Beyond Catfish Row: The Art of Porgy and Bess

Event Details

The Gibbes Museum of Art, in partnership with Spoleto Festival USA, presents Beyond Catfish Row: The Art of Porgy and Bess, on view May 28 - October 9 in Charleston.

The exhibition celebrates George Gershwin's famed opera, as interpreted by visual artists since its creation, featuring a number of paintings from the 1930s, including works by American realist George Biddle, who illustrated the original Porgy and Bess libretto in 1935. "Beyond Catfish Row" also includes paintings by Gershwin himself and works by American modernist Henry Botkin, who accompanied the composer to Charleston while he wrote the opera. The 1930s works are paired with more recent interpretations by contemporary artists Kara Walker and Jonathan Green. Participating artists include Bo Bartlett, William Christenverry, Sonya Clark, Andrea Keys Connell, Lonnie Holley, Deborah Luster, Sally Mann, Stephen Marc, Mike Smith, Damian Stamer and Stacy Lynn Waddell.