Columbus, though abundant with educational and cultural art experiences, isn’t the only Midwestern city to engage art lovers. From the Indianapolis Museum of Art in Indiana to the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, there are countless exciting exhibitions to check out in the Midwest.
Monet and the Modern City ($12-20)
Through Sept. 2, 2019 | Carnegie Museum of Art | Pittsburgh, PA
Claude Monet, known for his bright impressionist landscapes, was also fascinated with the industrial scenes that began to flourish in the 19th and 20th centuries. Monet and the Modern City is organized by Akemi May, assistant curator of fine arts at Carnegie Museum of Art.
“Monet and the Modern City offers many avenues for exploration, from the lively Impressionist cityscapes of Pissarro to the smoky, realistic depictions of Pittsburgh from Laboureur,” says May.
The exhibition features pieces from Monet’s Waterloo Bridge: Vision and Process, an exhibition organized by the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester. According to May, the exhibition contextualizes Monet with other artists who responded to the industrial atmosphere and the promise of industry.
ProTip: Carnegie Museum of Art hosts Art Chats from 11:15-11:45 a.m. daily, offering the public a chance to pick the brains of expert curators and further investigate the current exhibitions.
Americana & Folk Art (Free)
Sept. 13–Dec. 31, 2019 | The Butler Institute of American Art | Youngstown, OH
The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown is the first museum of its kind, dedicated entirely to American artwork. The Americana & Folk Art exhibition features a variety of pieces including primitive paintings from the colonial era, carousel objects, carvings, ship models, folk art works, decoys and the Butler’s glass bells collection.
Sure to elicit feelings of nostalgia, this exhibit tells the story of America’s yesteryears through its unique components. From the ornate wooden horses of carousels past to the figurehead from a salvaged 19th century ship, there is something interesting around every corner.
Michelangelo: Mind of the Master (Free)
Sept. 22 – Jan. 5, 2020 | Cleveland Museum of Art | Cleveland, OH
Michelangelo Buonarroti is arguably one of the most notable and influential artists in the history of Western Art. His creation process relied heavily on sketches and drawings, but the artist burned a great deal of these preliminary works. For the first time ever, a collection of original Michelangelo sketches will be on view in the U.S. at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
The collection of nearly 30 sketches, including designs for famed works such as the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the Last Judgement, the tombs of the Medici Chapels and the cupola of Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome are on loan from the Teylers Museum in the Netherlands. This will be the first time the sketches have left the museum as a collection since their acquisition in 1791 from Queen Christina of Sweden.
ProTip: Museums must close for at least one day of the week to clean, move art and complete other necessary maintenance and upkeep. The Cleveland Museum of Art, along with most other museums, close on Mondays for this reason.
Everything is Rhythm: Mid-Century Art & Music (Free)
Through March 8, 2020 | Toledo Museum of Art | Toledo, OH
Music and art collide in this multisensory exhibition of visual art masterpieces, each deliberately paired with musical accompaniments. Including both historical and contemporary works, the exhibit invites museumgoers to contemplate the connection between visual and auditory forms of art.
“In some instances, the composer and artist were known to one another and shared a direct connection, while in other instances, the selected musical composition and art work share ideas, approaches, or aspects such as rhythm, texture, or basic structure,” says Scott Boberg, manager of programs and audience engagement at the Toledo Museum of Art.
Through Sept. 30, 2019 | Detroit Institute of Arts | Detroit, MI
The Detroit Institute of Art has an entire wing dedicated to Asian art, each gallery highlighting works from a different Asian country, with an additional gallery looking at Buddhist art across Asia. Explore Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian and Southeast Asian art ranging from thousands of years old to contemporary.
ProTip: Take your time when exploring a new museum, but be mindful of exhibition timelines and prioritize the works that you hope to see over permanent collections that you could catch at a later date.
($6-12)
Through Sept. 2, 2019 | Cincinnati Art Museum | Cincinnati, OH
Perhaps one of the largest convergences of artists and creators of all kinds, Burning Man is a cultural movement and a weeklong temporary city of more than 70,000 participants that forms every year in the Black Rock Desert outside Reno, Nevada. It’s also the inspiration for this very unique exhibition at the Cincinnati Museum of Art.
Organized by Nora Atkinson, the Lloyd Herman curator of craft at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the collection includes interactive over-sized sculptures, jewelry, video and photography.
“The visual culture created in conjunction with the Burning Man gathering each year is a democratic and inclusive model of artistic expression,” says Cameron Kitchin, Cincinnati Art Museum’s Louis and Louise Dieterle Nippert director. “Working with the thinkers and artists who create the culture challenges the very notion of an art museum.”
Infinitely Kusama ($10-18)
Oct. 4, 2019–March 29, 2020 | Newfields: Indianapolis Museum of Art | Indianapolis, IN
In 1965, Yayoi Kusama debuted the first of many immersive Infinity Mirror Room exhibits. Her infinite worlds have since multiplied, saturating Instagram timelines and even inspiring luxury fashion lines.
The first mirror pumpkin room created in 1991, featuring acrylic yellow pumpkins covered in black polka dots, will fill an entire gallery at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Spectators can step into the room and cast infinite reflections, truly becoming part of the exhibition.
In a New Light: Alice Schille and the American Watercolor Movement ($9-18)
Through Sept. 29, 2019 | Columbus Museum of Art | Columbus, OH
Don’t forget about the local scene! In honor of Alice Schille’s 150th birthday, the Columbus native’s work will be on view through the end of September. More than 50 works of pure-wash water color, organized by CMA and guest curators Jim and Tara Keny, highlight Schille’s time spent traveling, her support of the women’s suffrage movement and scenes of everyday life. Schille was unique in that she received much critical acclaim and support from other artists at a time when it was extremely challenging to be accepted as a woman in the industry.
Jenny Wise is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.