ASHEVILLE, NC.- The Asheville Art Museum is opening The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation will be on view from June 15–October 22, 2023 in the Explore Asheville Exhibition Hall, Level III. “We are delighted to bring this extraordinary exhibition to Western North Carolina where we are sure it will inspire residents and visitors alike. Southern Appalachia is renowned for its food, historically and today, we are fortunate to be surrounded by that uniqueness, from farming to brewing, to the creativity and inventiveness demonstrated by our culinary community. I know all will find inspiration in the artists’ responses to food, this essential element of life and culture. Many thanks to the staff of the University of Arizona Museum of Art and the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation for organizing and sharing this timely and important project with us,” Pamela Myers, executive director of the Asheville Art Museum.

Food is culture. Whether coming from a farm or factory-raised, traveling from kitchen to mouth, what has been eaten can be a means of understanding time, place, and people. The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation brings together works from some of the most preeminent postwar and contemporary artists who employ food as their subject matter. This exhibition and associated programming will explore the many identities of food in daily life: whether a source of pleasure, a reason for gathering, a mass-produced commodity, or a reflection of social ideologies and divisions.

The Art of Food features works from important postwar artists, like Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, John Baldessari, Wayne Thiebaud, Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol, David Hockney, and Jasper Johns, alongside the work of contemporary artists, like Alison Saar, Lorna Simpson, Enrique Chagoya, Rachel Whiteread, and Jenny Holzer, among others.

The Art of Food features more than 100 works in mediums that include drawings, paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, and ceramics by 37 artists.




Each artist has a unique means of depicting food in their work that, when seen alongside others, creates a nuanced representation of the complex place food holds in everyday life. Cross-historical resonances between artists in the exhibition spark novel meditations on food and its discontents, while speaking to a broad range of audiences.

According to Kate Faulkner, director of learning & engagement, “Exhibition programming will present an opportunity for Western North Carolinians to think beyond food as nourishment and consider ways that food and culture inform one other. Exhibition-related programming will highlight and celebrate topics surrounding our region's food, people and history. Join us for a free Community Day on September 2nd celebrating the exhibition and enjoy additional events on Third Thursday evenings throughout the summer.”

Jordan Schnitzer, Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation Director remarks, “We are excited to partner with the Asheville Art Museum to present The Art of Food exhibition! This is a fantastic opportunity to view art that explores the universal theme of food through the eyes of some of the world's most important contemporary artists. Truly a feast for the eyes and mind!”

THE JORDAN SCHNITZER FAMILY FOUNDATION

At age 14, Jordan D. Schnitzer bought his first work of art from his mother’s Portland, Oregon, contemporary art gallery, evolving into a lifelong avocation as collector. He began collecting contemporary prints and multiples in earnest in 1988. Today, the collection exceeds 20,000 works and includes many of today’s most important contemporary artists. It has grown to be one of the country’s largest private print collections. He generously lends work from his collection to qualified institutions. The Foundation has organized over 120 exhibitions and has had art exhibited at over 160 museums. Schnitzer is also president of Schnitzer Properties, a privately owned real estate investment company based in Portland.