Jack Dowd:
Last Call

June 7 - August 16, 2024
Stulberg Gallery

ABOUT: Ringling College Galleries proudly presents the captivating exhibition, Jack Dowd: Last Call. Immerse yourself in an extraordinary installation featuring a majestic 22-foot mahogany bar with 13 life-size characters bellied up to the bar. Delve into the evocative world of Dowd's bar patrons through 13 pastel drawings, alongside a collection of sculptures and paintings that illuminate the illustrious career of Jack Dowd.

The installation, Last Call, crafted by renowned Sarasota artist Jack Dowd, emerged over two years and was finalized in early 2001. The sculpture debuted at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in a two-month exhibition later that year.

A cultural homage to the dynamic essence of American urban nightlife, Last Call features 13 life-size sculptures engaging along a 22-foot mahogany bar. Symbolizing a communal space in a traditional New York City tavern, it reflects the diversity of its patrons, echoing the ethos of the 1930s Ash Can School, which portrayed the realities of urban life.

The mahogany bar, meticulously designed and built by Jack Dowd and his assistant, his son Jon Dowd, comprises 26 pieces and incorporates cutting-edge lighting and sound systems. The creation of 13 life-size characters and the construction of the 22x10x14-foot bar stand as a labor of love and a pinnacle achievement in Dowd's illustrious fifty-plus-year career as an artist.

Last Call the Ballad, akin to a theatrical performance, captures the heightened intensity of a moment before the 4 am closing time, freezing its characters in a tableau of anticipation and desperation. Its showcase inspired the creation of Last Call: The Dance, an original ballet choreographed by Robert DeWarren, formerly of the Royal Ballet and Ballet La Scala Milan, and performed at the Asolo Theatre in 2007.

This exhibition will be on view from June 6-Aug. 16, 2024 (closed all Federal Holidays). In-person viewings are free and open to the public

OPENING RECEPTION: ·  June 7, 5-7pm, free and open to the public

HOURS: Tuesday-Saturday, 12-6pm. For more information, please 941.359.7563