Winter 2011 IMA Magazine

Art of the American Indians Universe is Flux Brian McCutcheon Donor Honor Roll

NOV–JAN

2011–12

04 VOICES Brian McCutcheon

06 IN THE GALLERIES Tawara Yusaku

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MEET OUR DONORS Sergio Aguilera

N1 NOTES News, Programming

12 CORPORATE PROFILE Eli Lilly & Company Foundation

13 BEHIND THE SCENES Mellon Curators-at-Large

14 SPECIAL EXHIBITION Art of the American Indians

18 GIFTS FOR THE SEASON Selections from the Museum Store & Greenhouse Shop

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IN PHOTOS FLOW: Can You See The River?

Featuring 77 works, mostly in ink on paper, Universe Is Flux will introduce audiences in the United States to Tawara Yūsaku’s unique philosophy and its impact on his paintings. Executed primarily in ink on paper, his works use the cumulative effect of many brushstrokes to create powerful and expressive works, apparent in even his smallest paintings.

On the cover » “Eye Dazzler” Serape (detail), 1875–1885, Diné (Navajo), Arizona, Native hand-spun yarns, synthetic and natural dyes. H: 90” x W: 52”, T0128. Thaw Collection, Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, New York. Photograph by John Bigelow Taylor. Above » Tawara Yusaku (Japanese, 1932–2004), Hado [Flux], June 20, 1998, ink on paper, 6 ¼ x 9 5/8 in. (image), 9 ½ x 16 1/8 in. (sheet), Lent by Mrs. Kayoko Okada

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Much of our city’s energy is focused on a certain sporting event to take place in town early in the New Year. To gain perspective on this exciting occasion, it’s beneficial to remind ourselves that the Super Bowl is just one event in a nearly 3,000-year tradition of organized sport and civic pride.

Organized sports descended on Greek city states from the eighth century BC onward, accompanied by a formal cessation of hostilities and the temporary onslaught of mass tourism with its attendant economic impact. But after the Olympic and Panathenaic Games concluded every four years in Olympia and Athens respectively, the host cities returned to a mixture of activities on other fronts­—mercantile, military and cultural.

IMA has plans for our members, museum patrons and visitors to this city during the run-up to the Super Bowl­—and in its aftermath. We aspire to be a place that yields to artistic intention, giving a broad public the opportunity to drink deeply of the accomplishments of generations before us. Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection affords reflection on the creative legacy of those indigenous peoples extinguished to make room for today’s Indiana—the Land of the Indians—and elsewhere across today’s United States.

The exhibition Universe Is Flux: The Art of Tawara Yūsaku introduces us to the broad gestural painting of a great unsung Japanese master. The small, inspired improvisations of Tawara will provide a rich experience of Japanese calligraphy and landscape painting, and bring us back to a larger, and timeless, world. FLOW: Can You See the River? is not only an exhibition asking a question, it is also a provocation, using Mary Miss’s communicative skills to demand that we pay attention to the endangered natural resources of our growing city. Brian McCutcheon: Out of this World propels us into the upper atmosphere, through the exuberant absurdity of this talented artist’s meditations on the space race, his youth and that of his young son.

Our newest curatorial initiative, a program hosting curators who will work for IMA from overseas, is called the Mellon Curators-at-Large initiative. Through the generosity of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, a $1.025 million grant has enabled us to hire a pair of curators over each of the next three years, enriching our capacity to research, publish, borrow and exhibit works from around the globe in our city. The inaugural year’s incumbents are James Watt, the Brooke Astor Chair of Asian Art Emeritus at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Dr. Mahrukh Tarapor, a scholar of Indian and South Asian art, also newly retired from the Met where she served as Associate Director. These two colleagues will plug us directly into Hong Kong and India, and build lasting connections for our staff and our public.

Each of these initiatives, from exhibitions to curatorial appointments, underscores IMA’s commitment to broadening the worldview of our visitors, and to looking beyond the feverish excitement of a spirited—and welcome—professional athletic competition. Our job is to serve a broad public with multiple messages, each of which offers an enriching point of view that won’t be found in commercial venues. We hope to see you often, before, during and after The Big Game.

