Reinstalling the Art of the Americas galleries
Spanning 4000 years, from 2000 BC to the twentieth century, from the plains of Mexico to the mountains of Peru, over 436 works of art offer new interpretations and unique cultural comparisons. The re-installed galleries offer the public access to new works of art from Mexico, Panamà, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Emory Professor of the Art History and Faculty Curator of Art of the Americas at the Carlos Museum, Rebecca Stone, is the curator of this re-installation.
New research and discoveries
Display labels and case text are rewritten to incorporate new research and discoveries; many of the pieces that have been on display are regrouped in different case designs; and a number of new loans and acquisitions appear on view for the first time. In addition, the Museum has devoted more space to Panamanian art, has created a new textile display and case of effigies with anomalous bodies and womb pots from Costa Rica, and features several new cases of spectacular Colombian ceramics.
For the first time visitors can see cross-cultural displays – art that appears in geographical context, illustrating similarities and differences between neighboring cultures. For example, Costa Rican works of art compared to Panamanian art have distinctly different styles in ceramics, but share similarities in gold work. Mexico and Costa Rica are also compared – both cases show how complex the interrelations are between neighboring cultures in ancient times. The dynamic translation of art across cultures can also be seen in the transfer of visual imagery, for instance the hand axe in Mexico becomes a jewelry item in Costa Rica.
Read the official press release for more information: View/Download
For the first time in a decade, art of Native North America
Native North American art are included in the re-installation, extending the range of this collection from South and Central America to North America. This expansion of the collection honors the First Nations of this continent and complement the Georgia public school curriculum. The first gallery rotation of Native North American art includes a small exhibition of modern Southwestern ceramics. The installation of this collection titled, Walking in the Footsteps of Our Ancestors: the Melion-Clum Collection of Modern Southwestern Pottery, include seed pots, red- and black-ware, vessels inspired by basketry, and a large case of objects made by the famous Quezada family of potters from Mata Ortiz, Mexico. An additional case in the gallery features the Museum's stunning Maria and Julian Martínez signed black-on-black vessel. Opportunities abound for future rotations of Native North American art, including exciting loans and collaborations with local collectors and with a variety of U.S. museums.