#AskaCurator with Meher McArthur

Meher McArthur beside Butterflies and Poem by Otagaki Rengetsu from Every Living Thing: Animals in Japanese Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, November 2019.

#AskaCurator Day is an annual social media event that aims to stimulate dialogue between museum curators and the public. This year, we asked Meher McArthur—an independent Asian art curator, author, and educator—to share some insights and answer questions about her curatorial process.

Meher is currently working with IA&A’s Traveling Exhibition Service to develop Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper, the first traveling exhibition of its kind, which focuses on washi as fine art. This exhibition is the fourth of Meher's curatorial collaborations with IA&A, which include the successful tours of Folding Paper: The Infinite Possibilities of Origami (2012-2016), Above the Fold: New Expressions in Contemporary Origami Art (2015-2020), and Nature, Tradition and Innovation: Japanese Ceramics from the Gordon Brodfuehrer Collection (2016-2019).

Keep reading to learn more about Meher's current projects and how she became a curator.


What inspired you to become a curator?

I had majored in Japanese Studies at college because I was interested in the language and culture. After I graduated, I went to live and work in Japan and while I was there, I became fascinated with Japanese art, especially ceramics. I studied ceramics, flower arrangement, and calligraphy for almost two years with teachers there and came to understand how closely art is related to people's beliefs and how we can understand a culture by understanding its art. After I left Japan, I decided to study Japanese art history and completed a master's degree, after which I was lucky enough to be offered a job at a museum: Pacific Asia Museum (now USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, CA). I hadn't planned to become a curator, but as soon as I started the job, I knew that it fit perfectly my love not only of art but of research and of organizing material. For me, there is nothing more rewarding than being able to learn about a new aspect of art, create a story about it, and then share it with others.

Meher McArthur giving a talk in front of Ruga Swan by Jiangmei Wu from Above the Fold at the Japanese American National Museum, 2016.

What is the most memorable exhibition you have curated?

There have been many! One of my first major exhibitions focused on a Japanese folk painting tradition called Otsu-e from the town of Otsu near Kyoto. The paintings are whimsical but also full of important cultural, social, and philosophical information about Japanese popular culture. I was able to do some original research, meet living artists, and publish a catalog to accompany the exhibition, so it was completely satisfying. Another career highlight was curating the exhibition Folding Paper: The Infinite Possibilities of Origami for tour with IA&A. The subject of contemporary origami was fascinating and not well researched by art historians, so it was exciting to delve deep into it, explore various trends, styles, and innovators and help to establish it as an artistic genre worth studying.

How do you decide which artwork will go on display in an exhibition?

It's different with each exhibition, but, in a nutshell, once I have decided I want to focus on an area of art, I ask myself what is interesting and important about it and why other people should care about it too. I then select works that will fit together to create an interesting story that will hopefully cause museum visitors to become excited about the art too.

Yoshio Ikezaki, The Earth Breathes Mind Landscape 06, 2008, Handmade mulberry paper with charcoal powder, Courtesy of the artist and Kylin Gallery.

If you could work with any artist in the history of art, who would it be?

Otagaki Rengetsu was a Japanese Buddhist nun who created ceramics in the 19th century that she inscribed with her poetry in her beautiful calligraphy. She was a fascinating character in her time, very successful as an artist and published as a poet, and her work was an early example of mixed media art in Japan. I love her ceramics and her story. I curated a small exhibition of her ceramics, calligraphy, and poetry at Pacific Asia Museum years ago and I felt like I came to know her through that. I know she would have many interesting stories to tell about art and life.

What project(s) are you currently working on?

I am currently working on the exhibition Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper with IA&A. The exhibition spotlights the works of nine contemporary Japanese artists—both in Japan and overseas—who use traditional handmade washi (Japanese paper) as their medium for creating highly innovative works of art, from small conceptual sculptures to large screens and installations. Like with the contemporary origami exhibition, I think that museum visitors will be surprised and amazed at the diverse range of works that these artists are creating.


Since 1995, IA&A's Traveling Exhibition Service has organized nearly 800 exhibition presentations at museums and cultural institutions in all 50 states and in foreign countries. Collaborating with curators at museums around the world allows IA&A to offer a wide range of exhibitions that align with our mission, meet the needs of museums, and give the public access to diverse art. Thank you to Meher for sharing her expertise with us!