Meg Liffick Managing Editor Matthew Taylor Designer Kirstin Krause Gotway Niloo Paydar John Teramoto Contributors Hadley Fruits Tascha Mae Horowitz Mike Rippy Photographers Tascha Mae Horowitz Photo Editor Julie Long Assistant Photo Editor Anne M. Young Rights & Reproductions Coordinator

The IMA Magazine is published by the IMA, 4000 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208-3326. Questions or comments may be directed to the staff at 317-923-1331.

All reproduction rights are reserved by the IMA, and permission to sell or use commercially any photographs, slides or videotapes must be obtained in writing from the Rights & Reproductions office, 317-923-1331. © 2011–2012 Indianapolis Museum of Art The IMA Magazine is printed on FSC-certified paper manufactured with electricity in the form of renewable energy (wind, hydro, and biogas), and includes a minimum of 20% post-consumer recovered fiber.(The FSC trademark identifies products which contain fiber from well managed forests certified by SmartWood in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council.)

Maxwell L. Anderson The Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO 03

Voices

Indianapolis-based conceptual artist Brian McCutcheon was four years old in 1969 when Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. McCutcheon’s son Angus developed a fascination with space travel at roughly the same age. This shared interest served as the inspiration for a new body of work that culminates in the IMA’s exhibition Out of this World on view in the IMA‘s June M. McCormack Forefront Galleries through March 4, 2012. The works in the exhibition not only focus on the lingering allure of space travel for children and adults alike, but illustrate the reciprocal nature of father and son relationships. McCutcheon has received a number of artist grants, awards and residencies, most recently a 2010–11 Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant and a summer 2009 residency at Sculpture Space in Utica, NY. McCutcheon taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and currently teaches at the Herron School of Art and Design. Over the past decade, his work has been featured in a wide range of exhibitions on a national and international scale. McCutcheon is a co-founder and partner of Indianapolis Fabrications (iFab), a custom fabrication studio where most of the work in this exhibition was created by the artist and his team. McCutcheon received an MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art after earning a BFA from Colorado State University.

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For the exhibition, you appropriate forms made familiar through photos and televised broadcasts of historic American space missions. You personalize these objects by pairing them with an imagined narrative, of which you and your son Angus are the main characters. Could you explain this narrative and why you decided to juxtapose it with imagery related to space exploration? What I think about and make is heavily influenced by my questioning and evaluation of experiences and the environment around me at the moment. When my son Angus was four years old, he was obsessed with images and stories of space exploration. As we were reading books about that subject, I realized he was the same age that I was when the U.S. space program landed men on the moon. My work prior to this time considered masculinity and Americana, so the space race figured easily into my personal interests. Since the basis of the work for the exhibition at the IMA is play and imagination framed by the space theme, it seemed natural to format the projects into something like a children’s book narrative. The easiest book to make the comparison to is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, in which the main character, Max, starts his imaginative play in the real environment of his bedroom and through the process of play makes a complete transformation into an imaginary world. He returns to reality when he smells his dinner is ready. This exhibition does the same thing— you start with my transformation from an adult to child/artist in Phoom! Crack! Kapow! Eeehaa! and follow the imaginary journey through the exhibition that returns to reality with Splashdown. For your earlier works, like Trailer Queen II (2003) and Radio Flyer (1999), you incorporated mass-produced objects into your sculptures, such as Weber grills and a toy wagon, and changed their meaning by altering or embellishing them with elements you fabricated. Out of this World is a departure from this practice in that every component of the exhibition has been meticulously custom fabricated. What brought about this shift in your method? I don’t necessarily subscribe to any one means of making my work. I follow an idea rather than use a signature technique or image. Because I work with various ideas and represent them with different methods, I necessarily follow a path of learning, both in concept development and material usage, for every project. I have often worked with ideas derived from quotidian things: cardinals, charcoal grills, sleds and vehicles that surround our daily lives. Finding a poetic resonance in these common objects has been a central pursuit in my art practice. It’s true that the projects you cite utilized iconic objects, but I think they are unusual in the trajectory of what I have made. I think it was important in those works to transform those icons, but if you look at the catalogue of what I have done, most of the work that I have made is fabricated by me. I consider an aspect of my practice to be in the tradition of rendering, and I take a certain amount of authorship from making an image of an object we recognize. The transformations, or renderings, of these common things can be very subtle since I have developed a facility with materials over the years. Many things contribute to how something gets made: cost, time, location, ability…I am lucky to be in a position now where I have the skills, facility and help to create the objects for the IMA exhibition with such complexity and high level of finish. You’re an avid hot rod customizer, which your sculptures in the exhibition make apparent through the use of elements such as automotive paint, aluminum panels and chrome. How long have you been customizing cars, and have you always incorporated hot rodding into your artwork? My uncle helped me fix up my first crappy car (1976 Chevy Nova) when I was sixteen. He is an obsessive car builder, and I have recently come to realize how his lifestyle of building cars influenced and parallels my art practice.

