"Record-setting" is a term not usually applied to works of art, but it's appropriate for "Black Sea of Trees," a mural by Sarah Emerson.
Her latest large-scale work is on display in the Haskell Atrium Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
The painting is the finale of the second season of Project Atrium.
The painting was done on all three walls of the space and its combined dimensions of 70 feet wide by 40 feet in height make it the largest painting ever exhibited in a Jacksonville museum or gallery, said Ben Thompson, museum curator.
"It's also the largest painting Sarah Emerson has ever done. It's certainly her most ambitious project," he said.
Emerson used the large scale of the space to create an impression of standing safely at the edge of the wilderness, viewing the power and mystery of nature in the distance.
The Project Atrium series was conceived to take advantage of the architectural design of the building, Thompson said.
When it opened in 1931 as the Western Union Telegraph Building, the atrium was a "light well," an open space designed to take advantage of natural light to illuminate offices in the building.
When the structure was redesigned as the new home of the museum, the space was enclosed creating the atrium at the top of the stairs in the lobby.
"The architects were faced with finding a way to make people recognize there are galleries on the upper floors. The design draws visitors' attention up to the galleries," said Thompson.
Along with allowing artists to work on a grand scale, another concept behind the series is to exhibit up-and-coming talent in contemporary art.
Thompson said that part of the mission has been recognized by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, which has awarded the museum a two-year grant to sustain Project Atrium.
Thompson said the foundation is focused on supporting developing artists. The Museum of Contemporary Art is the only institution in Jacksonville ever to be supported by a grant from the foundation and is the only institution selected for a grant in the foundation's current cycle, he said.
"We have great local support from Regions Bank and Driver, McAfee, Peek & Hawthorne, and now we have national support," said Thompson.
Emerson is scheduled to be a guest at the museum Saturday for "Contemporary Classic: Artisan Edition," this year's annual fundraiser to benefit the museum's educational programs.
The evening includes seated dinner in the galleries, cocktails and appetizers prepared by local chefs.
For information about the gala, exhibits, educational programs and membership, visit mocajacksonville.org.
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