 

Above the Fold: New Expressions in Origami Tour a Resounding Success!

Above: Maui Arts & Cultural Center, 2018. Photo by Bryan Berkowitz.

Hosted by 14 Museums
Toured to 12 States and Canada
Visited by 225,000+ People

IA&A’s exhibition Above the Fold: New Expressions in Origami, which concluded a four-year tour in March 2020, was the first traveling exhibition to bring origami installations from around the world to North American audiences. Featuring work by nine international artists from six different countries, the exhibition included never-before-seen sculptures and large-scale installations that were created specifically for the exhibition. The participating artists redefined a traditional Japanese craft as a modern global genre, creating—from the simplest of materials—complex and unprecedented forms of artistic expression, to the delight and surprise of visitors.

Above: Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences, 2015.

Above the Fold is another example of the extraordinary effort and collaboration required by many to realize a touring exhibition of this scope and impact. IA&A is grateful to all our collaborators, from curator Meher McArthur to the artists themselves; to the many curatorial teams at museums across the country who helped install and de-install the exhibition; to the art shippers who ensured the safe and timely delivery of these delicate artworks from one museum to the next; and to the logistical wizards at IA&A who seamlessly managed all aspects of the tour over seven years. Congratulations!

Specifically, we would like to acknowledge our key collaborators for their dedication, commitment, and flexibility in helping to make this ambitious tour an international success.

Above: (1) Japanese American National Museum, 2016. (2) Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences, 2015. (3) Hermitage Museum & Gardens, 2015. (4) Allentown Art Museum, 2017. (5) Hermitage Museum & Gardens, 2015.

Many thanks to the artists—Erik Demaine and Martin Demaine (Canada/USA), Vincent Floderer (France), Miri Golan (Israel), Paul Jackson (UK/Israel), Dr. Robert J. Lang (USA), Yuko Nishimura (Japan), Richard Sweeney (UK), and Jiangmei Wu (China/USA)—who pushed the boundaries of paper as a medium to create bold, provocative new works for Above the Fold.

Above: Visual Arts Center at Washington Pavilion, 2017

Special thanks to independent curator, author, and educator Meher McArthur, former curator of East Asian Art at Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, California. McArthur is also the curator of IA&A’s traveling exhibitions Folding Paper: The Infinite Possibilities of Origami (2012-2016) and Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper (2021-2024). Meher’s expertise and creative acumen continue to surprise and delight the many visitors who engage with her exhibitions.

Above: Maui Arts & Cultural Center, 2018. Photo by Bryan Berkowitz.

Above: Springfield Museums, 2015

Above: Japanese American National Museum, 2016

And a big thank you to our museum partners who brought these spectacular works to their communities: Springfield Museums in Springfield, MA (2015), Hermitage Museum & Gardens in Norfolk, VA (2015), Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences in Charleston, WV (2015), Longmont Museum & Cultural Center in Longmont, CO (2016), Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, CA (2016), Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, FL (2016-2017), Allentown Art Museum in Allentown, PA (2017), Visual Arts Center at Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls, SD (2017), Dayton Art Institute in Dayton, OH (2018), Northwest Museum of Arts + Culture in Spokane, WA (2018), Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului, HI (2018), Art Gallery of Hamilton in Hamilton, Ontario (2019), Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg in St. Petersburg, FL (2019), and Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, WI (2019-2020).

Above: (1) Japanese American National Museum, 2016. (2) Maui Arts & Cultural Center, 2018. Photo by Bryan Berkowitz. (3) Japanese American National Museum, 2016. Photo by Richard Watanabe. (4, 5) Northwest Museum of Arts + Culture, 2018.

For over 25 years, IA&A has been producing and touring art exhibitions exploring a diverse range of subjects and media created by extraordinary artists from around the globe. We remain committed to our mission to promote and foster cross-cultural understanding through the arts.

Congratulations, and a heartfelt thank you to everyone—collaborators and audiences alike—who contributed to the resounding international success of Above the Fold: New Expressions in Origami.

Above: Japanese American National Museum, 2016. Photos by Gary Ono.

