Arts in the Sunset will host its inaugural exhibit, “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition,” at the newly renovated Sunset Center from June 9th through July 23rd.
The exhibition, which was shown around the world to a global audience, will be an opportunity for people to see the art that is stored in the Sistine Chapel and reproduced for a mass audience that can be seen at their leisure to study the legendary works of Art. This recreation of 34 frescoes uses a unique technique to mimic the look and feel of the original paintings. Each image in the exhibition will have information about the painting, with audio guides at a price.
Mark White, executive vice president of Amarillo College and deacon at St. Apostle Thomas”, spoke about the importance of the exhibition for the city.
More ▼:Arts in the Sunset is hosting a soft opening and ribbon cutting to welcome back the community
“I think it speaks volumes for the kind people who live in Amarillo with the religious roots of the city,” White said. “The idea that the primary work of art in all of civilization depicts scenes from the Bible tells us something about our humanity. I am very proud that there is so much interest in the city to see these works.”
White sees this as a chance for young and old alike to be inspired by the works of the books of Genesis to open up some deeper thoughts about life. He also sees Amarillo’s community and its love of the arts combined with the religious nature of the city, making the Sistine Chapel the perfect type of exhibit to spark interest in the city.
Rachel Flores, executive director of the Amarillo Art Institute, spoke about the significance of the Sunset Center’s first exhibition in the renovated facility.
“The process of bringing the exhibition here kind of fell into our laps; we were fortunate that one of the citizens of Amarillo had seen the exhibit elsewhere and wanted to bring it to Amarillo,” Flores said. “A lot of the renovations we did to the building were so we could do big exhibitions and attract more historically significant works. It allows us to better put ourselves on the map for other entities and see what we can do to be more attractive to those shows.”
She said that led to the person talking to the Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau about bringing the exhibit to Amarillo, and the floor space and ceiling needed to house it available in the new center made it a natural fit. With the group doing the exhibit and many other tours, including Titanic and the Louvre, Flores hopes this will be the first of many exhibits of this type to be hosted at the new complex.
Flores said these exhibits will allow visitors to get much closer to these reproductions than they could ever get to the original artworks, many of which are on very high ceilings. This allows visitors to spend much more time viewing the art from a much greater perspective than would be possible to fully appreciate the original works.
“Those who come to Sistine at Sunset will see one of mankind’s greatest artistic achievements up close, in a life-size, never-before-seen perspective,” Flores added in a news release.
Amarillo Art Institute volunteer Carol Lovelady spoke about the upcoming exhibit.
“It’s similar to many other traveling art exhibits like the Van Goghs, which allow people to look as long as they want, which is something you could never have in a chapel in Rome,” Lovelady said. “I think it will be a very personal experience; I think everyone who sees it will take something different away from it.
She said that regardless of her faith, she felt the works, with their significance and artistry, would have a profound effect on the viewer. Lovelady said the Amarillo community has such a hunger and passion for the arts that this will appeal to so many groups in the area, with a once-in-a-lifetime experience that great travel and expenses can only surpass.
“This is a superb exhibition to re-open the facility that has been the art center of our city for the past 20 years; so we decided to call it ‘Sistine at Sunset,'” Flores said. “Having the Sistine Chapel exhibit come to Amarillo is a wonderful gift to our region.”
Proceeds from the exhibit will benefit the Downtown Women’s Center, Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle, the Amarillo Art Institute and the Texas Commission on the Arts’ Amarillo Cultural District.
Tickets went on sale Tuesday at prices ranging from $19 to $26.50. The exhibition will be open during the summer, Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 7.30pm and Sunday from 1pm to 5.30pm. Viewing time is expected to be approximately 60 to 90 minutes.
Arts in the Sunset is located at 3701 Plains Blvd.
For more information, visit https://www.artsinthesunset.org/ and https://chapelsistine.com/the-exhibition/.