Govinda Gallery » Past Exhibitions

Donovan

Cary Scott — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:21:37 +0000

Cavan County Museum and Cavan County Council Arts Office are delighted to present Donovan Days, a three-day celebration of the art, music, poetry and life of legendary songwriter and recording artist Donovan. Donovan Days also celebrates the Celtic tradition from which he emerged. Organized in association with Govinda Gallery in Washington D.C., Donovan Days is sure to be one of the highlights of the cultural season in Ireland this summer.

Exhibit Photo Gallery. Click on an image to launch slideshow.

Featured events from Donovan Days include the first European exhibition of Donovan’s extraordinary Sapphographs, a tribute concert celebrating Donovan’s music with Donovan as headliner, and the Irish premier of the documentary feature film, Sunshine Superman: The Journey of Donovan.

Friday 10th July, 8 pm:

Sapphographs

Launch of Donovan’s Sapphographs exhibition
Cavan County Museum
Virginia Road, Ballyjamesduff
County Cavan

Cavan County Museum is pleased to present the first European exhibition of Donovan’s Sapphographs. Inspired by the lyric poetry of Sappho (7th Century B.C.E.), Donovan captures in visual form the mythic beauty of an ancient artistic tradition. Donovan’s Sapphographs evoke the aesthetic sensuality of nature and the power of its rituals to inspire artistic creation. Curator Chris Murray writes in the exhibition catalog, “Donovan’s Sapphographs are perhaps the finest contemporary homage to the greatest lyric poet of ancient Greece.”

Donovan’s Sapphographs have been exhibited at Govinda Gallery in Washington DC, The Embassy of Greece, Washington DC, and at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore Maryland. A tour of Donovan’s Sapphographs in Greece is scheduled for the summer of 2010.

Saturday 11th July, 8:30 pm:

Donovan Days Concert

Cavan County Museum
Virginia Road, Ballyjamesduff
County Cavan

This concert is a celebration of the Scottish and Irish Celtic traditions which have influenced Donovan’s music, songs and poetry. Donovan will headline the concert as special guest. Other musical guests performing will include Sean Ó Sé, the renowned singer and performer from west Cork; Noel Battle, 12 times All-Ireland mouth organ champion, and Seamus Fay, Cavan’s legendary lilter, along with the talented and dynamic Nyah musicians. A special marquee will be constructed on the museum grounds for this unforgettable musical evening.

Sunday 12th July, 2:30 pm:

Sunshine Superman: The Journey of Donovan

Film premier and discussion
The Ramor Theater
Main Street, Virginia
County Cavan

The historic Ramor Theater is the venue for the Irish premier of director Hannes Rossacher’s documentary feature film on the life and work of Donovan. This screening will be followed by a discussion with Donovan and his wife and muse Linda Lawrence, moderated by Donovan’s friend and exhibition curator Chris Murray.

Sunshine Superman: The Journey of Donovan depicts the extraordinary life of 60´s folk-pop phenomenon Donovan. An amazing success story covering a career spanning more than four decades of Donovan’s life, Sunshine Superman is full of rare anecdotes about colleagues, musical collaborators and friends. This award-winning film also features appearances by Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Mickie Most, Rick Rubin, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, film directors Franco Zeffirelli and David Lynch, and many more.

The Donovan Days celebration will be complimented with an exciting and varied line-up of workshops and performances for children and adults at the Cavan County Museum complex. Donovan Days will be a unique opportunity to meet one of the most creative artists of our time in intimate surroundings as he shares his music, art and song with us.

Press & Media »

TV3 Ireland AM – July 10th, 2009
Hot Press Magazine – July 9th, 2009
The Anglo Celt – July 1st, 2009
The Anglo-Celt – April 15th, 2009

For more information, contact Cavan County Museum
Tel. 049 8544070 www.cavanmuseum.ie www.cavanmusic.com

Carlotta Hester

Cary Scott — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:38:20 +0000

Govinda Gallery is pleased to be presenting new paintings by Carlotta Hester in the exhibition, Fresh. The opening will be held on Friday, May 1st, from 6pm – 9pm.

