The days may be growing shorter, but the temperatures are still soaring, so I’ve been looking for indoor entertainment. One of my favorite things to do when I don’t want to be out in the weather is go to museums, so I like to keep an eye out for traveling collections visiting the museums near me. Here are some of the exhibits that I’m most excited about this summer. Some of them are near me, and some of them may be near you. All of them have information or even condensed digital collections online. Each of these exhibits examines a pivotal moment in time that changed the world in some meaningful way, tied to a person, place, or event. From the dawn of the new century in Paris circa 1900 to colorful world of Mexican Modernism, from London’s swinging ’60s to the Summer of Love at Woodstock, these people, places, and moments transformed the dynamic twentieth century.
Paris 1900: City of Entertainment
Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
June 6 – September 8
I saw this exhibit at the Frist Art Museum back in April, and it was well worth the price of admission. The exhibit uses a collection of items from Parisian museums to transport the visitor to the Paris of the Belle Epoque, that world around the dawn of the twentieth century that brought us Art Nouveau, the Eiffel Tower, and the glittering world of cafes and nightclubs made famous by beautiful advertisements and glamourous stars. The exhibit is divided into themed sections including Paris: Showcase of the World, The Parisian Woman, Traversing Paris, Paris by Night, and Paris, Capital of Arts. Artefacts in the exhibit include paintings, sculpture, furniture, clothing, posters, even a costume worn by the Belle Epoque superstar, Sarah Bernhardt (who was surprisingly tiny!). The combination of items works well to illustrate the different aspects of the City of Light represented by the individual collections, and the multimedia nature of the collections ensures there will be something to interest everyone.
Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau
Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY
October 12 – January 19, 2020
The artwork of one of the influential masters of Art Nouveau is travelling around the country with Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau. This study of the revolutionary Czech artist examines a large collection of works from his career, including not only original lithographs (those beautiful printed posters that you’ve seen reproductions of) but also drawings, illustrations, and portfolios from throughout Mucha’s career. This exhibit is an excellent destination for lovers of Art Nouveau, museumgoers who want more Paris after the delights of Paris 1900, and those who want to learn more about an artist whose work they are sure to have encountered in the wild.
Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection
Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN
May 24 – September 2
Frida Kahlo is one of the modernist painters that you’ve most likely heard of. Famous for her distinctive artwork, striking appearance, and sizzling love affairs, Frida has been portrayed in film, emulated in fashion, and heralded as a great feminist icon of the twentieth century. This exhibit features works by Kahlo and Rivera and personal photographs of the couple, as well as pieces by many of their contemporaries in the world of Mexican Modern art, a movement which sought to incorporate influential modern art forms with Mexican identity and tradition, or “mexicanidad”. This exhibit explores the richness and influence of Mexican modernism and gives visitors a detailed look into the life of the movement’s most famous artist.
Mary Quant
Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK
April 6 – February 16, 2020
The miniskirt shocked the world when it smashed onto the scene in the 1960s, but it quickly became a defining part of the style of the decade and the vision of the “Swingin’ Sixties” in London and around the world. The revolutionary designer, Mary Quant, sought to make youthful and liberating clothes for young women, and in doing so popularized (many say invented) the miniskirt at her shop in London. At the Victoria & Albert’s extensive exhibit in honor of this fashion rebel, over 200 garments are on display, showing how her style evolved and demonstrating the many contemporary classic styles that owe their inception to this daring fashion icon.
Peace, Love, Rock & Roll: Elliot Landy’s Woodstock Vision
Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL
July 21 – October 13, 2019
As 2019 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Woodstock Festival during the Summer of Love, it is only to be expected that the monumental music event would be commemorated this year. In Huntsville, Alabama, that is happening through an exhibit of photographs by Elliot Landy, the official photographer of the festival who made his name taking pictures of music legends such as Bob Dylan and The Band, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. His photographs capture the cultural phenomenon that marked the end of the ’60s in all of its Technicolor glory, and Peace, Love, Rock & Roll brings Woodstock back to life for visitors who may have attended the festival and those who are experiencing this unique moment in American history for the first time.
