Diversity is the claim that the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
goes for in their exhibit “Local Treasures of Kalamazoo,” and they manage to
have it in spades.
The showcase is centered on pieces of all shapes and sizes
that are taken from 30 private art collections in the Kalamazoo area. A placard
in the entrance to the exhibit “recognizes –and applauds— those who make fine
works of art part of their everyday lives.”
This menagerie of fine arts ranged from lithographs to
bronze sculptures, an assortment as varied as their origin. These works hail
from twenty countries and span roughly two centuries of visual arts.
Surprisingly, there were works from famous artists such as
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (“Louis Valtat”), René
Magritte (“Untitled,” lithograph portrait), and Henri Privat-Livemont (“Absinthe
Robette”). This further served to demonstrate the depth of art in the Kalamazoo
community.
There was a no-photography policy in the rooms, so no
pictures of the actual exhibit can be shown.
Interestingly enough, even in the presence of this policy,
there were only two members of the institution to provide security, and they intermittently
wandered the two exhibits on the floor, leaving many pieces unwatched.
Arrangements of the
works were mostly done by time period, and there were a few groupings by
country of origin. Stylistically, it was hard to discern whether or not they
were placed in an otherwise strategic manner. In addition to this, it should be
pointed out that I have limited expertise in the visual arts.
However, even if there is little knowledge of the pieces themselves,
the art presence in Kalamazoo is impressive enough. The variance in styles,
time periods, and ethnicities of visual art further exemplifies the
KIA-proclaimed point of the exhibit: to reflect upon “the range and diversity
of local collections.” Even for a two-room exhibit, this display of Kalamazoo
culture truly is a local treasure.
“Treasures from Kalamazoo Collections” is open until
February 17, 2013 at the KIA. The institute is open Tuesday through Saturday
from 10:00am-5:00pm, and Sundays from 12:00pm-5:00pm. Admission for adults is
$5, students with ID for $2, and KIA members, youth under 12, school groups,
and active military personnel gain admission for free.
Your description of the diversity of art was very vivid and helped me really imagine the rooms. I also really enjoyed the part about the no-photography rule and the guards just looking at the art. It gave a sense of not only the art but also the environment.
ReplyDelete