Exhibit Photo Gallery. Click on an image to launch slideshow.

Stanley Mouse

Cary Scott — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 16:08:01 +0000

Govinda Gallery is delighted to present Grateful Life, the first exhibition in Washington D.C. of renowned artist Stanley Mouse. This exhibition celebrates the upcoming concert appearance of The Grateful Dead in Washington, D.C. The majority of the artwork in this exhibition has been created especially in honor of this occasion.

Stanley Mouse

Legendary concert promoter Bill Graham referred to Stanley Mouse as one of the most important figures from the 1960s. Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart calls Stanley Mouse “part of our mythology.” Creating images such as Zig Zag Man, psychedelic posters for the Fillmore Auditorium and the Avalon Ballroom, the skull and roses motif for the Grateful Dead, and the flying horse for the Steve Miller Band’s album Book of Dreams, Stanley Mouse has created among the most iconic artwork of our time. His art has come to visually represent bands such as the Grateful Dead, Big Brother & the Holding Co., Steve Miller Band, Jefferson Airplane, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix, and Journey, among many others.

Stanley Mouse will be attending the opening of his exhibition at Govinda Gallery which will take place on Monday, April 13th from 6pm to 9pm. This exhibition presents a rare opportunity to see the original art of Stanley Mouse. Stanley Mouse’s original drawings, paintings, and lithographs are available to collectors through Govinda Gallery.

Exhibit Photo Gallery. Click on an image to launch slideshow.

“Stanley Mouse drew and painted from inside the music. The spirit that drove the music of the ’60s was the same spirit that drove his art”

— Joel Selvin

Videos »

Courtesy FOX 5 DC – April 15th, 2009 – 6:01 minutes

Press & Media »

The Washington Post – April 12th, 2009
The Washington Post – April 10th, 2009

David Burnett

Cary Scott — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 07:27:08 +0000

By popular demand, Soul Rebel: An Intimate Portrait of Bob Marley is back! This exhibition is now showing at our National Harbor location from May 16th – July 4th, 2009.

In honor of Bob Marley’s birthday on February 6th, Govinda Gallery is pleased to present the exhibition, Soul Rebel: An Intimate Portrait of Bob Marley. Soul Rebel presents for the first time David Burnett’s extraordinary photographs of one of the most beloved and respected international musical artists of our time. On assignment for Time Magazine, Burnett first photographed Marley at his home in Jamaica in 1976 and continued to document Bob Marley and The Wailers on the Exodus tour in Europe while on their bus, in rehearsals, and during performances throughout Europe during the spring of 1977. Burnett’s award-winning talent, coupled with Marley’s larger-than-life charisma, resulted in this extraordinary collection of previously unseen photographs. Also included in the exhibition are compelling images of The Wailers, Peter Tosh, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and more.

This exhibition celebrates the publication of Soul Rebel: An Intimate Portrait of Bob Marley (Insight Editions, 2009). Featuring David Burnett’s photographs and stories, published for the first time, Soul Rebel is sure to be a treasured book for music lovers around the world. Soul Rebel features a foreword by acclaimed author Chris Salewicz, one of the leading writers on Jamaican music and culture, as well as an introduction by Soul Rebel’s editor, author and curator Chris Murray.

Exhibit Photo Gallery. Click on an image to launch slideshow.

Copies of Soul Rebel are available through Govinda Gallery. Original limited edition prints of David Burnett’s photographs are available to collectors through the gallery.

David Burnett launched his photographic career as an intern at Time magazine in 1967. From 1970 to 1972, he covered the Vietnam War as a staff photographer for Life magazine. In 1975, he co-founded Contact Press Images in New York. Traveling to more than 75 countries, Burnett has produced photographic essays for Time, Life, Fortune, The New Yorker, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, and many others. His awards include “Magazine Photographer of the year” from the Pictures of the Year Competition, the “World Press Photo of the Year,” and the Robert Capa Award from the Overseas Press Club, to name but a few.