Remembering John Hechinger Sr.

IA&A’s Hechinger Collection celebrates the ubiquity of tools in our lives through art that transforms utilitarian objects into works of beauty, surprise and wit. Featuring nearly 400 works, the collection was gifted to IA&A in 2003 by hardware-industry pioneer John Hechinger, Sr.

Hechinger died on his 84th birthday on January 18, 2004. Today, we’re honoring him on what would have been his 100th birthday.

A fifth-generation Washingtonian, Hechinger attended Lehigh and Yale Universities and served in the United States Air Force in the China-Burma theater in World War II. Over the years, Hechinger actively participated in numerous civic and philanthropic organizations, including the United Way Fund, the Washington Urban League, the Boys Club of Washington, and Columbia Hospital for Women. A strong civil rights advocate, he created a diverse workforce and was appointed in 1967 by President Lyndon Johnson as chairman of the first D.C. City Council. He was also passionately involved in the handgun control movement and Business Executives for National Security.

Until his retirement in 1996, John Hechinger Sr. headed the Hechinger Company, a hardware and building materials chain established by his father in 1911. When the company moved to new headquarters in 1978, he found the corridors and workplaces efficient but sterile: “The building seemed to rebuke the fantasies that a hardware store inspires. For anyone whose passion is to work with his or her hands, a good hardware store is a spur to the imagination and a source of irresistible delights.”

Above: Jim McCullough, Diorama of Georgia Ave. Store in 1927, 1983 Mixed Media, 31 × 20 × 6 inches.

Hechinger began acquiring works for his collection after displaying Jim Dine’s Tool Box—ten screenprints combining tools with images from pop culture—in his office and noticing the positive impact the art had on his employees.

"I felt that if I could show my associates how so many artists had celebrated the handsaw or the hammer or the paintbrush, they would be aware of the intrinsic beauty of the simple objects that they handled by the tens of thousands. They were not only the focus of their workdays, but our company’s very lifeblood. I hoped that the art would cause them to feel that what they were doing was of greater value."

Above: Jim Dine, Tool Box, 1966, 1 of 10 screenprints with mixed media, 23 ½ × 19 ½ inches each.

As Hechinger discovered early on, the collection’s narrow focus strikes a rich and diverse vein in contemporary art, with tool-inspired paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, and folk art, primarily from the post-World War II era. Spanning a wide range of styles and themes, the collection honors common tools, where form and function are inextricably linked. The exhibition showcases emerging talent as well as renowned artists and photographers such as Berenice Abbott, Arman, Jim Dine, Walker Evans, Jacob Lawrence, Fernand Léger, Claes Oldenburg, and Wayne Thiebaud, among others. All share a deep affinity for everyday things, and it is this quality that makes their work so evocative.

“In a sense, once a tool is in hand, it disappears. We care only about how well it functions, not its form. In the hands of an artist, however, the form of a tool is a vehicle for communicating an infinite range of ideas and associations, from purely visual analogies to complex human feelings.”

Hechinger was particularly interested in art that was immediately understandable and engaging to all audiences, hence making this unusually-themed collection extremely popular everywhere it has been shown. It is filled with art that provides an accessible “point of entry” for those unfamiliar with contemporary art to begin to understand the range of ideas, creativity, forms, and materials that comprise the art of today.

Artist and architect Kevin Deck fondly remembers Hechinger as a “gracious, gentle, lover of art that was kind enough to encourage a young artist. I was only in Mr. Hechinger’s presence once, when I dropped off [my print] Wiskers at his home. I was a 19-year-old kid and was a bit nervous and in awe but remember his gracious manner, his kind and encouraging words about my art and talent. My mother Billie was with me and reminded me that he compared Wiskers to the work of Jim Dine. She also recalled him saying that he had a special place picked out in his home to display my work.”

In seeking a posthumous home for his collection, Hechinger chose IA&A because of the organization’s commitment to preserving the integrity of and public access to the collection. Since IA&A took ownership of the collection, works from the collection have been exhibited in 65 museums and cultural institutions throughout the US over the past 19 years. Nationally touring exhibitions organized by IA&A include Tools as Art (2001-2008), Tools in Motion (2005-2013), ReTooled (2014-2020), and Making Your Mark (2021-2023). Selections from the collection are also on view in IA&A’s offices and have been exhibited at IA&A at Hillyer (2007, 2008, 2010, and 2018).

