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HomeArts/LeisureKarsh exhibit at the Customs House Museum is being extended

Karsh exhibit at the Customs House Museum is being extended

The Customs House Museum and Cultural CenterDue to popular demand, the exhibit Yousuf Karsh: Master of the Photographic Portrait has been extended through January 17th at the Customs House Museum. The suite of fifteen portraits by Karsh has never before been available for public viewing. The collection, which is available for purchase, is on loan from Haynes Galleries, Franklin, Tennessee.

Picasso - Karsh Yousuf
Picasso - Karsh Yousuf

Yousuf Karsh was known as the master of studio lighting. He had a gift for capturing the essence of his subject. Throughout his career, Karsh used a 1940s 8 x 10 bellows Calumet camera. One of his trademark techniques was to light the subject’s hands separately.

His portrait of Winston Churchill catapulted Karsh to fame when it was sold to Life magazine. This portrait is included in the museum’s exhibit. Also included are Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Muhammad Ali, and others. At first glance, the images staring back you appear more as charcoal renderings than photographs.

Yousuf Karsh went on to win numerous awards and publish fifteen books of his work. His photographs can be found in such collections as the Art Institute of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the International Museum of Photography. In 2000, Karsh was named as one of the 100 most notable people of the century by the International Who’s Who. He was not only the only photographer named, but had himself, photographed more than half the others named.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the museum will offer programming through December and January, including an evening showing of Picasso: Magic, Sex, Death on December 15th and an opportunity to enjoy your lunch while screening a short art film on January 12th. The lunchtime screening is free, while the evening performance has a three dollar admission fee unless you are a museum member.

picasso film flyer

The exhibit will run through January 17, 2010. The Customs House Museum is located at the corner of Second and Commerce Streets. Regular museum hours are 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 pm on Sundays. Adult admission is $5, Sr. Citizens $4, College ID $2, Ages 6 to 18 $1, and under six is free. For more information on above events, or interest in purchasing all or part of the collection, contact Terri Jordan, Community Relations Director, at 931-648-5780 or terri@customshousemuseum.org.

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