Doris Duke’s Shangri La: Architecture, Landscape, and Islamic Art Exhibition will be showcased at the Nevada Museum of Art starting May 31 through August 31, 2014.
The thought-provoking and historic exhibition is traveling from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Reno. Objects from the Honolulu home of Doris Duke (1912- 1993), and new works by eight contemporary artists of Islamic background will be showcased.
This is the first time Duke’s personal collection of works will be showcased outside of Shangri La. She collected artifacts such a silk textiles, jewel-toned chandeliers and rare ceramics during international travel on her 1935 honeymoon around the world.
For the rest of her life Duke commissioned and acquired new pieces from Muslim regions specifically for Shangri La.
Under the auspices of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Shangri La is open to the public, maintaining a collection of 3,500 objects and is the site of scholar-in-residence and artist-in-residence programs.
During the 60 years that Duke collected the art it allowed her live in the art and the ways the beauty and fusion of cultures inspires artists today.
Related offerings:
PREMIERE TALK: Donald Albrecht and Thomas Mellins on Doris Duke’s Shangri La: Architecture, Landscape, and Islamic Art
Friday, May 30 | 6 pm
Prominent architecture and design curators Albrecht and Mellins jointly Doris Duke’s unique home and the extensive Islamic art collection it contains, as well as the ongoing efforts of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art to promote an understanding and appreciation of the art and architecture of the Islamic world.
$10 |$5 Museum Members
FILM: Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World
Sunday, June 8 | 3 pm
This newly released documentary film takes audiences on an epic journey across nine countries and over 1,400 years of history, exploring themes such as the word, space, ornament, color and water and presents the stories behind many great masterworks of Islamic Art and Architecture.
$7 | $5 Museum Members
ART BITE: Heba Mostafa: A Brief History of Islamic Architecture and Design
Friday June 20 | noon
With a background in the urban design of Islamic cities, Heba Mostafa presents a brief history and meanings of Islamic architecture and urban design in relation to Doris Duke’s Shangri La.
$10 | FREE Museum members
ART BITE: Anthropologist Jill Derby on Why Learning about Islamic Life and Culture Matters
Friday July 25 | noon
Cultural anthropologist and international educational consultant Jill Derby discusses the importance of understanding Islamic life and culture in relation to Doris Duke’s Shangri La.
$10 | FREE Museum members
CATALOG
A 216-page catalog published by Skira Rizzoli accompanies the exhibition. Copies available for purchase in the Museum Store.
Doris Duke’s Shangri La: Islamic Architecture, Landscape, and Islamic Art will be exhibited May 31through August 31 at the Nevada Museum of Art, Donald W. Reynolds Center for the Visual Arts, E. L. Wiegand Gallery located at 160 West Liberty Street in downtown Reno.
Lead sponsorship by Nancy and Martin Cohen. Major sponsorship by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. Supporting sponsorship by Bally Technologies. Sponsorship by Jeanne and Alan Blach, Denise and Tim Cashman, and Enid A. Oliver, Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Additional sponsorship by Northern Nevada International Center. This exhibition was organized by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.