Having seen how easily the public relates to the collection and its theme, we are grateful to John Hechinger Sr., not only for the collection and for demystifying contemporary art, but also for helping art return to a place where it can be appreciated by all.


Here are some of our staff’s favorite works from the collection:

"In Washington, I think, the name Claes Oldenburg generally brings to mind his large-scale public art installations, such as his Typewriter Eraser (made in collaboration with Coosje van Bruggen) that our city safeguards in our National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden. The artist's fascination with everyday objects brought to life in this scaled-down size—a measly 2.5 feet in height when compared to his sculptures, which can be more than 20 feet tall—makes this lithograph particularly intimate and exciting. When the lithograph was originally created in 1965, Oldenburg couldn't have imagined the many ways that our electrical outlets would come to control our lives. So his melting yet enticing version of the plug, drawn with prongs that look almost like popsicle sticks, makes me think of our contemporary thirst for more and more ways to split our energy."

—Teddy Rodger, Public Engagement and Events Manager

Claes Oldenburg, Three-Way Plug, 1965, offset lithograph with airbrush, 32 × 24 ½ inches.


“The vibrant colors and subject matter make this an enjoyable piece to view but I particularly like the level that is attached to the bottom which makes Pelley's work a joy to hang as well as to view. It adds an extra, and very amusing, layer to
Pandora's Box, a work that has hung near my desk in the office for a while now.”

—Eileen, Registrar

Christopher Pelley, Pandora's Box, 1996, oil on linen and found objects, 56 × 48 inches.


“I used to look at this painting everyday when it was hanging near my desk. I love the way the sunlight came in through our office window and illuminated it.“

—Alejandra, Graphic Designer

Linda Hanson, Warm October Light, 1988, oil on canvas, 40 × 61 inches.


“The extraordinary level of craftsmanship and detail of this work brings me right back to shop class. Impressive and hard to believe it is only paper.”

—Seth, Exhibition Project Manager

Pier Gustafson, Drill Press, 1982, paper construction with pen and ink, 78 × 30 × 18 inches.


"I first encountered Shimomura's work in 2015 and was very excited to find one of his earlier works in the Hechinger Collection. I love his playful use of traditional and pop culture references that reflect his experiences as a third-generation Japanese-American. When you’re doing laundry, the rinse cycle is arguably the most important step because it washes away the detergent and dirt. There’s a lot happening in
Rinse Cycle, but the dripping black paint and telling glances of the women make you wonder what 'dirt' is being washed.”

—Christie, Marketing and Communications Manager

Roger Shimomura, Rinse Cycle, 1988, acrylic on canvas, 60 × 24 inches.


“I like the way the artist uses the material, including the grain of the wood. It has a sense of whimsy, especially the cord that winds up from the iron and connects to the lightbulb. Reinforces the idea of 'efficiency' as in the artwork title.”

—Joyce, Cultural Exchange Program Associate

F. L. Wall, One Room Efficiency, 1983, cherry wood and steel, 14 × 5 inches.


“I'm intrigued by the artist's use of surrealism—particularly the nails in the porcelain vase—to portray the fragility of the earth. I ponder the image through an environmental lens and the current fragile situation that we're in. The looming hammers seem disproportionately large tools to the task they accomplished. Strong art sparks questions and
The Reconstruction has got me thinking. Was the artist interested in where humans will go next if we discover reachable, habitable planets before it's too late?”

—Daniel, Development Associate

Ron English, The Reconstruction, 1992, oil on canvas, 48 × 34 inches.


“This print was hanging above my desk for a while and was soothing to look at.”

—Allison, Director of IA&A at Hillyer

Yuri Avvakumov, Stair Ladder Barricade, 1989-1993, screenprint, 22 × 30 inches.


IA&A's traveling exhibition ReTooled is currently on view at Mitchell Gallery in Annapolis, Maryland through February 23, 2020 and will then head to the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences in Charleston, West Virginia (March 28 - July 26, 2020).

