The Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum will enhance its ever-evolving collection with “Selections from the Vault,” debuting more than 25 newly added pieces and offering free admission to visitors on Saturday, Feb. 7.
“Selections from the Vault” will offer a rare glimpse into the depth, experimentation and evolution of Rita Deanin Abbey’s artistic practice. With works of art spanning five distinct series, many pieces have not been publicly exhibited for nearly 60 years. Highlights include “Carnival Forms,” an oil on canvas piece created in 1956; “La Sal Mountain #1,” a watercolor on paper creation from 1971; and “Suddenly They Take Wing,” an acrylic on canvas painting completed in 1978.
To celebrate the launch, the museum will also host a special opening reception from noon to 3 p.m. Free and open to the public with complimentary all-day admission, the reception invites guests to explore the new pieces. Complimentary soft beverages will also be provided. To participate in the opening reception, separate RSVPs are required and can be made online here.
“The Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum was built to celebrate Rita’s legacy as a remarkable woman and artist, and we are delighted to add ‘Selections from the Vault’ to our ongoing rotation of pieces highlighting different eras of her career,” said Laura Sanders, Executive Director of the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum. “Each collection explores periods throughout Rita’s life, offering glimpses into her deepest passions and inspirations. Whether guests have visited the museum before or are first-time visitors, we encourage everyone to experience these wondrous additions to feel connected to Rita.”
Series within “Sections from the Vault” include the atmospheric Desert Space Series (1977–1979), inspired by the desert landscape’s forces, which combines mysterious structural forms with haunting atmospheres.
Also on display is the intimate River Trip Series (1971–1977),created during a six-day rafting journey through Cataract Canyon and shown in Abbey’s home since 1985. Abbey’s emotional responses to the natural environment are recorded in these highly expressive works. Though small in scale, they are packed with explosive expression, and through texture,line, and color, she has effectively captured the spirit of the river and canyon.
The selection also features newly revealed works from the Black Art Series (1967–1969), unseen since 1968. In these works, Abbey combined black paint with materials such as fiberglass, resin, wood, acrylic sheets, and polyurethane foam, using texture and light to activate form. As Abbey noted, black acts as a unifying force, and its interaction with light reveals shifting contours and meaning.
Additional works are included within Abbey’s formative Drawings from the Model Series, produced during her studies with legendary painter, Hans Hofmann, in the early 1950s. The series reveals the development of her approach to color, space, and structure.
Finally, bold, colorful abstract paintings from the Still Life Series further illuminate Abbey’s mid-1950s explorations of the fundamental elements that would shape her lifelong artistic vision. This series is less structured than most of her work and was created through an experimental process in which the exploration of the medium evolved into an image.
Complimentary admission is exclusively available on Saturday, Feb. 7, or on the first Saturday of each month throughout the year. Reservations must be made in advance.
Visit www.ritadeaninabbeymuseum.org for more information about the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum, to plan a visit, and to purchase tickets (visits are by appointment only).
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