Curator's Corner

Curator's Corner

Do Not Deface! Historic Sites to Visit Respectfully

Monday, July 24, 2023 | Karl Cole

As an art historian and artist, I am appalled by recent incidents of tourists defacing the Colosseum (72–80 CE) in Rome and Toshodai-ji (founded 759 CE) in Nara, Japan, with their initials. It i ...

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Curator's Corner

The Psychedelic Poster

Monday, July 17, 2023 | Karl Cole

This fabulous poster advertised a rock show at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco that occurred on this date in 1966. The Fillmore was a “temple” to rock music at the time. It is con ...

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Curator's Corner

Gem of the Month: Morgan Russell

Monday, July 10, 2023 | Karl Cole

As I did with Charles Willson Peale (1741–1827) last week, I'm presenting another American original today: Morgan Russell. Russell was one of the first American artists to exhibit nono ...

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Curator's Corner

An American Original: Charles Willson Peale

Monday, July 3, 2023 | Karl Cole

In England’s American colonies, it was natural for colonial artists who were eager for a vital school of painting of their own to look to British art for inspiration. By the time of the American ...

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Curator's Corner

Summer's Here: Mary Petty

Monday, June 26, 2023 | Karl Cole

It always seems a long time coming—and then it’s over before we know it—but summer is here! Let’s mark the occasion with a truly gifted illustrator of books and magazines, Mary ...

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Curator's Corner

Celebrating Juneteenth: Norman Lewis

Monday, June 19, 2023 | Karl Cole

In celebration of Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, let’s honor Harlem Renaissance (ca. 1920s–1930s) (and beyond) artist Norman Lewis, one of the earliest African American artists to embrace abs ...

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Curator's Corner

Gem for Pride Month 2023: Anne Ryan

Monday, June 12, 2023 | Karl Cole

Our Gem for this Pride Month is Anne Ryan, an artist who was one of the first women who dedicated a large portion of her body of work to collage. She was one of the many gay artists who were active ar ...

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Curator's Corner

Pride Month 2023: Ellsworth Kelly

Monday, June 5, 2023 | Karl Cole

Let’s celebrate the life of one of the pioneers of the Color Field movement in American modernism, Ellsworth Kelly, to mark the beginning of LGBT Pride Month. Kelly was one of the many gay artis ...

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Curator's Corner

AAPI Heritage Month 2023: Chan Chao

Tuesday, May 30, 2023 | Karl Cole

Photography was a groundbreaking art form when it was first introduced. Quite soon after its development, numerous Western photographers explored photography for documentary and journalistic purposes. ...

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Curator's Corner

AAPI Heritage Month 2023: Walasse Ting

Monday, May 22, 2023 | Karl Cole

One of the great things about America is the fact that, since colonial times, awesome artists from all over the world have come here and made amazing contributions to American art history. As time has ...

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