 

 

Cyanotype Workshop with Artist Emily Fussner

IA&A’s contemporary gallery in Washington, DC presents monthly exhibitions and public programs, including exclusive art-making activities led by local artists and experts. Recently, we hosted a workshop inspired by October exhibition History in Blue by Thai artist Bundith Phunsombatlert, who uses cyanotype printing to explore his direct experience with and the history of immigration. The workshop was led by local artist Emily Fussner, who often uses cyanotypes in her own work. Emily holds a BS in Printmaking from Indiana Wesleyan University (2013) and an MFA in Visual Arts from George Mason University (2019).

Above: Emily Fussner in her studio.

Keep reading to learn more about the cyanotype printing process and to see the final pieces we created!

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, participants headed outdoors in D.C.'s Dupont Circle neighborhood to gather found objects to use on their projects.

Participants were not only keen to work with the objects they found, they had the chance to create their own compositions by drawing and collaging with different materials.

Throughout the workshop, participants had the opportunity to collaborate and connect with each other, sharing the ideas behind their compositions. Emily provided a brief overview on the history and creative potential of cyanotype printing to inform and inspire the participants as they got ready to make their own prints.

Participants exposed their compositions in the sun, eagerly waiting for their cyanotypes to develop.

Invented in 1842 by astronomer and chemist Sir John Herschel, cyanotype is a photographic printing process that produces an image in a distinct cyan-blue color. During the 1840's, cyanotype was not typically used in mainstream photography, and was thus adopted as a copying technique for architectural and mechanical drawings (aka blueprints).

The cyanotype process is started by mixing equal parts of two chemicals, ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide. When exposed to natural or artificial ultraviolet light, the iron salts in the chemicals begin to oxidize, producing a high contrast blue image. This oxidation process is sped up and made permanent by placing the prints underwater.

Here are some of the final prints created by workshop participants:

Visit Hillyer's website for upcoming workshops and events and follow us on Instagram to see behind-the-scenes moments from the gallery.

Q&A with Traveling Exhibitions Intern Erin

At International Arts & Artists, we support the development of arts and nonprofit professionals through our internship program which offers hands-on experience under the mentorship of seasoned staff. Students currently enrolled in museum studies and arts programs, as well as in related fields, have the opportunity to contribute to a variety of projects that support the advancement of cross-cultural understanding in the arts, both nationally and internationally.

Meet Erin, Traveling Exhibition Service Intern at IA&A. Erin is currently studying art history at University of Maryland, College Park and has recently curated an exhibition on campus focused on domestic art practices. Keep reading to hear more about Erin's internship experience at IA&A and plans for her future career.

 

How has art impacted your life?

Growing up between Baltimore and Washington, DC, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by art in more ways than one – my parents took me to museums and art festivals relatively often when I was young and many of the people in my family either paint, draw, or sculpt. As a result, I’ve been interested in creating and experiencing art for most of my life. I’ve met a lot of friends either through taking studio classes together or bonding over museum trips, and I think that art has played a major role in shaping my career interests and expanding my world view.

 

Why were you interested in working with us at IA&A?

I was initially drawn to IA&A after visiting your gallery, IA&A at Hillyer, during a DC Art Walk last year. As an art history major with an interest in museum studies, I hope to pursue exhibition development as a career. I thought that the internship opportunity with IA&A’s Traveling Exhibition Service would be a wonderful way to get hands-on experience working with exhibition managers, all while learning more about traveling exhibitions specifically. I also wholeheartedly support IA&A’s philosophy of developing and circulating a diverse range of exhibitions both throughout the US and abroad. I think accessibility to art is incredibly important, and I was deeply interested in supporting an institution that values bringing art from a variety of cultures and time periods to communities around the world.

 

What projects did you work on during the internship? 

I had the opportunity to assist on a variety of projects, including identifying potential exhibition venues for Spirited Things: Sacred Arts of the Black Atlantic, researching themed exhibitions that could be developed for travel, updating exhibition venue and contact databases, and brainstorming ideas for possible anniversary exhibitions that could be developed in the future. In addition to these exhibition-related projects, I also got the chance to work with primary sources relating to IA&A’s Hechinger Collection. One of my favorite aspects of this internship was reading old letters and combing through archived notes written between artists and collector John Hechinger. Using these materials in combination with online research, I was able to update some of the biographies for artists in the collection.