From the time I was a kid to becoming a young adult, I spent many, many hours looking over his shoulder as he worked, because the garage was the main place where you could find him. I did not really start incorporating automotive materials into my studio practice until after I left graduate school, and I didn’t start trying to build my own project vehicles until quite a while after that. The critical moment that led to the type of work I have been making recently happened in 2001 while I was an artist-in-residence at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art in Omaha, Nebraska. That residency was a return visit for me to the Midwest after living on both coasts, and that opportunity pushed me to embrace my automotive interests and upbringing. Very few artists choose to include their children in their artistic practice. What was your motivation behind including Angus in the exhibition, and to what extent did he act as your collaborator? Do you see your collaborations with Angus continuing in future projects? I have always had ambitions for my art career and when Angus was born I didn’t want to abandon those goals, but I also wanted to be a good dad. So the natural solution was to include him in my practice, in some manner. I don’t see him as a collaborator as much as an influence on how I see and evaluate my life and work.

It is easy to recognize in his play the fundamentals of art practice, and as I evaluate what I do, I try to reconcile what I see as honest and direct in his actions with my own. We work together to make drawings for fun, but those are not something I would exhibit. Angus is as willing a participant in my projects as I am in his; he is an obsessive maker and often recruits me to help him realize his ideas. I can’t say what type of work I will make in the future, but I want to include Angus in my life, so as long as art making remains a central practice for me, he will have an open invitation to participate.

Left » Brian McCutcheon (American, b. 1965), Artist Standing in front of Capsule, 2011, steel, aluminum, anodized aluminum, plastic, automotive paint, tongue jack, shocks, wheels, tires, racing harness, led lights, 1959 Cadillac tail lights, video camera, 72 x 128 x 92 in., Commissioned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art; Courtesy of the Artist

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Universe Is Flux The Art of Tawara Yūsaku

by JOHN TERAMOTO CURATOR OF Asian Art

IN THE GALLERIES

Tawara Yūsaku (1932–2004) believed the nature of the universe is flux and that the impermanent bunching together of vibrational energy—wavelike forms he called hadō—comprises individual existence. Fundamentally based on Buddhist thought, Tawara’s vision of reality was transformed into richly complex paintings filled with monumental energy that makes it difficult to believe some may be as small as three by five inches.

The concept of flux is expressed in his work both in its imagery and methods of execution. Working primarily in ink on paper, he built up his compositions through countless brush strokes and dots, combined with washes, splashes or drips using small brushes and improvised implements. At times the paintings themselves seem to morph or vibrate before the viewer’s eyes, or they seem to float ethereally in their own separate cosmos. Some are steeped in the flavor of antiquity while others are immediate and “now.”

All of his paintings richly reward close observation.

Tawara’s philosophy and unique artistic vision were developed through decades of study; his technique was honed through intensive practice. Interestingly, these paintings emerged only after he had quit painting for over twenty-five years. Though he had been painting successfully in the 1960s, lingering doubts about the value and integrity of his work resulted in a firm decision to put down his brush. Tawara devoted himself to collecting, studying and dealing in art objects from all ages and cultures including folk arts and crafts, excavated objects, native textiles, as well as works by old masters and contemporary artists. He also mounted exhibitions and

Left » Tawara Yusaku (Japanese, 1932–2004), Untitled, 11.2, from Boh Boh [Vastness] series (detail), November 2, 1993, ink on paper, 3 ¾ x 2 7/8 in. (image), 10 ¼ x 7 1/8 in. (sheet), Lent by Mrs. Kayoko Okada

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Determined to first deepen his grasp of art, Tawara stubbornly resisted an incessant desire to paint‌ his perseverance to not create anything became the best potion for fostering creativity.

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wrote catalogs on folk art. Determined to first deepen his grasp of art, Tawara stubbornly resisted an incessant desire to paint.

In retrospect, he remarked, that more than anything else, his perseverance to not create anything became the best potion for fostering creativity.

