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Museum’s first hardcover publication now in major national distribution

ABILENE, Texas (January 7, 2010) – The Grace Museum's award-winning 2009 publication James Surls: From the Heartland was recently selected for distribution in the Spring 2010 catalog of Distributed Art Publishers (D.A.P.), the exclusive North American representative of the Guggenheim Museum; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, among many others. Chief Curator Judy Deaton said the selection of the book for distribution on this scale represents a significant step forward for The Grace.

"D.A.P. is the top tier distributor for art publications of this type, and it's a tremendous honor that we've been included in their distribution catalog, as well as a huge sign of respect for the work everyone put into the project," said Deaton, who was responsible for coordinating and editing the monograph. The book is the first hardcover publication ever produced by The Grace.

Internationally acclaimed sculptor James Surls was present at The Grace Museum's May 2009 opening of the landmark exhibition of his work, James Surls: From the Heartland, which featured 12 drawings and 21 sculptures. The exhibition and accompanying hardcover book highlighted Surls' distinctive and contemporary 2005 drawings and the subsequent sculptures, created in response to his move from the woodlands of East Texas to the vistas of his current home in Carbondale, Colo. Deaton says the move for Surls represented a dynamic shift in his approach to art and the world around him.

"Those familiar with Surls' work from past decades will notice a very obvious distinction between his early, most recognizable forms and his latest pieces," Deaton said. "A lot of the same symbols and figures emerge, but in very different ways than before. Instead of focusing on mass and weight, these works focus on line, light and space."

The oversized book measures 12 x 14 in., is 167 pages long, and includes 85 rich color images of Surls' sculpture and drawings. It features essays by Susie Kalil, Patterson Sims and Hiram Butler, three of the nation's foremost authorities on contemporary American art. The book was designed by Don Quaintance of Houston, with photographs by Robert Millman. James Surls: From the Heartland is currently available to order from Distributed Art Publishers online at http://www.artbook.com, and Deaton said the first shipment of books made its way from the museum to the publisher's warehouse earlier this week.

The Grace Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums, and houses a children’s museum, history museum, and art museum. At 55,000 square feet, The Grace Museum is the tenth largest general museum in Texas, and is the cornerstone of cultural arts and education in West Texas. The museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Grace Museum is a non-profit organization, and the museum’s exhibitions and educational programs are supported in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, the City of Abilene, Taylor County, and the Downtown Revitalization Program of the Tax Increment Finance District.

The Grace Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Thursday. Admission is free Thursday evening after 5 p.m.