JUNE 14 – SEPTEMBER 8, 2019
‘For me, a circus is a magic show that appears and disappears like a world. These clowns, bareback riders and acrobats have made themselves at home in my visions. Why? Why am I so touched by their make-up and their grimaces? With them I can move towards new horizons.’ –Marc Chagall
About the Exhibit
For Marc Chagall, the circus stage was the ideal setting for the dreamlike, extraordinary acts ever-present in his art. In Le Cirque, he summoned the spectacle of the circus experience in all its colorful variety — clowns, acrobats and women riding bareback, stands brimming with onlookers — as a vivid metaphor for the sometimes precarious artist-lifestyle he had decided to lead. With time, the circus came to lie at the very heart of his personal mythology and became symbolic of the human condition.
Le Cirque consists of 23 color and 15 black-and-white lithographs published in 1967 by Tériade Éditions. The whimsical prints will be accompanied by a display that explores Wisconsin’s grand circus history, and celebrates the tradition of Milwaukee’s Great Circus Parade.
Marc Chagall’s Le Cirque series is on loan from the permanent collection of the Manitowoc-based Rahr-West Art Museum.
Opening Preview of Chagall’s Le Cirque
Thursday, June 13, 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Big Top Chagall Shebang
Sunday, June 23, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
The Flight Portfolio with Best-Selling Author Julie Orringer
Tuesday, July 16, 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Gallery Night / Gallery Day
Friday, July 19, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday, July 20, 12:00 – 4:00 PM
Inspired Travel: Circus World Baraboo
Wednesday, July 24, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Pop-Up Gallery: The Circus in Modern Art
Thursday, August 1, 6:00 – 8:30 PM
Wine Reception: 6:00 / Lecture: 7:00 PM
Lunch & Learn: Wisconsin’s Great and Hidden Circus History
Friday, August 23, 11:45 AM – 1:30 PM
Brico Fund, Greater Milwaukee Foundation – The Robert L. and Dolores Schlossmann Fund, Anonymous*, Kohl Philanthropies, Milwaukee Arts Board, Suzy B. Ettinger*, Nita Soref*, The Gerald & Louise Stein Family*, Clarice S. Turer Charitable Fund, Debra & Moshe Katz, Drs. Jane & Ellis Avner, Karen E. Loeb*, Young Leadership Division of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, Neena & Rick Florsheim, Ovation Chai Point and Ovation Jewish Home, Anonymous, Sharon & Richard Canter*, Buzz Monkeys (*Donor Advised Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation) / Media Sponsor: Shepherd Express
This project is supported in part by a grant from the Milwaukee Arts Board and the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin.
Images: (left) Portfolio # M-512 © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris, (right) Portfolio # M-493 © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris.
ABOUT JEWISH MUSEUM MILWAUKEE: The Jewish Museum Milwaukee is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of the Jewish people in southeastern Wisconsin and celebrating the continuum of Jewish heritage and culture. The history of American Jews is rooted in thousands of years of searching for freedom and equality. We are committed to sharing this story and the life lessons it brings with it, so that we may enhance the public’s awareness and appreciation of Jewish life and culture. We are committed to building bridges between diverse groups through shared history and to exploring contemporary issues through the lens of Jewish history, culture and values.