A pumpkin-themed Infinity Room by Yayoi Kusama at McNay Art Museum in San Antonio headlines a new exhibition there, Limitless! Five Women Reshape Contemporary Art. The exhibition offers trailblazing installations in diverse mediums by female artists Martine Gutierrez, Letitia Huckaby, Kusama, Sandy Skoglund, and Jennifer Steinkamp.
From floor-to-ceiling art and video installations to a fan-favorite Infinity Mirror Room, this multigenerational and multicultural group of artists demonstrates boundless creativity and serves as inspiration to their contemporaries and future generations.
“The McNay is San Antonio’s place of beauty and belonging because of the vision of a woman artist,” Richard Aste, McNay Director and CEO, said. “The five women celebrated here this season bring Marion Koogler McNay’s founding commitment to excellence, community, and equity deeper into the 21st century.”
What you’ll see at the McNay Museum of Art
Letitia Huckaby’s wall installation, titled Koinonia, in the McNay’s AT&T Lobby initiates the groundbreaking exhibition experience with the artist’s haunting imagery. Huckaby was a recent Artist-In-Residence at San Antonio’s Artpace, and is the only Texas-based artist included in the exhibition.
Martine Gutierrez’s four fanciful videos explore the intersections of film, fashion, and music, and are presented in a club-like setting that echoes the stylish character of the videos.
Sandy Skoglund’s whimsical The Cocktail Party, from the McNay Collection, is paired with the newest installation by the artist, titled Winter.
Jennifer Steinkamp’s mesmerizing video, Botanic 3, also from the McNay’s Collection, and X-Ray Eyes, appear as swirling, wall-sized animations.
Finally, Kusama’s fantastical pumpkin-filled Infinity Mirror Room invites visitors to enter the space and become part of the art.
“Each of these artists has carved out a path for her creative vision, rather than conforming to overriding art trends,” René Paul Barilleaux, Head of Curatorial Affairs, said. “The artwork on view reflects the dynamic and dramatic shifts occurring in the visual arts over the past several decades, defying categorization and reminding us of the truly limitless possibilities contemporary art embodies.”
Yayoi Kusama at McNay Museum of Art
Yayoi Kusama’s All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins is on loan to the McNay from the Dallas Museum of Art. This installation is the first Infinity Mirror Room featuring pumpkins created by Kusama since 1991, and the only one of its kind in a North American collection. All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins focuses the reflective chamber on a series of acrylic yellow gourds covered in black polka dots, one of Kusama’s frequently used motifs.
Own your own Yayoi Kusama soft pumpkin sculpture.
Yayoi Kusama McNay Art Museum Infinity Room tickets
Timed tickets for the Infinity Mirror Room are required for all visitors, including McNay Members. Up to two guests are allowed in the room at a time for a period of 45 seconds, and masks must be worn at all times. A McNay Security Team member will open and close the door to the entrance, allowing for a touch-free experience for guests. A digital reservation system will bring visitors to the line within 15 minutes of their turn to help reduce wait time and adhere to 6-foot physical distancing protocols. Guests can purchase tickets online at mcnayart.org, or in-person at the Museum Front Desk.
Through the use of innovative technology, engagement experiences throughout the exhibition are designed to be touch-free while still amplifying the immersive nature of each artwork. Visitors can enjoy a text bot that delivers artist-focused content to mobile devices, a floral wall photo-op, an in-exhibition dance challenge, and a suite of custom Instagram filters offering playful surprises on-site and at home.
Yayoi Kusama at McNay Art Museum and the Limitless exhibition are on view through September 19, 2021.
Tickets are $20 for adults; $15 for students, seniors (65+), and active military and veterans; $10 for teens; free for children 12 and under, and McNay Members. Free admission is also provided for recipients of SNAP, WIC, and MAP through Museums for All, a cooperative which encourages families of all backgrounds to visit museums.
McNay Art Museum Hours and Directions
The McNay Art Museum is located at 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., San Antonio, TX, 78209.
It is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from Noon to 5 p.m. A $10 Special Exhibition fee is charged for access to Limitless! on Free H-E-B Thursday Nights (4 to 6 p.m.) and Free Dickson-Allen Foundation First Sundays of the Month (Noon to 5 p.m.). The McNay’s outdoor grounds are open daily from sunup to sundown.
Guests are invited to join the exhibition conversation and share their visit on social media using #MakeItLimitless.
About McNay Art Museum
The McNay Art Museum engages a diverse community in the discovery and enjoyment of the visual arts. Built in the 1920s by artist and educator Marion Koogler McNay, the Spanish Colonial Revival residence became the site of Texas’s first modern art museum when it opened in 1954.
Today, 200,000 visitors a year enjoy works by modern masters including Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Edward Hopper, Joan Mitchell, Alice Neel, Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The 25 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds include sculptures by Willie Cole, Robert Indiana, Luis A. Jiménez Jr., Alejandro Martín, George Rickey, Joel Shapiro, Kiki Smith, Tom Wesselmann, and more.
By Chadd Scott
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