Independent curator Annabella Pritchard has always been fascinated by the Surrealist movement, and her research has been focused on women Surrealist artists for a little over a decade. 

One evening a year ago, she received a call from a close friend who had learned that art collector Benjamin Feldman had recently acquired a Salvador Dali collection and wanted to exhibit the pieces with a non-profit organization. Her friend put Feldman in contact with Pritchard; they chatted over the phone, and it wasn’t until after she hung up that she realized it was May 11, Dali’s birthday. It was a remarkable coincidence. After a year of authenticating artifacts at various institutions and planning and coordinating with the Muckenthaler Cultural Center, an exhibit of 50 Salvador Dali art pieces is open to the public and on display inside the historic Muckenthaler mansion until June 28. I recently had a chance to interview Pritchard about her time curating the Dali exhibit and took a tour of the displays with the collection’s owner. 

Pritchard said, “I felt in a way that I was betraying these Surrealist women and their spirits by focusing so much on Dali. But then, when I started chatting to people about this upcoming exhibition, I was very surprised. I must’ve communicated with dozens of people of all ages who didn’t know Salvador Dali, and I thought that was quite important. I thought this exhibition might help people discover his work, develop an interest, and explore his life and artistry. 2024 is also the 100th anniversary of the Surrealist movement, so that’s another lovely coincidence; it coincides with the Muckenthaler’s 100th anniversary.”

Pritchard wasn’t sure Muckenthaler CEO Farrell Hirsch would say yes to this exhibition, but he did. When preparing for this show, Pritchard was reminded of Dali’s connection with Caresse Crosby, a respected female publisher and poet. According to Pritchard, we probably wouldn’t know Salvador Dali if it wasn’t for Crosby’s support. Pritchard said, “I learned more about these powerful, interesting women artists while also moving forward with this exhibit on Dali, so it has been a great experience. As much as I like to credit Caresse Crosby for Dali’s success, his wife, Gala, was truly the architect of his career, and perhaps she was the first PR agent. She really knew how to publicize her husband’s work. But it was women whom Dali really loved and who helped shape his career and his vision.” 

Callie Prendiville Johnson, Communications Director at the Muckenthaler, explains that it took her and Pritchard about a year of planning to create this exhibit. Adam England, Chief Programs Officer at the Muckenthaler, designed the Dali exhibit. According to Johnson, it only took a couple of days to physically install all of Dali’s works. “How everything is [laid out in the gallery space] is how I had hoped it would be,” said Pritchard. “The blood-red wall is what I wanted so much. It’s very dramatic, and you have a gold frame. I think it’s heartstopping. I didn’t even want to bring this up. I was concerned it would be rejected, but when I walked into the gallery, there was the crimson wall.”

According to Pritchard, England wanted all the feminine pieces to be in the back gallery, which is Pritchard’s favorite room. She’s very fond of a Dali piece titled “Space Elephant” in the front gallery. Many people at the exhibit’s opening found the Surrealist sculpture of a bronze elephant standing on spidery legs (with an obelisk-like structure on its back), one of their favorite pieces in the show. Pritchard also happens to be drawn to “very erotic and exciting” Dali pieces available for viewing in the Muckenthaler’s back gallery, including sculptures such as Woman Aflame and Minotaur.” 

Art collector Feldman did his research and approached many prestigious, well-respected institutions that studied the Dali pieces now on display in the show and confirmed that they were authentic. Highlights from Feldman’s collection include theSurrealist artist’s iconic Les Amoureux (The Lovers) and Pantagruel.    

Pritchard hopes that everyone who sees the exhibit learns more about Surrealism. Elaborating, she explained that artists such as Andre Breton, who founded the Surrealist movement, eventually asked Salvador Dali to leave because perhaps Dali was too provocative or controversial for this group of artists. “Beauty in art can disturb or provoke or move you. It doesn’t matter if you find it grotesque as long as it stimulates you; enough to feel or to think, then it has done its job, and I was very moved by that when curating,” Pritchard said. “There could be people who visit and may not like this work, but if they’re thinking about it and exploring other artists in the movement, then the exhibition will perhaps have achieved its mission.” 

The Muckenthaler’s exhibit of Salvador Dali’s lesser-known works from Benjamin Feldman’s personal collection is on view in their Main Gallery until June 28. The Dali exhibit is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm and will also have special Sunday hours. Gallery admission is $5 and includes access to all of the museum’s current exhibitions. 

For more details, please visit themuck.org