Tawara’s concept of reality and flux had strong ties to Buddhist Kegon School teachings which stress the total interpenetration of the microcosm with the macrocosm so that even the tiniest element in the universe perfectly reflects the universe as a whole. In effect, his paintings of flux were attempts to depict absolute reality. This can be seen, for example, in one of his favorite motifs, the character for “one,” read ichi in Japanese, which is normally written as a single horizontal line. To Tawara, ichi represented “the most fundamental wave of flux that makes up even the smallest unit in the composition of all elements; it is the ‘one’ to which all things are ultimately reducible; it is the ‘One’ of the absolute world.” At the same time, the continuous metamorphosis and multiplication of this fundamental wave makes up the stuff of the universe. Rather than a single line, Tawara’s ichi are composed of myriad lines, simultaneously emphasizing the concept of reduction and multiplicative construction.

Although he would paste his works onto postcards or paint works on letters that he would send to friends and acquaintances, Tawara never put any of his work up for sale. He fastidiously kept all of his work in hand-bound books, small photo albums and large folio binders. He did, however, authorize the sale of some printed enlargements of selected works that he had mounted as hanging scrolls for display using textiles he had collected from far and wide. Tawara was a man of integrity who, driven by his vision, worked hard at his art. The works in the exhibition were selected from among literally thousands of paintings and drawings. This presentation opening November 11, 2011 marks the first large-scale exhibition of the works of Tawara Yūsaku and introduces the artist’s inventive and insightful vision to an American audience.

Generous support for the catalogue provided by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

The Universe is Flux: The Art of Tawara Yūsaku is on view in the John T. & Norma A. Thompson Gallery, Francine & Roger Hurwitz Gallery and Frances Parker Appel Japanese Print Gallery through April 1, 2012. Curator John Teramoto will speak about Tawara on November 10. See page N13 for details.

Left » Tawara Yusaku (Japanese, 1932–2004), Untitled, Hitosuji [single line], October 1998, ink on paper, 9 ¾ x 12 1/8 in. (image), Lent by Mrs. Kayoko Okada. Above » Tawara Yusaku (Japanese, 1932-2004), Untitled, 12.15-9, from Boh Boh [Vastness] series, December 15, 1993, ink on paper, 10 1/8 x 8 5/8 in. (image), 18 ¼ x 12 ¼ in. (sheet), Martha Delzell Memorial Fund, 2011.144

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MEET OUR DONORS

In 2002, Sergio Aguilera moved to Indianapolis and was appointed as the first Consul of Mexico in the city’s history. Appointed to the IMA’s Board in 2007, Aguilera has been an ardent supporter of the Museum and its mission.

Recently, he donated his extensive library of books on Mexican art to the IMA’s Eleanor Evans Stout & Erwin Cory Stout Reference Library so that they could be a resource for researchers, educators and the public alike.

Why is it important to you to support the IMA? As a board member… I came to the city in 2002 to establish the Consulate of Mexico in Indianapolis that serves Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Southern Illinois. About two years later I was invited to join the museum as a “Diplomatic Trustee.” In that capacity, I became involved in the work of the Community Relations Committee and met many of the then-members of the Board. What I saw in them was inspiring. They were all community leaders that were, and some still are, very generous with their time, talents and “treasure” to the museum. They saw themselves as stewards of an important legacy. Now, as a board member, I feel the same commitment and responsibility. I know that behind every work of art in the collection of the museum, behind the buildings and the names of the spaces within them, behind the endowment, there is a history of almost 130 years of dedication by generations of people and organizations that care about the city and its inhabitants. It is humbling for someone like me, recently arrived in Indianapolis, to see the work, the vision and the generosity that made possible the institution that today is one of the largest general art museums in the country. As a donor… Donations are the lifeblood of all non-profit organizations like the IMA. And yet, there are many people who think that donating to the museum is something that only wealthy people can do. Fortunately there are many different ways in which we can all give our support, because we need to make sure that the museum continues to be financially viable so that it continues to enrich the lives of future generations. I am convinced that any gift to the IMA is important, and it should be a source of personal satisfaction to the donor. You recently gave a collection of books to the IMA. Tell us about the gift and why you chose to give it to the IMA. Professionally, I had two careers in my life: the first in international banking and the second in the Mexican Foreign Service. For almost 20 years I worked for Banco Nacional de Mexico (Banamex). Banamex was founded in the 1860s and throughout its history, it has maintained a commitment to preserve and promote the values of the Mexican culture. As a result of this commitment, Banamex collected works by all the important Mexican painters of the last 130 years. By the 1950s the collection had become so large and important that Banamex had to create a special division to care for it. After a while this new division published a couple of volumes about the painting collection. The books were well-researched by the best scholars on the subject, nicely bound­(many in leather), and beautifully printed on the best paper. They were conceived as end-of-the-year gifts for board members, shareholders, special clients and executives of the bank.