Chris Salewicz has been writing on popular culture, particularly reggae and other world musics, for more than 20 years. He was a senior features writer for NME, has written for The Sunday Times, The Face, and Q magazine and wrote the authorized book Bob Marley: Songs of Freedom (with photographer Adrian Boot), and Rude Boy, a memoir about his relationship with the island of Jamaica, among many other books. Salewicz edited the booklet contained in the award-winning 4-CD box set Tougher Than Tough: The Story Of Jamaican Music, and co-wrote the script for the 1999 movie Third World Cop, which broke Jamaican box office records.

Chris Murray is the founder and director of Govinda Gallery and has organized over two hundred fifty exhibitions of paintings, drawings, and photographs many of which have traveled throughout the United States and abroad, including countries such as Germany, Spain, Ireland, England, the Netherlands, Mexico and Cuba. He has edited and authored over a dozen books and catalogues, including Between Midnight and Day: The Last Unpublished Blues Archive (Avalon Publishing Group/Insight Editions, 2003), Elvis at 21: New York to Memphis (Insight Editions, 2006), Knockout: The Art of Boxing (Insight Editions, 2008), and John and Yoko: A New York Love Story (Insight Editions 2008).

Videos »

by Dan Snider – courtesy Palace Publishing – 2.5 minutes

Press & Media »

Voice of America – April 6th, 2009
National Public Radio – March 11th, 2009
Jamaica Gleaner News – March 17th, 2009
The Photography Channel – February 12th, 2009
Good Morning America / ABC News – February 6th, 2009
The Reliable Source – February 9th, 2009
The Washington Post – February 10th, 2009
Jamaican Embassy Press – February 17th, 2009

Henry Grossman

Cary Scott — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:41:27 +0000

Govinda Gallery is pleased to present Kaleidoscope Eyes: A Day in the Life of Sgt. Pepper, featuring Henry Grossman’s rarely-seen photographs of The Beatles during the recording of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band, arguably the most iconic and influential album of all time. This is the first exhibition of Henry Grossman’s remarkable photographs of the Beatles.

Taken during a single night’s session–as the band recorded “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”—these photographs offer a compelling portrait of four of the most popular and publicized figures of the 20th century. Grossman’s uniquely intimate account documents The Beatles’ captivating individual personalities while attesting to their collaborative power at their creative peak.

Henry Grossman’s career began in the early 1960s. As a contributing photographer for Time, Life, Newsweek, and People Magazine, Grossman covered a variety of important figures, including Andy Warhol, Elizabeth Taylor, Nelson Mandela, Duke Ellington and Truman Capote. Grossman gained unprecedented access to President John F. Kennedy in the White House and abroad. Through his work he also befriended The Beatles and went to Abbey Road Studios to photograph them during the legendary Sgt. Pepper session.

This exhibition celebrates the publication of Henry Grossman’s signed limited edition book, Kaleidoscope Eyes, Curvebender Publishing. Copies of Kaleidoscope Eyes are available through Govinda Gallery. Original limited edition prints of Henry Grossman’s photographs are available to collectors through the gallery.

“We’ve reached the point now where there are no barriers. Musically, now, this moment, tonight–This is where we are.”

— Paul McCartney, Abbey Road Studios, 1967

Carlotta Hester

Cary Scott — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 02:20:02 +0000

Govinda Gallery is pleased to be presenting Carlotta Hester’s exhibition, Elemental Journey. First exhibited in Ireland at the Cavan County Museum and then in Havana, Cuba, at the Galería de La Biblioteca Rubén Martínez Villena, Elemental Journey now will be seen for the first time in the United States at Govinda Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Elemental Journey features a series of limited edition works on paper derived from a selection of pages from the artist’s sketchbooks.

Sketchbooks are an integral part of Hester’s life, a portable home for memories, thoughts, and dreams. Insights and experiences gathered along her journeys through different spaces – whether they are the arts and cultures of other countries, the movements of everyday life, or the interior dimensions of the soul – are translated into Hester’s vocabulary of colors, text, and objects. These “collected bits of life” are arranged into explorations of material, techniques, and ideas, all of which produce an imagery in her work that is rich with symbolism.

