LOS ANGELES, CA—The Skirball Cultural Center unveils two new exhibitions opening May 4, 2023, Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare and Peter Krasnow: Breathing Joy and Light.

Film and civic history collide in the West Coast debut of Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare. Developed by the Jewish Museum Milwaukee and expanded by the Skirball to include film costumes, posters, artwork, Oscar® statuettes, and more, this exhibition examines the history and impact of Hollywood’s Red Scare, foregrounding the experiences of the people caught in the crosshairs of the blacklist.

Peter Krasnow: Breathing Joy and Light features the artist’s post–World War II paintings selected from the Skirball’s extensive holdings of Krasnow works. Krasnow (1886–1979), a Jewish immigrant from Ukraine, was inspired by the distinct light and optimistic energy of Southern California, where he lived and worked for more than fifty years.

In addition, the Skirball is extending its first-ever outdoor exhibition, Chloë Bass: Wayfinding, which features sculptures placed around the institution’s fifteen-acre campus.

All three exhibitions will be on view until September 3, 2023.

“At the Skirball, we aim to tell a broad range of stories that exemplify Jewish history and values and their broader connection to the American ideals of freedom, equality, and democracy. These two exhibitions, starkly different in tone, are equally impactful to me. While Blacklist reminds us of a dark moment in American history and the importance of exploring difficult themes in a contemporary context, Peter Krasnow underscores the restorative power of the beautiful Southern California landscape that surrounds us, and how art in and of itself can help repair what is broken within us and in the world. May his defiant optimism build hope and resilience in our audiences as well,” said Jessie Kornberg, Skirball Cultural Center President and CEO.

Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare
May 4–September 3, 2023
Explore Hollywood’s Red Scare, and the contemporary implications of the blacklist. In October 1947, the House Un-American Activities Committee called on Hollywood figures to testify about allegations of Communist propaganda in American films. Although the committee never found evidence of this, the film industry responded by becoming the first mass employer to adopt a blacklist against employees whose political beliefs ran counter to prevailing ideals. Making its West Coast debut at the Skirball Cultural Center with newly added artifacts, Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare shines a spotlight on the proceedings, investigations, motives, and choices of those caught in the crosshairs—including the many Jewish creatives and executives who suffered under and enforced the blacklist. The result is an emotionally complex and compelling exhibition that demonstrates how the politics of Hollywood can also shape the entire country.

Peter Krasnow: Breathing Joy and Light
May 4–September 3, 2023
Get lost in the organic forms and vibrant colors of paintings by Peter Krasnow, a Jewish immigrant from Ukraine who spent more than half a century living and working in Glendale, California. His works are inspired by the language and folktales of his Jewish heritage, the plant life of his home and studio, and the shining optimism of Southern California. This exhibition, drawn from the Skirball Cultural Center’s extensive Krasnow collection, focuses on the artist’s post–World War II paintings, which come to life with mysterious, dancing forms in candy-colored hues. Krasnow felt the need to convey a message of resilience to help the world recover from a chapter of despair. His paintings from this post-war period responded to a dark, chaotic time with a powerful antidote: joy, color, and life.

Peter Krasnow (b. 1886, Novograd Volynsk, Ukraine—d. 1979, Glendale, CA) was a significant figure in Southern California modern art. Krasnow began his artistic career painting signs in his father’s shop and after immigrating to the United States in 1907, studied art in settlement houses and ultimately graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1915. After five years in New York City, he moved to Glendale, California, in 1922 where he lived and worked for the rest of his life. His work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at the Whitney Studio Club; the Los Angeles Museum (now LACMA); the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco; the Pasadena Art Institute (now the Norton Simon Museum); the Skirball Museum at Hebrew Union College (predecessor to the Skirball Cultural Center); and the Laguna Art Museum. Krasnow’s paintings and sculptures have also been included in group exhibitions at the III Bienal of São Paulo; the Whitney Museum of American Art; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

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Ticketing for the Spring 2023 Exhibitions:

Tickets for Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare will be released on Thursday, April 6, at 10:00 am PT, and include general admission. Special pricing: $18 General; $15 Seniors, Full-Time Students, and Children over 12; $13 Children 2–12. Peter Krasnow: Breathing Joy and Light will be included with admission to Blacklist, Noah’s Ark at the Skirball, or as part of general admission: $12 General; $9 Seniors, Full-Time Students, and Children over 12; $7 Children 2–12. Exhibitions are always free to Skirball Members and Children under 2 and are free to all on Thursdays. 

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Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare and its related educational programs at the Skirball Cultural Center are made possible by generous support from the following donors:

The Stanley and Joyce Black Family Foundation
Harold and Stephanie Bronson
Engaging the Senses Foundation
The Keston Family
In Memory of George Litto by Andria Litto
TZ Projects & Friends
Peter and Julie Weil

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About the Skirball:

The Skirball Cultural Center is a place of meeting guided by the Jewish tradition of welcoming the stranger and inspired by the American democratic ideals of freedom and equality. We welcome people of all communities and generations to participate in cultural experiences that celebrate discovery and hope, foster human connections, and call upon us to help build a more just society. 
 

Visiting the Skirball:

The Skirball is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049. Museum hours: Tuesday–Friday, 12:00–5:00 pm; Saturday–Sunday, 10:00 am–5:00 pm; closed Mondays and holidays.

Admission to Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories: $18 General; $15 Seniors, Full-Time Students, and Children over 12; $13 Children 2–12. Admission to Noah’s Ark at the Skirball: $12 General; $9 Seniors, Full-Time Students, and Children over 12; $7 Children 2–12. Together for Good: Caron Tabb and the Quilting Corner and Chloë Bass: Wayfinding are included with admission to Fabric of a Nation, Noah’s Ark at the Skirball, or as part of general admission: $12 General; $9 Seniors, Full-Time Students, and Children over 12; $7 Children 2–12. Exhibitions are always free to Skirball Members and Children under 2 and are free to all on Thursdays.

Advance timed-entry reservations are recommended for Noah’s Ark at the Skirball and Fabric of a Nation; tickets for these exhibitions are sold separately. For general information, the public may call (310) 440-4500 or visit skirball.org.