These limited editions were so successful that Banamex started commissioning and publishing other books on Mexican art, and from there, it became an annual tradition. In 1970 I joined Banamex and started collecting the bank’s books. With the help of friends and contacts, I managed to also collect books published by other entities. When I retired four years ago from the Mexican Foreign Service, I realized that the art books that I treasured for so long, and that traveled around the world with me, could be an educational and scholarly resource for the museum. I was happy to donate the collection to the IMA knowing that it would be useful to the curators and people from outside the museum who use the library. What would you say to someone considering donating to the IMA? Don’t doubt for a moment making a donation to the IMA! It is a great institution, with a long and successful history, and it is our individual and collective responsibility to nurture and support it.

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CORPORATE PROFILE

The IMA is once again honored to receive funding from Eli Lilly and Company Foundation. Currently, Lilly Foundation supports the exhibition Dynasty and Divinity: Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria. In the coming year, the Foundation will also help underwrite the costs associated with the reinstallation of the IMA’s African collection, set to open in spring 2012. As a devoted contributor to the IMA’s mission, Eli Lilly and Company Foundation took a moment to answer some questions about why it supports the IMA and its efforts.

Describe Eli Lilly and Company Foundation’s areas of interest and the types of projects it typically supports. Lilly Foundation supports global health programs that improve the lives of vulnerable people around the world. In the US, we support efforts to improve K-12 education, with an emphasis on science and math. Lastly, we support organizations and programs that enhance the quality of life in our hometown of Indianapolis. The Foundation is a loyal supporter of the IMA and a variety of projects throughout the community.

Why do you continue to support the IMA? The IMA, along with other outstanding cultural organizations, helps make Indianapolis a great city in which to live and work. The IMA is a world-class institution that distinguishes Indianapolis on a national and international basis. In particular, why did you decide to fund the exhibition Dynasty and Divinity: Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria and the reinstallation of the African collection? Dynasty and Divinity is a wonderful exhibition to have in our community, and we think the public will enjoy it. The reinstallation of the African galleries will help the museum better maintain and present the remarkable artifacts in this collection.

It is our additional hope that this will be one of the ways the IMA can continue to attract newer, younger and more diverse audiences to the museum. Going back to your key areas of support, how does this project improve the quality of life of our community? Further engaging current residents and attracting new ones can largely be achieved by supporting diverse cultural experiences in our community.

The IMA’s presentation of the internationally acclaimed exhibition, Dynasty and Divinity offers audiences the opportunity to learn about the richness and skill of an ancient culture to which they may never have been exposed. The exhibition is also an invaluable resource for school groups that will participate in a variety of educational tours and programs. The reinstallation of the African collection will be an occasion to present the IMA’s remarkable African collection afresh and allow audiences to explore themes and view objects from an exciting new perspective. By presenting the highest caliber of exhibitions and providing free access to its collection, the IMA supports and enhances the rich culture of our community and underpins Lilly Foundation’s effort to support the highest quality of life for all residents of Indianapolis.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

Mellon Curatorsat-Large

by Kirstin Krause Gotway Curatorial assistant, Mellon Curators-at-Large

Recently, the Indianapolis Museum of Art unveiled an innovative campaign to increase our collection and research through a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The $1.025 million grant will fund a three-year pilot program that will enable leading scholars to conduct groundbreaking research on the IMA’s collections, while testing a global model for future scholarly appointments at museums. This initiative is an important part of the IMA’s Strategic Plan. The IMA and Mellon Foundation hope that this program will serve as a template for other institutions seeking to draw on international expertise in the study of their collection.

Unlike other more traditional positions, the Mellon Curators-atLarge will work from home bases outside of Indianapolis. Mellon Curators-at-Large will have regular planned trips to the IMA as well as utilize the latest high definition teleconferencing tools to communicate during their tenure. Over the three-year period, six scholars will contribute to the curatorial and collections departments in fields such as Chinese art, Islamic art, African art, art of the Americas, design arts, and South Asian and Indian art.