 

What was an important skill you learned during the internship?

Something concrete that I’ll definitely take away from this internship is the ability to navigate large exhibition databases. Learning how to use Access in relation to organizing and researching visual art venues was an invaluable experience, and I’ll be able to transfer this skill to a multitude of art-oriented internships and job opportunities in the future.

 

How will your internship experience at IA&A influence your academic goals or career?

Interning with IA&A this summer has helped solidify my desire to work at a small visual arts-oriented non-profit organization. I’ve always been interested in museum and gallery work, but interning at IA&A has made me appreciate the value of being part of a smaller arts organization, as opposed to a larger institution.

 

What will you be taking with you from this experience?

One of the most important things I’ll be taking away from this internship is an understanding of how much individual time and effort goes into the “behind the scenes” of planning and marketing traveling exhibitions. Before starting at IA&A, I only had experience working with exhibitions that were designed for a specific venue. I knew of traveling exhibitions, but I didn’t have a well-rounded understanding of the differences between planning and executing a one-venue exhibition and one that would travel to multiple locations. Interning at IA&A has made me appreciate how much effort goes into preparing an exhibition “for the road,” whether it be the amount of marketing and outreach, the logistics of shipping and crating, or the work that goes into drafting and editing all of the materials that are associated with each show.

 

What’s next for you after the internship?

Following my internship at IA&A, I’ll be starting my final year as an undergraduate art history major at the University of Maryland, College Park. I’ll be writing my honor’s thesis and serving as the Student Gallery Manager for the University of Maryland’s Stamp Gallery, where I had the opportunity this summer to curate Radical Threads, an exhibition focusing on domestic art practices. I’m also beginning the process of applying for Master’s programs focusing on art history and museum studies, and I’m looking forward to pursuing a career in the museum/gallery sector!

 

What advice would you give to someone interested in interning with a nonprofit organization?

Definitely do your research – familiarize yourself with the overarching goals and philosophy of the organization, look into any permanent collections they hold, and don’t be afraid to ask questions! The easiest way to learn about what to expect from an organization or their internship opportunities is to talk to the people who work there.


Want to intern with IA&A?


#AskaCurator with AMA’s Adriana Ospina

#AskaCurator Day is an annual social media event that aims to stimulate dialogue between the public and museum curators. This year, we asked Adriana Ospina, Curator of the Permanent Collection at Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, DC, to share some insights and answer questions about her curatorial process. Adriana is currently working with IA&A’s Traveling Exhibition Service to develop Cultural Encounters, a contemporary exhibition about Asian diasporas in Latin America and the Caribbean, helping us further our mission of promoting cross-cultural understanding in the arts.

Keep reading to learn about Adriana's current projects and how she became a curator.


What inspired you to become a curator?

When I began to work at the AMA | Art Museum of the Americas, I worked very closely with the curator of the permanent collection. I found it fascinating, the way in which she would tell stories about the museum collection. Every exhibition offered a totally new narrative, even ones that included the same pieces. Right then, I realized that I wanted to do similar work. She became my mentor, imparting her knowledge about this trade. A few years after she retired, I formally became the curator of the collection.

Woman speaking to people in museum gallery

 

What is the most memorable exhibition you have curated?

The most memorable exhibition so far is Cultural Encounters: Art of Asian Diasporas in Latin America & The Caribbean, 1945-Present, funded in part by a research and planning grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is a very large-scale project that I have been working on for more than five years. I traveled around Latin America—to five countries—for research, and met in person and by email more than 40 artists, or their families. I have already written more than 50 texts for the project, and during this time had two babies. I can’t wait to see the exhibition realized and installed next year! The exhibition opens in May 2020 at the Morikami Museum in Delray Beach, Florida.

How do you decide which artwork will go on display in an exhibition?

It is a balancing act. There are many aspects to be considered. Once I have the theme of the exhibition, I usually make a large preselection based on the general idea. Then I narrow it, based on the aesthetic that we’re aiming for.

