Author Blake Gopnik To Discuss Biography ANDY WARHOL: WHAT MAKES HIM A GREAT ARTIST At The McAninch Arts Center

The Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA) at the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) on the College of DuPage (COD) campus presents an engaging selection of thought-provoking programming to align with the upcoming WARHOL exhibition opening June 3 and continuing through Sept. 10.

The first of these lectures, Blake Gopnik — “Andy Warhol: What Makes Him a Great Artist,” will take place at the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd. in Glen Ellyn on the College of DuPage campus, Saturday, June 3 at 2 p.m.

Gopnik will present the clearest documentation to date of a mysterious and innovative artist who constantly avoided definition, and whose work continues to impact modern culture. Gopnik conducted extensive research to create an in-depth look into Andy Warhol from historical, social and artistic perspectives, providing insight into what set him apart from his contemporaries.

Gopnik is the author of "Warhol," the definitive biography of the Pop Art artist. He has been a staff critic at the Globe and Mail, the Washington Post and Newsweek, and critic-at-large for ArtInfo and Artnet News.

Additionally, Gopnik is a regular contributor to The New York Times and posts a weekly Friday Pic on his website blakegopnik.com, while publishing his Warhol research and insights at Warholiana.com.

Tickets to Blake Gopnik — “Andy Warhol: What Makes Him a Great Artist” are $10, but free to anyone who has purchased a ticket to the WARHOL exhibition at the CCMA. For more info, visit WARHOL2023.com or call the McAninch Arts Center at 630.942.4000.

This event is part of a series of programming developed to support the WARHOL exhibition, unfolding across nearly 11,000 square-feet of exhibition space June 3 — Sept. 10. In total, more than 200 original Warhol works will be on display, including the 94 works from “Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop | Works from the Bank of America Collection” on loan through Bank of America's Art in our Communities program, and a collection of more than 150 Warhol photographs from the College of DuPage's Permanent Art Collection. Visitors will experience Andy Warhol's life through interactive exhibits, recreations and videos created exclusively for this exhibition including a historical exhibit, Kids Pop Art Print Factory, Studio 54 Experience, Central Park-inspired outdoor space and Silver Clouds installation.

WARHOL featuring “Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop | Works from the Bank of America Collection” is presented by Bank of America and made possible through support from Ball Horticultural Company, Bjarne R. Ullsvik, Wight & Company, DuPage Foundation; JCS Arts, Health and Education Fund of the DuPage Foundation, Clayco and the College of DuPage Foundation.  

The late Cleve Carney provided a significant legacy gift to establish the Cleve Carney Art Gallery at College of DuPage. The gallery opened in February 2014 with its inaugural exhibition, “Selections from Cleve Carney's Art Collection.” In fall 2020, the gallery was expanded to a 2,500 square-foot museum. The Cleve Carney Museum of Art opened June 2021 with the highly anticipated “Frida Kahlo: Timeless” exhibition and hosts exhibitions year-round.

Funding for CCMA is provided by the Cleve Carney Endowment Fund, which supports vital programming including artist engagement opportunities for community members and students, gallery exhibitions, artist commissions, new acquisitions and other teaching and learning tools that foster cultural enrichment in our community. More information can be found at TheCCMA.org and on social media @CleveCarneyMuseumofArt.  

The McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located at 425 Fawell Blvd., 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), the outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college's academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.  

The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community.