When the Mellon Curators-At-Large are not in Indianapolis, IMA staff will be able to teleconference with them in the new video conference room outside the Administration Suite. The use of high definition cameras and monitors will be instrumental in aiding curatorial and collections staff. IMA staff will be able to view objects in stunning and minute detail despite the geographical distance.

On October 2011, the first Mellon Curators-at-Large, Dr. Mahrukh Tarapor and James Watt, began their year-long positions. Prior to their current tenure with the IMA, both individuals had long and distinguished careers at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Currently based in Geneva, Switzerland, Dr. Mahrukh Tarapor will initiate collaborative exchanges and loan programs aimed at telling the broader story of art from India. Tarapor spent 27 years at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, joining the Museum in 1983. She was responsible for the Museum’s program of exhibitions and served as Associate Director for Exhibitions. In that role she negotiated loans worldwide for exhibitions such as Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids (1999); China: Dawn of a Golden Age, 200–750 A.D. (2004); The Glory of Byzantium (1997) and its sequel Byzantium: Faith and Power (1261–1557) [2004]; Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus (2003) and its sequel Beyond Babylon: Art, Trade, and Diplomacy in the Second Millennium B.C. (2008). In 2006, she was also appointed Director for International Affairs and established the Metropolitan’s first full-time office abroad in Geneva, Switzerland. In that role, she expanded the Museum’s cultural relationships with museums and governments in Europe, the Middle East and Asia while continuing to oversee activities of the exhibition office in New York. Tarapor received her Ph.D. from Harvard University.

During his tenure, James Watt will work with Dr. John Teramoto, curator of Asian art at the IMA, to reinstall the IMA’s Asian galleries.

Watt will also investigate the potential for long-term loans of archaeological material from Chinese sites. Watt joined The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in 1985 and became Brooke Russell Astor Senior Curator in the Metropolitan’s Department of Asian Art in 1988. He also served as Brooke Russell Astor Senior Research Curator beginning in 1997. During his distinguished career, Watt planned and installed The Metropolitan’s ancient China galleries (1987) and Chinese decorative arts galleries (1997). He also authored 15 catalogues and organized a number of exhibitions at the Museum including East Asian Lacquer (1991), Splendors of Imperial China (with Wen C. Fong, 1996), and When Silk Was Gold (1998). Watt retired from the Metropolitan on June 30, 2011, and become Curator Emeritus.

Prior to joining the Metropolitan he served in various roles at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, (1982–1985); Chinese University of Hong Kong (1977-80); Institute of Chinese Studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong (1971–1981); and Hong Kong City Museum and Art Gallery (1964–1971). Watt studied at The King’s College, Taunton; the Queen’s College, Oxford; and the University of Hong Kong.

The Curator-at-Large concept is the latest IMA initiative supported by The Mellon Foundation. In February 2009, the IMA announced a $1.75 million challenge grant to establish an endowment for the position of senior conservation scientist and to open a conservation science laboratory. The laboratory opened in March 2011 under Dr. Gregory Smith, the Otto N. Frenzell III Senior Conservation Scientist.

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SPECIAL EXHIBITION

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“I want to stress that I look at Indian material culture as art…It stands rightfully with ancient art, with masterpieces of Asia and Europe, as their equivalent, and I wish it would be looked at this way.” –Eugene Thaw

Art of the American Indians The Thaw Collection

by Niloo Paydar Curator of Textile and Fashion ArtS

In 1987, Eugene Thaw, an international art dealer of European Old Masters, and his wife Clare moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and began to collect Native American art. The Thaws, both lifelong art connoisseurs, quickly amassed one of the world’s most significant collections of American Indian art.

They donated their collection, which now numbers more than 850 objects and is widely recognized as among the best of its kind, to the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York, in 1992. A selection of more than 100 masterworks from the Thaw collection will be on display at the IMA, the last venue of the exhibition’s national tour, in the first comprehensive exhibition devoted to Native American art at the Museum in more than 30 years. The exhibition opens on December 2, 2011, and will be on view until February 12, 2012.

Art of the American Indians showcases the great achievements of North America’s first artists. Spanning the continent from the Eastern woodlands to the Pacific and from the Arctic to the Southwest, and organized by geographic regions, the exhibition surveys the extraordinary range of artistic expression created by Native peoples. The objects range in date from antiquity to the present but cluster in the 1800s, a period of tremendous change as European settlements expanded westward.

