, Stampede (detail), 1946, oil on canvas

Highlights from the Presidential Archives

What is now The Presidential Archives at The University of Texas Permian Basin began in 1963 with a small group of Odessa citizens who were concerned about the need to restore faith in the presidency after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination on November 22 of that year. The initial goal of establishing a tribute to President Kennedy quickly grew, and on February 25, 1965, The Presidential Room first opened its doors in the basement of Odessa’s Ector County Library. Over the decades, the museum continued to expand and became one of Odessa’s most long-standing cultural institutions. This ongoing exhibition presents selected items from The Presidential Archives’ permanent collection, which includes books, portraits, presidential memorabilia, historical artifacts, and more.

STAMPEDE

Currently on view at The Museum of the Southwest, 1705 W Missouri Ave, Midland, TX 79701

In 1940, El Paso Artist Tom Lea drove to Odessa, Texas to install his freshly painted mural intitled “Stampede”. Lea had been awarded the contract by the United States government to paint a mural as part of the New Deal. The painting, which measures 7 feet high and 17 feet long, was originally glued to the wall above the door to Postmaster W.T. Henderson’s office. In 1970, it was framed and moved across the street to the new post office where it hung until 2013. As part of a pilot program with the United States Postal Service, the Museum and Odessa Arts (formally known as the Odessa Council for the Arts & Humanities) were asked if they could restore and house the mural in a protected environment. After an extensive restoration process, the painting was granted to the Ellen Noël Art Museum as part of a 25 year renewable loan.

Stampede is currently housed at The Museum of the Southwest so that it can continue to be well cared for and on public view while the Ellen Noël Art Museum building undergoes renovation and expansion.