KNOXVILLE MUSEUM OF ART ACQUIRES RARE ANSEL ADAMS PHOTOGRAPH

THE KNOXVILLE MUSEUM OF ART ANNOUNCED THE RECENT ACQUISITION OF DAWN, AUTUMN FOREST, GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTAINS, TENNESSEE (1948)' BY LEGENDARY AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER ANSEL ADAMS. ADAMS (1902-1984) IS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS TIMELESS BLACK AND WHITE IMAGES OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK AND OTHER NATURAL WONDERS OF THE AMERICAN WEST. IN 1948, HOWEVER, HE TRAVELED TO THE GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, HIS FIRST AND ONLY RECORDED VISIT TO TENNESSEE, IN ORDER TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS AS PART OF A GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIP ON AMERICA'S NATIONAL PARKS AND MONUMENTS. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS ADAMS DISCOVERED THE SMOKIES TO BE AN INTIMIDATING SUBJECT. IN A LETTER OF 9.OCTOBER.1948, THE ARTIST CONFIDES THAT 'THE SMOKYS ARE OK IN THEIR WAY, BUT THEY ARE GOING TO BE DEVILISH HARD TO PHOTOGRAPH . . .' ADAMS ONLY PUBLISHED FOUR IMAGES FROM HIS VISIT. PRINTS OF THESE ARE LITTLE KNOWN AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE. THE KMA WAS ABLE TO ACQUIRE ONE OF THE FOUR, 'DAWN, AUTUMN FOREST, GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, TENNESSEE', THANKS TO THE GENEROUS FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM PATRICIA AND ALAN RUTENBERG AND MARY ELLEN AND STEVE BREWINGTON. 'DAWN, AUTUMN FOREST, GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, TENNESSEE' WILL BE ON DISPLAY IN THE KMA MAIN LOBBY BEFORE BEING INCORPORATED INTO 'HIGHER GROUND: A CENTURY OF THE VISUAL ARTS IN EAST TENNESSEE', THE MUSEUM'S PERMANENT INSTALLATION DEVOTED TO THE ART AND ARTISTS OF THE REGION. THE KMA IS SEEKING PRINTS OF ADAMS' OTHER THREE PUBLISHED IMAGES OF THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS WITH THE HOPE THAT IT CAN BECOME THE FIRST MUSEUM TO ACQUIRE A COMPLETE SET.