Toward a New Art:
Pictorialist Photographs from the Permanent Collection
July 31–October 10

At the end of the nineteenth century, Alfred Stieglitz changed the way artists approached the photographic process, pushing them and himself to create works that would place photography among the fine arts, beyond its traditional role as a mere recorder of events. This exhibition explores the work of Stieglitz, his friends and colleagues, and the next generation of photographers who were inspired by them.

Monumental: Contemporary Figurative Sculpture
July 24–September 12

Two life-size figurative sculptures by Dutch artist Folkert de Jong and American sculptor Will Ryman that were recently donated to the Museum show that the figure is alive and well in contemporary sculpture, addressing a wide variety of topical issues.

Sublime Form:
European Decorative Design 1900–1920
May 29–October 3

At the beginning of the last century, many artists trained as painters, sculptors, and architects recognized the need for good design in the decorative arts and began to create works that could be used and lived with. This exhibition will highlight the work of the Wiener Werkstätte from a private collection, alongside works from the Museum’s collection.

American Quilts from the Terasaki Collection
June 26–August 1

The quilts in this exhibition are highlights from the impressive collection of Etsuko Terasaki, featuring pieced quilts made in America in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The best American quilts embody a highly personal engagement with design and color, and the works in this exhibition are of this ilk. Sophisticated in design and uniquely expressive, they remind us of the timeless human impulse to create order and beauty in our surroundings, with whatever resources available, for utility and for pure visual pleasure.