Theater and Dance
Alex Katz (American, b. 1927). Polaris Cube, 1976. Aluminum frame, 9 x 9 x 9 ft. Paul Taylor Dance Company. Photograph by Paul B. Goode. © 2024 Alex Katz / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Courtesy American Federation of Arts.
On exhibition
November 2, 2024 – February 2, 2025
Located on the second floor of The Baker Museum
A lex Katz: Theater and Dance constitutes the first comprehensive exploration of Katzʼs playful and inventive collaborations with choreographers, dancers and members of avant-garde theater ensembles over six decades. In addition to presenting a range of works by innovators across the performing arts and poetry, it spotlights 15 productions Katz produced with Paul Taylor, exploring the creative partnership that generated some of the most significant postmodern dance and art of the 20th century.
Artworks from the show are drawn from the comprehensive Alex Katz holdings at the Colby College Museum of Art, home to a collection of nearly 900 works by the artist, and complemented by unpublished, never-before-exhibited sketches from the artistʼs collection, major sets and paintings, and rare archival materials from Paul Taylor Dance Company, among other key loans attesting to the intertwined histories of painting and stage design in Katzʼs works. This broad range of material, together with the insights of many Katz collaborators past and present, provides an innovative kind of retrospective: that of an artistic sensibility.
Visit the Exhibition
Reserve your museum tickets online.
Museum Admission
Selected Works
Jack Mitchell (American, 1925-2013). Alex Katz with his painting Paul Taylor Dance Company (1964), 1966. Getty Images. © 2024 Alex Katz / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Courtesy American Federation of Arts.
Alex Katz (American, b. 1927). Last Look, 1986. Oil on board, 24 x 60 1/4 in. Alex Katz Studio. ©2024 Alex Katz / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Courtesy American Federation of Arts.
Alex Katz (b. 1927). Dancers 14, 2019. Oil on linen, 48 x 96 in. Collection of the artist. © 2024 Alex Katz / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Courtesy American Federation of Arts.
Alex Katz (b. 1927).Bill 2, 2017. Oil on linen, 60 x 144 in. Collection of the artist. Photograph by Paul Takeuchi. © 2024 Alex Katz / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Courtesy American Federation of Arts.
Associated Events
Lecture
Kevin Lotery, Ph.D.
Alex Katz: Stage and Screen
November 8, 2024
Friday at 10am
Ubben Signature Event Space
Since the start of his career, Alex Katz has drawn from dance, performance and theater. His collaborations with choreographers and playwrights like Laura Dean, Kenneth Koch and Paul Taylor are pivotal to cross-disciplinary thought in post-World War II American art. This lecture explores Katz’s theatrical proscenia — screens, stages and surfaces — examining their impact on his painting. Focused on Katz’s collaboration with Taylor, the lecture considers movements within today’s image-saturated culture.
Lecture
Michael Novak
Alex Katz and Paul Taylor Dance
January 17, 2025
Friday at 1pm
Ubben Signature Event Space
Alex Katz: Theater and Dance is the first comprehensive exhibition to explore Katz’s inventive collaborations with choreographers, dancers and avant-garde theater ensembles over six decades. Highlighting 15 productions with Paul Taylor, the exhibition examines the creative partnership that shapes significant postmodern dance and art. Join Paul Taylor Dance Company Artistic Director Michael Novak in a conversation about the collaborative spirit that defined Katz’s enduring partnership with the company, leading to groundbreaking artistic achievements.
Alex Katz: Theater and Dance is organized by the American Federation of the Arts and the Colby College Museum of Art and is curated by guest curator Levi Prombaum. This presentation at Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum is curated by Dianne Brás-Feliciano, Ph.D., curator of modern art.