Sometimes, as in the case of Cultural Encounters, the exhibition could include an array of aesthetics that match very well with the overall subject. Other times, I look for a particular feel for the exhibition, or particular media.

I also try to balance established artists with up-and-coming artists, who may be doing great work but haven’t been recognized or exposed as much. One of the most important things is to strive for a balanced gender representation, which we sometimes achieve with greater success than at other times.

If the installation is going to take place at the AMA, and if it features pieces from our collection, I map out the layout in my head, and once we physically place all the artworks into the galleries, I start working with them in the space. Sometimes, right in that space is where I see that some pieces are stronger or weaker than I had believed. So, distribution becomes key in the final selection of the pieces.

If you could work with any artist in the history of art, who would it be?

Manabu Mabe, Solemn Pact, 1980, acrylic and oil on canvas. © OAS AMA | Art Museum of the Americas Collection.

That is a very difficult question; I have many different favorite artists, but I would love to work with one of the artists in Cultural Encounters, who has passed away. His name is Manabu Mabe. He is a Japanese-Brazilian artist whose family I met in São Paulo, when I went there to conduct research for the exhibition. It was fascinating to hear his wife talking about her husband’s work, and how he approached his practice. He arrived in São Paulo with his family at a young age. His family first came to work on a coffee plantation, and later they owned a plantation, but Manabu didn’t want to follow in the family trade and decided to become an artist, developing in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s a deep gestural abstraction, departing from Japanese calligraphy. He also became a great supporter of and guide to many Japanese artists who developed fruitful careers in Brazil. After visiting his studio and meeting his family, I would love to have been able to work with him for a retrospective exhibition. He is an example of a very important and understudied artist.

What project(s) are you currently working on?

I am currently co-curating the next exhibition at AMA, Home + Place: Visual Memory, with Olga Herrera, independent curator and scholar. It’s an exhibition of the work of Dominican artists Iliana Emilia and Scherezade Garcia, opening on September 26, 2019. Another exhibition that I’m co-curating—with Hilary Hatfield, President of Art Collector's Athenaeum—is a dialogue exhibition between DC-based artist Freya Grand and AMA’s permanent collection. I am also co-writing with Olga Herrera a paper on the Bolivian artist Maria Luisa Pacheco for the next College Art Association Conference in February 2020.


IA&A's Traveling Exhibition Service manages over 30 traveling exhibitions each year, with 15 to 20 exhibitions on view at any given time in museums around the world. Since 1995, IA&A has organized over 770 exhibition presentations at museums and cultural institutions in all 50 states and in numerous foreign countries. Collaborating with curators at museums around the world allows IA&A to offer a wide range of exhibitions that align with our mission, meet the needs of museums, and give the public access to diverse art. Thank you to Adriana for sharing her expertise with us!

 

Summer Road Trip: IA&A Visits 10 Midwest Museums in 4 Days

Go behind-the-scenes with IA&A’s Traveling Exhibition Service Director Eddie Hayes, and Exhibition Project Manager Seth Dorcus, as they reflect on their recent road trip across Indiana and Michigan. In four action-packed days, they checked in with museum directors and curatorial staff to learn about their exhibition needs and to explore their remarkable collections.

Whether you're from the Midwest or just visiting, don't miss these ten great museums!


1. Newfields - Indianapolis, IN

We started our trip at Newfields (Indianapolis Museum of Art) and were welcomed by Kayla Tackett, Director of Exhibitions. Kayla shared how they were able to engineer this incredible lobby installation by an Amsterdam-based artist collective called Studio Drift. Great way to kick off the trip…

 

2. Fort Wayne Museum of Art - Fort Wayne, IN

We pulled into the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, just ahead of a rainstorm. Safely inside, we met with President & CEO Charles Shepard and Vice President & COO, Amanda Shepard.  Charles and Amanda’s enthusiasm for their museum and artist archives was compelling. They shared so much about the FWMA, its goals and exhibition priorities.  Afterwards, we walked through the galleries to see the great lineup of current exhibitions, and had an insightful conversation with Security guard Jack Cantey. We will be in touch soon again, as our traveling exhibition American Impressionism opens in Fort Wayne next year.

Contemporary works of art by Washington, DC artist Tim Tate were on view concurrently with an extensive photography exhibition of Imogen Cunningham. Yes, she photographed Frida Kahlo!

