The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (BRAHM) announces a new exhibition,“Daingerfield & The Tonalist Instinct,” which will be on view from May 31 through October 19, 2025, in the Fort Gallery at BRAHM.
“Daingerfield & The Tonalist Instinct” explores the development of Tonalism—a distinctly American response to early modernist impulses in painting—and its connection to Elliott Daingerfield (1859–1932). Featuring works by Daingerfield and other key figures, the exhibition examines how tonalist principles were applied to the landscapes of the American South and became a significant influence on Daingerfield’s artistic evolution.
“This exhibition deepens BRAHM’s long-standing engagement with the art and legacy of Elliott Daingerfield,” says Ian Gabriel Wilson, curator of exhibitions and collections. “By focusing on his connection to Tonalism, we invite visitors to consider how subtle shifts in light, mood, and atmosphere shaped not only Daingerfield’s development as a painter, but a broader instinct shared by artists who viewed the Southern landscape as a site of emotional and spiritual resonance.”
Due to the wide range of Daingerfield’s interests—from religious subjects to landscapes, still lifes, and interior scenes—his work resists categorization within a single genre. “Daingerfield & The Tonalist Instinct” offers a focused lens through which to understand and contextualize one particularly influential current within his broader practice.
The exhibition draws from BRAHM’s permanent collection, several private collections (including promised gifts to the Museum), and works from three public institutions: the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC; The Johnson Collection in Spartanburg, SC; and the Asheville Art Museum in Asheville, NC. BRAHM appreciates the support and collaboration of the directors and staff at these partner institutions.
In addition to Daingerfield, the exhibition features works by artists new to BRAHM audiences, including Alice Ravenel Huger Smith (1876–1958), an American watercolorist and key figure in the Charleston Renaissance; Emil Carlsen (1848–1932), a Danish-born American painter associated with Tonalism and American Impressionism; and Dwight William Tryon (1849–1925), best known for his tonalist interpretations of landscapes and seascapes. Together, these and other featured artists—more than two dozen in total—offer a nuanced view of how tone, mood, and perception informed the shaping of American landscape painting in the decades around 1900.
BRAHM expresses special thanks to the Samuel M. and Alma Catsman Foundation, managed by Glenn and Eilleen Dempsey, for their generous sponsorship of this exhibition.
Programs:
July 10, 11 a.m.: Dr. Judkin Browning and Dr. Tim Silver from Appalachian State University will discuss their new book, “The Environmental History of the Civil War,” which is a fresh look at the most written about event in American history.
September 11, 6 p.m.: Tonalism lecture with Erin Corrales-Diaz from the Toledo Museum of Art.
About BRAHM
BRAHM’s mission is to curate, preserve, educate, and inspire. Rooted in the creative cultures of Appalachia, BRAHM aims to cultivate a community that extends beyond its walls and region, positioning Western North Carolina as a leader in the arts.
The 25,000-square-foot Blowing Rock Art and History Museum, known as BRAHM, opened its doors on October 1, 2011. Located just off Main Street in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, BRAHM provides cultural enrichment through educational programs, exhibitions, and activities.
The permanent collection of more than 600 objects includes works by Elliott Daingerfield, Maud Gatewood, Elizabeth Bradford, Mark Hewitt, and other American impressionist and post-impressionist artists. Open year-round, BRAHM welcomes over 24,000 visitors free of charge and presents more than 25 changing exhibitions annually. BRAHM also operates a robust outreach education program, serving local schools, daycares, and senior centers.
For more information, visit blowingrockmuseum.org.
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