Exhibit Photo Gallery. Click on an image to launch slideshow.

Alfred Wertheimer

Cary Scott — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:13:19 +0000

Alfred Wertheimer’s photographs of Elvis Presley are a national treasure. They are a unique visual record of the most exciting and influential performer of our time. Taken 50 years ago, Wertheimer’s photographs document Elvis Presley at the pivotal moment of his explosive appearance onto the cultural landscape. After these photos were taken, no photographer ever again had access to Elvis that Wertheimer enjoyed. Apart from Elvis’s own recordings from this period, Wertheimer’s photographs are the most compelling vintage document of this musical artist in 1956.

Elvis at 21 features over forty of these stunning and intimate black and white photographs. This exhibition also celebrates the publication of Elvis at 21: New York to Memphis (Insight Editions), with photographs and text by Alfred Wertheimer and edited by Chris Murray, owner and director of Govinda Gallery. Many previously unpublished photographs along with the author’s personal recollections document the young man who invented the rock and roll persona as we know it and would become an enduring international cultural icon.

Since 1995, Murray has presented Wertheimer’s work in several exhibitions, including his first major one-person exhibition in 1997 at Govinda Gallery and in the exhibition Artist to Icon: Early Photographs of Elvis, Dylan, and the Beatles organized in 2001 in conjunction with the Experience Music Project, Seattle.

Exhibit Photo Gallery. Click on an image to launch slideshow.

“Before Elvis there was nothing.”

— John Lennon

Frank Stefanko

Cary Scott — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 13:46:59 +0000

Patti Smith: American Artist has been produced as a fine-art photography book containing some of the “most beautiful portraits of Patti Smith ever taken” according to photographer, Bob Gruen. The intimate photographs, along with Stefanko’s first-hand accounts, capture the period of cultural change from the mid 1960s to the late 1970s, when a new genre of music was being born. The book chronicles young Smith’s emergence as a writer, painter, singer-songwriter, performer, poet, mystic, and political activist: a true “American Artist”. Smith has said of Stefanko, “good [turnpike] exit, good work, good friend. [*from Wikipedia]

Exhibit Photo Gallery. Click on an image to launch slideshow.

Richard Evans Schultes

Cary Scott — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 06:55:31 +0000

A fully illustrated catalogue, The Lost Amazon: The Photographic Journey of Richard Evans Schultes (Chronicle Books/Insight Editions, 2005) is available through the gallery.

Richard Evans Schultes photographs are available in limited edition estate-stamped prints through Govinda Gallery. Please contact the gallery for details or other information.

Exhibit Photo Gallery. Click on an image to launch slideshow.

Press & Media »

NPR – June 18th, 2008

Frank Stefanko

Cary Scott — Sat, 11 Oct 2003 12:08:02 +0000

Govinda Gallery is pleased to present Days of Hope & Dreams, the first solo exhibition of the photographs of Frank Stefanko. Stefanko, a young photographer who grew up in a working class neighborhood in New Jersey not far from Bruce Springsteen’s hometown, was introduced to the performer by their mutual friend, Patti Smith, in 1978. That introduction led to a five-year photographic collaboration between Springsteen and Stefanko resulting in cover photos by Stefanko for two of Springsteen’s most important albums, Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River.

Over the past two decades, Bruce Springsteen has established himself as one of the most influential and dynamic songwriters and performers in American popular music. Currently on a world tour with the legendary E Street Band and nominated for five Grammies for his recording The Rising, “The Boss” continues to entertain and inspire millions of people around the world.

This exhibition also celebrates the publication of Days of Hope and Dreams: An Intimate Portrait of Bruce Springsteen (Billboard Books/Insight Editions, 2003), with a foreword by Chris Murray and an introduction by Bruce Springsteen.

Exhibit Photo Gallery. Click on an image to launch slideshow.

“The pictures were raw…Their directness, their toughness, were what I wanted for my music at that time.”

-Bruce Springsteen, 2003