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There's a special relationship between the late great Andy Warhol and the City of Tacoma - a relationship that may not make T-town look too good, but we're making up for it.

In 1982, we had a shot at a Warhol flower design on the roof of the Tacoma Dome. It would have been the largest Warhol installation in the world. But the artist's proposal was rejected by seven short-sighted officials who couldn't see what they had in hand because their heads were up their rears.

Recently, City of Tacoma's Arts Administrator Amy McBride has been corresponding with the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh and the Warhol Foundation in New York, and now the next best thing - maybe even a better thing - is coming to town.

This November, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Warhol's proposal for Tacoma, the artist's flowers and vision for the Dome are coming to Tacoma Art Museum. The show Andy Warhol's Flowers for Tacoma will be on display Nov. 3 through Feb. 10, 2013. The exhibition celebrates more than 100 works by Warhol.

"Tacoma Art Museum is proud to bring this extensive body of Warhol's work to the Puget Sound," says Stephanie A. Stebich, director of Tacoma Art Museum. "The exhibition offers insights into Warhol's career that are rarely seen in the Northwest."

The exhibition will include Warhol's audacious floral proposal for the Tacoma Dome consisting of a brightly colored flower that would have covered the Dome, as well as paintings, studio photographs, and almost a dozen screen prints from his vibrant Flower series, which is based on a photograph of hibiscus flowers by Patricia Caulfield. The exhibition traces Warhol's ongoing interest in floral imagery from the early 1950s through 1986.

"This exhibition offers visitors a rare opportunity to explore in-depth a little-known component of Warhol's career and to re-imagine the city of Tacoma through his vision," says Rock Hushka, director of curatorial administration at Tacoma Art Museum. "The exhibition will show how one of the most influential American artists engaged with Tacoma."

When asked what about flowers attracted Warhol, Hushka says, "I think it was a handful of things. First, like most people, I think he really liked flowers because they were beautiful, fragile, fleeting, and ubiquitous. On a conceptual level, I think he was interested in testing the idea of the ‘sameness' of images. A flower image was no more important than a soup can, an electric chair, or a celebrity like Marilyn Monroe. I believe he was interested in seeing if he could make any mundane photograph (especially one that was randomly suggested by Henry Geldzahler) into a work of art the same way he did with the soup cans and the celebrities. Lastly, I think he soon discovered how many different variations he could make within fairly limited parameters. It's all so fascinating." 

Flowers for Tacoma will further cultivate art and culture by raising awareness about Warhol's proposal and the growing interest in realizing his vision. Advocates of the project, known as Citizens to Install Andy Warhol's Flower on Tacoma Dome, are trying to raise awareness about the significance of Warhol's proposition and the opportunity it provides for Tacoma. Learn more about them at www.Facebook.com/WarholonTacomaDome.

This exhibition is organized by Tacoma Art Museum, with the acknowledgement of the generosity of The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh.

Related Programs and Events

Print It!

• Saturday, Nov. 3, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Celebrate the opening of Andy Warhol's Flowers for Tacoma by creating screen prints inspired by Warhol. Cost: $35 ($25 for members)

Adorning the Dome

• Saturday, Nov. 3, 2 p.m.
• Amy McBride, City of Tacoma arts administrator, discusses Warhol's 1982 flower design submission for the Tacoma Dome and the current, renewed movement to put the design on the dome. Cost: Free with museum admission.

Hop Art Ale

Saturday, Nov. 3, 3 p.m.

• Join the unveiling of Hop Art Ale, a hand-crafted brew inspired by the Andy Warhol exhibition and specially created by the Harmon Brewery.

New Year's Eve Bash: Studio 54 at Tacoma Art Museum

Monday, Dec. 31
Ring in 2013 in Studio 54 style at an Andy Warhol-inspired celebration. Cost: $150 for Studio 54 Platinum VIP; $100 for Studio 54 Gold VIP; $50 for Studio 54 Pass

LINK: Alec Clayton reviews local art shows