MC Escher Exhibit

By carolinianweb on January 13, 2016 • ( 0 )

TORLEY /Flickr

Mary Windsor
Staff Writer

For the last three months, the North Carolina Museum of Art has been hosting over 130 of M.C. Escher’s well-known works along with obscure watercolors, woodcuts and lithographs that have never been exhibited before. The museum recently added another week to the exhibit’s stay. The works will now be available to the public until Jan. 24,, with extended hours available.

Along with the M.C. Escher exhibit, the museum will host the EMCEE Escher Dance Party on the Jan.16. The already sold out event was inspired by the works on display and black light posters. Though the museum has hosted many college nights, this is the first time they will hold an event like this.

Jennifer Hicks has been with the North Carolina Museum of Art since she was a student in college, beginning as a chef. She is now the Special Event Designer for the museum.

She has held this position for over 10 years and has been involved with the museum in one way or another since 1992. She has been at the forefront of planning this event and many others.

When the Escher exhibition rolled around, they had the opportunity to get 15 original Escher backlight posters from the 1960s and Hicks loved the idea of playing with the wording of “Emcee” and “M.C.”

“I’m really excited about this event,” Hicks said. “I just couldn’t pass up taking advantage of both of those things to create this one of a kind event.”

Hicks has been advocate for the dance party for a long time and has been working closely with DJ Forge along with other local bands for this event to come together. Though Hicks is the primary person when it comes to creating the event, many others from the museum and community have also stepped forward to help.

“People usually think of club when they think of dancing,” Hicks explained. “I think it will be really cool to transform the space and have a dance party in the museum. We’re putting things that are seemingly different– but not, necessarily– and creating a new atmosphere.”

Durham Distillery is a sponsor for the event and Hicks has worked closely with Melissa Katrincic, who is president/CEO and co-founder of the distillery. Hicks has also worked with many bands and face painters that will be working at the event.

Within the museum, the security team has helped with figuring out logistics and the curator, David Steele, has worked with the collectors to receive the black light posters that will be on display during the event.

“With the posters, it’s almost like its own mini exhibition,” Hicks said. “They’re so cool and unusual by themselves and show a little glimpse of that time in art.

Though the posters weren’t made by Escher, they are inspired by his work and are reproductions of his work that aren’t endorsed by the Escher Foundation. They came from artists in the 1960s when black light posters were a fad.

“The Worlds of M.C. Escher: Nature, Science, and Imagination” exhibit and the EMCEE Escher Dance Party will be located in the East Building, outside of the North Carolina Museum of Art itself. The exhibition will be open to guests during the dance party.

Recently, the museum has been trying to host more diverse events that incorporate the arts but not in the typical, scholarly sort of way to appeal to more people in a fun way.

During the event, many things will be available for the guests to do. There will be special cocktails, face painting with glow paints and four DJs that will rotate throughout the night.

The Raleigh Rockers will be performing and hanging out at the event throughout the night as well. The black light posters will be on the lower level in a lounge-type setting along with the open M.C. Escher exhibition. There will be pizza offered for sale at the café that is located in the East Building.

Hicks is most looking forward to the DJs being featured and graffiti artists that will be showcasing their work at the event. The graffiti artists have been inspired by the M.C. Escher event and their work will be mounted on the wall.

“This is made to be a ‘come out and dance and drink the night away event,’” Hicks said. “I’m excited to see the people engage in the museum in a different way, having fun and lighting up the sometimes serious atmosphere and having fun with the arts.”