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Sierra Arts Foundation, Artemisia Moviehouse, and Holland Project present the first Nevada screening of HERB & DOROTHY 50X50, the 2013 follow-up to the critically acclaimed HERB & DOROTHY, a documentary chronicling Herbert and Dorothy Vogel’s world-class collection of art amassed on the modest salaries of a postal worker and a librarian. This sequel, showing Thursday, February 20th at 6:00pm in the Sierra Arts Gallery, follows the Vogels launching a national gift project with the National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington DC that constitutes one of the largest gifts in the history of American art: to give a total of 2,500 artworks to museums in all fifty states. Admission is free with doors opening at 5pm for appetizers and wine sponsored by Wild River Grille and a group discussion led by Holland Project Gallery Art Director Sarah Lillegard following the movie.

The film is a ‘road movie’ through the art world that takes the audience on a journey across the US to eleven recipient museums, from Honolulu to Fargo, meeting curators and visitors, and introduces famous (often controversial) artists, as well as unknown favorites of Herb and Dorothy. Though their collection was worth millions of dollars and contained nearly 5,000 pieces, the couple did not sell a single piece, instead giving fifty works to one museum in every state. Having worked their whole lives as civil servants, their wish was to give back to the people of the United States.

The Vogels’ unyielding eye and instinct have created one of America’s great treasures. But in July of 2012, Dorothy declared their collection closed after the passing of her husband Herb. She now works to create a living tribute to their partnership, the collection they created together, and the overwhelmingly positive legacy they have left on the American art world for generations to come. HERB & DOROTHY 50X50 captures the last chapter of the Vogels’ extraordinary life and their gift to the nation, raising various questions on art, and what it takes to support art in today’s society.

This movie showing is a continuation of Sierra Arts Third Thursday events, happening on the third Thursday of each month featuring artist receptions, music, community art classes, panel discussions, and more.

Read more about the movie here.