Polk Museum of Art Galleries Come Alive with the Sounds of Music

Lakeland, FL (August 11, 2021) – This Fall, the Polk Museum of Art and Lakeland Symphony Orchestra are partnering to bring the performing and visual arts together in a one-of-a-kind exhibition, creating an immersive and multi-sensory viewing experience for art and music lovers alike. Guest curated by musicians of the Orchestra, “Pictures at an Exhibition,” opening September 11, pairs artwork from the Museum's permanent collection with hand-picked musical selections performed by the Orchestra musicians themselves. 

The exhibition is inspired by the work of Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s ten-piece suite created in 1874 of the same name. Mussorgsky composed his “Pictures at an Exhibition” suite to commemorate and honor the loss of his dear friend and artist, Viktor Hartmann. After Hartmann’s sudden passing in 1873, over 400 of his pieces were staged in a memorial exhibition. Mussorgsky visited the exhibition and was so moved by his beloved friend’s artwork, he composed “Pictures at an Exhibition” in just three weeks, creating his own musical interpretation of viewing ten of Hartmann’s drawings and paintings in the show.

The Museum and Symphony’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” carries Mussorgsky’s concept fully into the 21st century. Similar to the composer’s experience a century-and-a-half earlier, while viewing this new Museum exhibition, each visitor will have the opportunity to enjoy a curated musical pairing selected and recorded by Lakeland Symphony Orchestra musicians. Easily accessible codes and links will be available next to each work for viewers to scan, allowing them to hear each musical piece while viewing the artwork. 

“We are thrilled to collaborate on this exhibition to help arts patrons draw a connection between the art forms that they love,” explains Amy Wiggins, executive director of the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra. “Sometimes, it’s hard to make the through-line, but we were intrigued by how to draw that connection and create a musical and visual narrative. The performing arts are so emotional, it’s hard to put into words. By drawing this connection and having our musicians tell their musical story about a work of art, it gives our patrons and the community a better understanding of how the arts can connect and how they can tell their own story.”

In addition to the exhibition, the Museum and Symphony are also introducing the “Gallery Concert Series.” With four unique concerts differing in theme and ensemble performances, the “Gallery Concert Series” will host Lakeland Symphony Orchestra musicians as they perform in the Museum galleries.

“We have always been intrigued by the idea of elaborating upon visual art with musical performance as a means of activating the space of our galleries,” said Dr. H. Alexander Rich, executive director and chief curator of the Museum. “When we began our conversations about the concept for a collaborative, guest-curated ‘Pictures’ exhibition a few years ago, we became enthralled by the idea of a more holistic audience experience, appending the art on display with music to be enjoyed individually by each visitor. We quickly realized the next obvious step was to take our musical activation of the space of the Museum one giant leap further and use the exhibition also as a catalyst for live symphonic performances in the galleries.”

Four concerts will be available throughout the season. Tickets will be available for purchase to the public on August 23 and are available through PolkMuseumofArt.org/GalleryConcert. Concert dates include: 

October 14, 2021 at 6 pm
“Pictures at an Exhibition”
Mussorgsky’s beloved “Pictures at an Exhibition’ is reimagined for wind ensemble.

December 16, 2021 at 6 pm
“Holiday in Brass’
Trumpets and horns announce the joys of the holiday season. Hear classic carols and modern favorites.

February 10, 2022 at 6 pm
“Baroque Strings”
The Baroque era produced some of the earliest European music we consider familiar, like Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons or Pachelbel’s Canon.

April 21, 2022 at 6 pm
“Opera in Concert”
Hear a selection of favorite arias and popular Broadway performances by world-class artists.

For more information about “Pictures of an Exhibition,” the “Gallery Concert Series,” and more, please contact Taylor Holycross, manager of membership and communications, at tholycross@polkmuseumofart.org or 863.688.7743 ex. 259.