AUDIO GUIDE TRANSCRIPT

JON SHIRLEY:

My name is Jon Shirley, and I am pleased to share with you Calder: In Motion, The Shirley Family Collection. The works of Alexander Calder that you will see in these galleries have been collected over the past 35 years first with my late wife Mary and now with my wife Kim. Over those years we have found that living with Calder’s work has been a beautiful and uplifting experience.

Alexander Calder was a great artist whose father and grandfather were both sculptors. In Paris in the late 1920s Calder invented a new world of sculpture – first by using just wire and then by creating abstract works of sheet metal, wood, and wire that moved.

As you will see, this collection spans Calder’s art career from the 1920s until his death in 1976. The audio guide will discuss many different works that I love so please take the time to listen and learn about Calder the man and his art.

My family and I sincerely hope that you will find this visit a dynamic experience and that you return to the Seattle Art Museum for many years as we present ongoing exhibitions related to Calder and the artists inspired by Calder.

NARRATOR:

The exhibition attempts to capture something of how the works were displayed in the Shirleys’ home – setting up a unique dialogue across the decades. Joining us for this encounter will be exhibition curator José Diaz…

JOSÉ DIAZ:

My name is José Diaz.

NARRATOR:

... painter and sculptor Kennedy Yanko…

KENNEDY YANKO:

 Hi! My name is Kennedy Yanko.

NARRATOR:

… and Calder Foundation President – and grandson of the artist – Alexander S. C. Rower.

ALEXANDER S.C. ROWER:

Hi, I’m Alexander Rower. Everyone calls me Sandy.

NARRATOR:

I hope you’ll enjoy your tour.