 

3. Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum - Auburn, IN

Tuesday began with a trip to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, where we had a riveting day meeting with the museum’s Executive Director & CEO Brandon Anderson, as well as Curator Sam Grate and Collections Manager Diane Hall. We saw their extensive collection of cars and learned a lot about the remarkable ingenuity of the design behind the Duesenberg, Cord, and Auburn automobiles.  A big thank you to Brandon and his staff for a great day!

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Deusy. Fun fact: “It’s a Deusy!” refers to a Deusenberg-manufactured car.

An original clay model.

4. South Bend Museum of Art - South Bend, IN

Tuesday afternoon we headed to the South Bend Museum of Art for a meeting with Executive Director Susan Visser and Curator Mark Rospenda. Susan and Mark walked us through the museum’s galleries, provided an informative overview of the SBMA, showed where our exhibition Blurring Boundaries will be presented in 2020, and even allowed us to get up close and personal with the art.

Seth pulled himself into Gary Sczerbaniewicz’s Neil Before Zod - Clementine:

What Seth saw inside: 

5. Kalamazoo Institute of Arts- Kalamazoo, MI

Wednesday morning, we had the pleasure of meeting with the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts’ Executive Director Belinda Tate (second from right) and Chief Curator Rehema Barber (far left). They gave us an in-depth tour of their current exhibitions, as well as KIA's Art School. We are thrilled they will be hosting IA&A's Cultural Encounters next year!

 

6. Kalamazoo Valley Museum - Kalamazoo, MI

That afternoon at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, we met with Director Bill McElhone, Assistant Director for Material Culture Tammy Barnes, and Design Assistant Alecia Cross. We received a grand tour of the museum, "played" with some great exhibition tech, and saw where IA&A's The Global Language of Headwear will be displayed when it arrives at the KVM in 2021.

 

7. University of Michigan Museum of Art - Ann Arbor, MI

Next, we made the two hour drive to the University of Michigan Museum of Art, where we met with Curator of Asian Art Natsu Oyobe, and the Helmut and Candis Stern Associate Curator of African Art Laura De Becker. Natsu and Laura gave us a tour through their encyclopedic collections and stunning contemporary art installations, including Jason DeMarte: Garden of Artificial Delights.

 

8. Flint Institute of Arts - Flint, MI

Thursday morning we drove to the Flint Institute of Arts for our meeting with Associate Curator, Sarah Kohn. Sarah provided a wealth of information about the museum, and gave us a generous tour of FIA's amazing collection which includes contemporary craft, 19th century American paintings, Renaissance Tapestries, and much more.

Above: Sarah walks us through their juried glass exhibition From the Flame.

Above: FIA's glass collection, part of their Contemporary Craft Wing.

9. The Henry Ford Museum - Dearborn, MI

After a few more hours on the road, we arrived in Dearborn to meet with Exhibits Manager Kate Morland at the Henry Ford Museum. Over lunch at the museum café, we learned about the strengths of their collection and exhibition-related interests of the museum, and later had a chance to view Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds, on display in the same gallery where the IA&A exhibition Louis Comfort Tiffany will be on view in 2021.

 

10. Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History- Detroit, MI

The final stop of our tour was the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. IA&A’s history with the Charles Wright goes back to 1998 when we organized their inaugural art exhibition, Richard Hunt: Affirmations. This time, we visited to meet with President and CEO Neil A. Barclay, and Curator of Collections & Exhibitions Patrina Chatman. We received insights into the museum’s art-related interests, and ended with a very engaging tour of the museum by Patrina—a big thanks to her for her time at the end of a long day!

Above: Work by Charles McGee in the main rotunda


A heartfelt thank you to all the Midwest museums we visited for welcoming us from Washington, DC. IA&A could not do what it does without our extensive network of museum partners in the Midwest, throughout the United States, and beyond. It's rewarding to see the level of public interest, engagement, and support at all these museums. Together, we're making art accessible to the benefit of all. Please stay tuned for future road trip reports.

We'd love to work with you! Learn more about IA&A's Traveling Exhibition Service here or contact us at travelingexhibitions@artsandartists.org