The Harn Museum of Art first opened to the public on September 22, 1990. Over the past 30 years, the Harn Museum has served more than 2.5 million visitors with engaging exhibitions and creative programs made accessible through free admissiton. In honor of its 30th Anniversary, the Harn’s fall exhibition schedule is bursting with a wide range of artwork sure to provide inspiration, escape, solace and introspection.
Visitors can travel to the fields of oats and poppies that surround Claude Monet’s home in Giverny, France by viewing the painting, Champ d’avoine (Oat Field). This work, on view in Highlights from the Modern Collection, was recently re-installed as a kick-off to the Harn’s 30th Anniversary. The Harn’s Monet recently returned from its travels to Denver, Colorado and Potsdam, Germany. More than half a million people viewed the painting while it was traveling with the exhibition Claude Monet: The Truth of Nature.
Left: Claude Monet, “Champ d’avoine (Oat Field),” 1890, oil on canvas, Gift of Michael A. SingerRight: Harn exhibition staff re-installing the Monet
The exhibition Dreaming Alice: Maggie Taylor Through the Looking-Glass provides an escape down the rabbit hole into a land created by author Lewis Carroll and interpreted by artist Maggie Taylor. The whimsical subject matter and well-known characters from “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There” combined with Maggie Taylor’s fantastical dream-like imagery offer a unique viewing experience for all ages.
Left: Maggie Taylor, “He was part of my dream.,” 2017, pigment inkjet print, Courtesy of the artistRight: Harn visitors in the Dreaming Alice exhibition
Peace, Power and Prestige: Metal Arts in Africa offers an exploration of the roles of metal objects in sustaining, unifying and enhancing life in African communities. For millennia, African metalsmiths have drawn upon the inherent power and beauty of metal to create dazzling and enduring objects. More than 140 fascinating examples are on display dating as early as the 9th century.
Left: Kota-Obamba or Mindumu artist, Gabon, “Reliquary guardian figure (mbulu ngulu),” 19th century, brass, copper, wood, collection of Drs. Nicole and John Dintenfass, photograph by Vincent Girier DufournierRight: Harn visitors in the Peace, Power and Prestige exhibition
Breaking the Frame: Women Artists from the Harn Collections, opening September 24, is organized specifically to celebrate the Harn’s 30th Anniversary and reflects the Harn’s focused efforts to collect works of art by women. Forty-four international works of art by thirty-four artists address gender roles, sexuality, equity, diversity, adversity and inclusion.
Rania Matar, “Minty, Kayla, Leyah, Layla, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2020,” 2020, archival pigment print, Museum purchase, funds provided by the David A. Cofrin Acquisition EndowmentExtraordinary objects created for their beauty, displayed alongside everyday objects initially meant for practical use but later appreciated as works of art can be discovered in Everyday to the Extraordinary: Highlights From the Korean Collection. Ceramics in the exhibition span nearly 2,500 years of history, from the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BCE–668 CE) to the present, while paintings date from the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) and into the 20th century.
Korean artist, “Wine bottle (sulbyeong) with dragon decoration,” Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), 18th century, glazed porcelain, Gift of General James A. Van Fleet. Photograph by Randy BatistaGlobal Perspectives: Highlights from the Contemporary Collection features global interconnectedness. Works of art create conversations from a variety of mediums and perspectives covering Asia, Africa, Europe, and North, Central and South America. Don’t miss the large-scale portraits by Kehinde Wiley that command the space within the exhibition.
Left: Kehinde Wiley, “Dogon Couple,” 2008, oil on canvas, museum purchase, funds provided by the David A. Cofrin Acquisition Endowment and Caroline Julier and James G. Richardson Acquisition Fund, Dogon Couple © 2008 Kehinde Wiley. Used by permission. Collection of the Harn Museum of Art.Right: Visitors in the Global Perspectives exhibition
These are only a few of the highlights you will discover at the Harn Museum of Art. For more information about exhibitions, as well as events such as the upcoming virtual “Museum Nights: 30th Anniversary Celebration” on October 8, featuring internationally known artist Radcliffe Bailey, visit www.harn.ufl.edu.
The Harn Museum of Art is located on the University of Florida campus, and is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
Guest article courtesy of Tami Wroath, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida
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