The Men’s Art Council announces funding for a new site-specific work for Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) by the acclaimed artist Leonardo Drew. This is the Museum’s first site-specific commission in two decades and is the first work by Drew in the PhxArt Collection. Drew is known for using natural materials, such as wood, cotton, iron, and paper, and subjecting them to transformative processes like rusting, and weathering to create sculptural works and freestanding installations that consider the cycle of life, decay, and rebirth. The piece is now a permanent fixture on the first floor of the contemporary art wing at Phoenix Art Museum.
“We are thrilled to present this incredible work by Leonardo Drew to our community,” said Jeremy Mikolajczak, the Sybil Harrington Director and CEO of Phoenix Art Museum. “In the past few years, Drew has premiered new work in numerous exhibitions around the world, from museums in Oregon and Texas, to galleries and chapels in Hong Kong and England. We are very grateful to the Men’s Arts Council for helping us add the artist’s work to our collection. Drew’s sculptures and installations move audiences to consider the nature and meaning of life and existence, very real and concrete themes that we all contemplate, and it’s already becoming a visitor favorite.”
Based in Brooklyn, New York, and born in Tallahassee, Florida, Drew displayed a passion and talent for art at an early age, first exhibiting his work at 13. He went on to attend the Parsons School of Design and received his BFA from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in 1985. Today, he plays on the dystopian tension between order and chaos through sculptural and installation works that often challenge the architecture in which they inhabit. These creations also allude to America’s industrial past, as well as the plight of Black and African Americans throughout U.S. history. On a personal level, Drew’s works draw influence from his childhood surroundings, namely his experience growing up in the projects next to a landfill. Although his works appear to amass found objects, they are, in fact, made from “new” materials that he degrades or alters with various methods of decay. Drew’s artworks have been shown nationally and internationally and are included in numerous public and private collections, including those of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington DC; and Tate, London, among others.
“His artwork is magnificent,” said Art Harding, Men’s Art Council board president. “We are proud to help fund this project and bring such a unique piece to Phoenix Art Museum. It’s a centerpiece in the Museum and something the community should come out to see!”
