MUSEUM news 72 Catherine M. Hale BUILDING THE COLLECTION Atlanta—The High Museum of Art is showcasing nearly forty recent acquisitions of art from Africa that have entered its permanent collection. African Art: Building the Collection marks a significant expansion of the African Art galleries, a more than sixty percent increase in the museum’s dedicated space for art from that continent. This expansion is the result of a generous pledge from Fred and Rita Richman, longtime patrons of African art at the High and for whom the gallery was named in 2005. Featuring works dating from ancient to contemporary times and from disparate regions throughout the continent, all of which were acquired over the last nine years, the exhibition provides insights into African cultural heritage from the past to the present day. This group of objects represents a diverse range of artistic expressions from African nations that span the continent. It also juxtaposes works by unidentified artists from the distant past alongside well-known works of art by famous twentieth-century artists such as Osei Bonsu, the Asante carver commissioned by African kings and American presidents. The installation will be on view until May 31, 2015. NEW CURATOR AT THE CANTOR Stanford—In late July, the Cantor Arts Center announced the appointment of Catherine M. Hale as the new Phyllis Wattis Curator of the Arts of Africa, Native America, and Ancient America. Hale will develop these areas of the collection, including its documentation, research, preservation, presentation, and growth. She will also curate original exhibitions, develop programming to make the African and Native American collection more accessible and relevant to the museum’s diverse audiences, and encourage academic departments and student groups to use the museum’s resources. Hale comes to the Cantor from her previous position at the University of Iowa Museum of Art, where she spent three years as the curator of African and non-Western art. Her work at the Cantor begins September 15, 2014, and we wish her well in her new position. MASKS San Diego—Masks serve as powerful statements about identity and perception, changing the wearer’s face by exaggerating or concealing features and expressing the shadow personality found in each of us. Many cultures embrace the making and wearing of masks. Worn during dances, rites of passage, festivals, and other celebratory events, masks serve as powerful symbols of identity and power. They also express complex beliefs and are often associated with the deepest convictions and ideals of a community. As art objects, masks are exceedingly diverse and are created with wood, papiermâché, fiber, metal, and paper. The Mingei International Museum is highlighting examples from its own collection with Masks: Selections from the Permanent Collection, which will be on view until September 28. This installation features a diverse collection from numerous countries, including Mexico, Japan, Indonesia, and Nigeria, creating an unusual opportunity for cross-cultural comparisons. OUT OF THE FIRE Palm Springs—Made for a variety of purposes from utilitarian to sacred practices, ceramics are one of the most enduring artistic traditions of the Americas. Modeled by hand from pliable clay material and transformed by fire into hardened vessels or figures, these objects represent a long history that expresses both cultural identity and values individual creativity. An exhibition currently at the Palm Springs Art Museum is featuring a selection of ceramics drawn from the museum’s permanent collection representing more than Rangda mask. Bali, Indonesia. 20th century. Painted wood, hair, mixed media. H: 142.2 cm. Mingei International Museum, museum purchase, 1996-02-002. 2,000 years of ceramic tradition and spanning the cultures of ancient Mesoamerica to the Pueblo Indians of the North American Southwest. The Mesoamerican element focuses primarily on pre-Columbian works from the Zapotec, Mixtec, Chupícuaro, and West Mexico cultures. The Southwestern material begins with Anasazi material and traces development through Casas Grandes polychrome pottery and into pan- Pueblo cultures including the Hopi and Zuni. Out of the Fire: Mesoamerican and Pueblo Ceramics will be on view until July 31, 2016. Asafo flag. Fante, Ghana. C. 1895. Cotton. 101.6 x 162.6 cm. High Museum of Art, Atlanta, purchase with African Art Acquisition Fund and funds from the Fred and Rita Richman Special Initiative Endowment Fund for African Art, 2012.58. Photo: Michael McKelvey. Female figure. Lobi, Burkina Faso. C. 1875– 1925. Wood. H: 59.7 cm. High Museum of Art, Atlanta, gift of Pamela and Oliver Cobb, 2012.226. Photo: Mike Jensen.
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