The remarkable arts of the Pacific Northwest Coast, which are at the core of the Thaw collection, are featured in the first gallery.

Traditionally, Northwest Coast Native art has played an important role in ceremonies that reinforce the indigenous social and political order; for example, the potlatch ceremony of elaborate feasting and gift-giving inspires a great deal of artistic activity, including a number of the works in this exhibition. Among the

Left » Headdress Frontlet, 1840–1870, Coastal? Tsimshian, Northern British Columbia, Thaw Collection, Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, New York, T0177, All photography by John Bigelow Taylor.

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other masterpieces hailing from this region is the Headdress Frontlet decorated with bright abalone shells that represent light radiating from the sun. Another magnificent piece is a Raven Mask worn during a dance associated with a Hamatsa initiation ceremony.

The Arctic and Subarctic cultural areas, encompassing 5,000 miles along the shoreline of northern Alaska, Canada, and Greenland, are highlighted in the exhibition by several magnificent masks and dance fans that were worn during the masking rituals and dance ceremonies of Alaska’s Central Yup’ik people.

The paired Dance Fans in the exhibition, which were worn on the hands, offer protection from the spirits and prevent the dancer’s essence from escaping during the dance.

The Great Basin and California regions are home to a particularly dense and diverse Native population. The objects from this region include the awe-inspiring gambling tray basket woven by Mrs. Dick Francisco in the early 1900s. One of the largest and finest trays of its kind, it reflects the development of the role of basketry in indigenous art production. Baskets were once an integral part of daily life for the Native population of this region, with uses ranging from food gathering and storage to preparation for games and ceremonies. However, by the late 1800s, baskets were no longer needed for the practical purposes of the past. Women turned their basketry skills toward supplying the curio trade, which had created unprecedented demand for fine handmade Native baskets.

The eclectic arts of the Southwest region (which includes Arizona, New Mexico, and southern Utah and Colorado) are represented by exuberant “Eye Dazzler” Navajo blankets, compelling Apache basketry, and incredible Pueblo ceramic pottery. A Navajo serape in the exhibition, which combines complex traditional designs with the use of commercially spun and dyed yarns introduced by nonnative traders, exemplifies how Native weavers creatively synthesized the old and the new.

The great deciduous forests of eastern North America were the primary sources of material for the exceptional wood carvings and baskets made by Woodlands cultures for thousands of years.

However, European settlers introduced a variety of trade goods such as glass beads, silk ribbons, and woven cloth to the diverse Native peoples of the Woodlands, and these materials were incorporated into traditional works of art. Among the highlights of this section is a Mi’kmaq (Micmac) woman’s hood made of trade cloth and decorated with ostrich feathers and glass beads.

Presented to Lord Elgin, the British governor general to Canada between 1847 and 1853, the hood is an outstanding example of the fine ribbon appliqué technique developed by Mi’kmaq women in the early 1800s.

The arts of the Great Plains, another significant pillar in the Thaw collection, are featured in the last gallery. Elaborately beaded, quilled, and painted garments form the nucleus of this collection. For centuries, beautiful garments and ornate objects have held a deeply spiritual meaning for the Plains people, reflecting a belief that an individual can be protected by sacred forces invoked by the materials and imagery of the outfit he or she wears. Among some of the outstanding examples in this section are a Girl’s Dress completely covered with brilliantly colored beads, and a Horse Mask decorated with zigzag-patterned eyes that perhaps symbolize lightning.

Above » Horse Mask (detail), 1875–1900, Nimi’ipuu (Nez Perce) or Cayuse, Idaho, Oregon, or Eastern Washington, Thaw Collection, Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, New York, T0097;

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The principles and rituals that the Native American peoples prized and practiced are evident in the objects that they made and cherished. These masterworks from the Thaw collection provide a glimpse of the incredible diversity of expression to be found in Native American art, and reflect the importance of the arts in sustaining ancient traditions that still exist today and will endure in the future.

Opening celebration for Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection will be held December 1 from 6–8 pm. For more info and to buy tickets, visit imamuseum.org/thawopening.

A catalogue for the exhibition is available in the Museum Store and online at imamuseum.org/shop.

This exhibition is organized by the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York, and made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts as part of “American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius.”

Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection is on view in the Allen Whitehill Clowes Special Exhibition Gallery through February 12, 2012.

Top » ”Eye Dazzler“ Serape, 1875–1885, Diné (Navajo), Arizona, Native hand-spun yarns, synthetic and natural dyes. H: 90” x W: 52”, T0128. Thaw Collection, Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, New York. Bottom » Girl’s Dress, about 1895, Lakota (Sioux) North Dakota or South Dakota, Buckskin, glass beads, tin cones, H: 27” x W: 22”, T0069. Thaw Collection, Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, New York.

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Gifts for the Season

Selections from the Museum Store & Greenhouse Shop

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LEFT

TOP RIGHT

BOTTOM RIGHT

Silver Manzanita Tree , $195 (MS) Silver and Bronze Filigree Ornaments $5.75 each (MS) Sterling Silver or Bronze Rings by Jewelry Designer Monica Castiglione $410–$580 (MS) Boxed Holiday Cards $6.95–$19.95

Alphabet Blocks (made in America), $38 (MS) Jonathan Adler Ornaments, $25–$30 (MS) Twoolies Stuffed Animals, $18 (MS) Great Big Color Pencils, $15 (MS) Kid Made Modern Book by Todd Oldham, $22.95 (MS) Jonathan Adler Elephant Clock, $110 (MS)

Eames Cufflinks, $56 (MS) Frank Lloyd Wright Pen, $76 (MS) Alessi “Chip” Paper Clip Holder, $68 (MS) Alessi “Uselen” Letter Opener, $36 (MS) The Fellowship Book by Roger Friedland and Harold Zellman, $18.99 (MS) Miller House and Garden Book, $25 (MS) Stewart Stand Stainless Steel Bi-fold Wallet, $72 (MS) Jonathan Adler Shoes Salt and Pepper, $50 (MS) Eames Etched Card Case, $50 (MS)

(MS, GH)

MS: Museum Store / GH: Greenhouse Shop

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SPECIAL EVENTS

Christmas at Lilly House

The annual holiday tradition of Christmas at Lilly House returns this year from November 12–December 31. Step back into time by exploring the American Country Place-era estate decorated in the style of the 1930s and 40s. Free admission.

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TOP RIGHT

BOTTOM RIGHT

Assorted Ornaments , $2–4.95 (MS, GH) Twas the Night Before Christmas Book $8.99 (MS) Tree $120 (GH) Plush Snowman $23.75 (GH) Plush Tree $18.50 (GH) Wreath $45.95 (GH)

Alessi Bettina Cup and Saucer, $23 (MS) Pantone Espresso Cup, $8.50 (MS) Alessi Set of Eight Coffee Spoons, $90 (MS) Alessi Moka 6 Cup Espresso, $75 (MS) Set of 4 Porcelain Plates by Alexander Girard for Miller House, $52 (MS)

Duck and Duckling by Architect Made, $80–$150 (MS) Wood Tops by David Earle, $10 each (made in America, various woods) (MS) Maple or Walnut “Silhouette” Wood Vases, $66 (MS)

MS: Museum Store / GH: Greenhouse Shop

Shop online 24 hours a day at imamuseum.org/shop

All items photographed at Lilly House.

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In photos

FLOW: Can You See the River?

Launched on September 22, 2011, the new city-wide art project was conceived by artist Mary Miss and commissioned for IMA’s 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park. To learn more and see an online map of the project’s sites, visit www.flowcanyouseetheriver.org.

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This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts

Supported by a grant from the Efroymson Family Fund, A CICF Fund.

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HOLIDAYS AT THE IMA

Holiday Hullabaloo Thursday, December 8th, 5pm–9pm Join us for an evening of holiday shopping and festivities at the IMA Museum Store, Greenhouse Shop and Lilly House Christmas Shop. Trunk shows, book signing, music, complimentary giftwrap, hospitality and special pricing available only during Holiday Hullabaloo. IMA Members will receive a 20% discount on all purchases during this event.

SAVE THE DATE November Member Night / Double Discount Days Thursday, November 10–Sunday, November 13 IMA Members receive a 20% discount on all purchases in the IMA Museum Store, Greenhouse Shop, Lilly House Christmas Shop and Online. Stop into the Museum Store on Thursday, November 10 from 5pm–9pm for a Silver Seasons Trunk Show. Check out the newest designs from Michael Michaud and receive a 20% discount off your purchase.