The year 2016 marked the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death. In honor of the great playwright, this exhibition explored The Bard's band of characters, from the comedic to the tragic. It also centered on ideas of influence and inspiration. Queen Elizabeth I's patronage of Shakespeare and her support of theatre in general created a culture that was captivated by plays about love, comedy, revenge, and tragedy. Greek and Roman mythology was also loved by the Elizabethan public, so it is not surprising that Shakespeare would weave those mythological characters into his plays as themselves or as disguised figures with new names but similar personality traits.
Most importantly, the exhibition showcased the influence Shakespeare has had on the visual arts. From the production of paintings and engravings by England's great artists for John Boydell's Shakespeare Gallery to actors and actresses who took the Shakespearean stage for more recent audiences, Shakespeare's legacy remains very much alive.
Review of the exhibition: “Notes on an Exhibition - Shakespeare’s Characters: Playing the Part”
I requested permission to use this digital copy of a First Folio from the Folger Shakespeare Library. It was important to me that our audiences could access all pages of the Folio in its original format.
I borrowed a selection of Shakespeare-related books from the Toledo Public Library for the exhibition.
Each chat label in the exhibition quoted the specific passage in a Shakespearean text that the visual art work referenced. It was important to me that our audiences were able to make connections between visual art and the text by Shakespeare that inspired it. In this case, the specific passage from Hamlet had been written on the back of the painting!
Shakespeare drew from Classical mythology for his plays, so I included a few examples from antiquity in the exhibition.
The exhibition included Shakespeare-themed artwork, from Classical to Contemporary examples—including this work by artist Fred Wilson that references the character of Iago from Othello.
We created a Spotify Playlist for the exhibition. This sign was on view for our audiences to access while experiencing the exhibition. The exhibition was not only about Shakespeare, but also about creative arts (visual and musical) that his work has inspired.
Listen here: “Shakespeare’s Characters”