Must See Exhibitions at the Boca Raton Museum of Art

Valero Adami

Enlarge Photo

I stood in a space filled with art from the masters. Diversified, eclectic and thrilling to the eye—there was a wall of provocative Picasso prints along with striking works by Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir and Piranesi. Photorealist painter and printmaker Robert Cottingham’s take on American culture expressed through stars on billboards and neon signs—silkscreens on canvas —had its own gallery. Bologna’s Valerio Adami, whose pop art color-rich paintings speak of urban landscapes, far away places, politics and life's complexities were simply impossible to walk away from. I could see myself seated before Adami’s Cloud or Finlandia (shown here) even as the lights grew dim and the doors were closing. As I stood in the Boca Raton Museum of Art, I was speechless thinking of how important and meaningful this museum is to this community and, ultimately, to Florida.

As I meandered the galleries, curator Wendy Blazier was engaging and teeming with knowledge, sharing tidbits on the artists and their works. Blazier holds Curator’s Highlight Tours focused on current exhibitions. Next up, Robert Cottingham’s Iconic Stars on November 9, Valerio Adami’s Ghosts on November 30 and finally, Modern Myth and the Work of Adami and Cottingham on December 16.

Don’t miss any of it. Valerio Adami and Robert Cottingham exhibits run through January 9, 2011. Romanticism to Modernism: Graphic Masterpieces from Piranesi to Picasso, runs until April 17, 2011.

The Boca Raton Museum, which is located in Mizner Park, is a lovely escape. Once lured in, you too may never want to leave.

Tags: Boca Raton | Boca Raton Museum of Art | Pablo Picasso | Robert Cottingham | Valerio Adami | Wendy Blazier