Explore the Vaults: Abstraction and the American Scene

In 1978, during his first visit to France, David Wojnarowicz sought to trace the footsteps of Arthur Rimbaud, the rebellious 19th-century poet whose brief yet incandescent life had reshaped French literature. Wandering through Paris, Wojnarowicz found inspiration in Rimbaud’s restless pursuit of meaning and freedom, identifying with the young poet’s desire to transcend the limits of the ordinary through art. This pilgrimage would leave a lasting imprint on his own creative path, one that would soon merge poetry, performance, and photography. Returning to New York, Wojnarowicz confronted a city marked by decay and economic hardship, its crumbling facades echoing the political chaos of Paris during the Commune of the 1870s. He recognized in both cities the same undercurrent of rebellion and renewal. For him, this parallel reflected not only a shared history of upheaval but also his own personal struggle for survival as a child of disruption, forging his identity amid the harsh realities of urban life. It was within this environment that Wojnarowicz created his iconic series Arthur Rimbaud in New York between 1978 and 1979. Collaborating with close friends, he photographed figures wearing a mask of Rimbaud’s face in various locations across the city—from derelict piers and subway platforms to crowded streets. These images formed a powerful meditation on identity, alienation, and the role of the artist in a fractured world. They document not only the transformation of New York’s landscape but also the emergence of Wojnarowicz’s singular voice as he shifted from literature to visual art. First exhibited at P.P.O.W. Gallery in 1990, the project has since become a landmark in contemporary art. The current presentation unites selections from the original prints, the 2004 portfolio of 44 photographs, and rare test images, offering a poignant testament to Wojnarowicz’s enduring dialogue with Rimbaud—and to the enduring relevance of both artists’ search for truth and liberation. Image: David Wojnarowicz, Arthur Rimbaud in New York (tile floor, gun), 1978-79/2004. Gelatin silver print, 11” x 17”. Courtesy of P·P·O·W Gallery. © David Wojnarowicz

The dramatic landscape of California’s coastline has long stood as a source of wonder, reflection, and artistic renewal. Towering cliffs, shifting mists, and the vast expanse of the Pacific have inspired countless painters, writers, and photographers to interpret the meeting of land and sea in their own distinct ways. This exhibition centers on the years following the completion of Highway 1, when the once-remote reaches of Big Sur became more accessible, inviting artists to explore its rugged terrain and intimate communities. Through photography, they sought to translate not only its natural grandeur but also its elusive spirit—a place where solitude and inspiration intertwine. The photographs on view capture a range of perspectives on Big Sur’s untamed beauty. Some images evoke a quiet intimacy with the landscape, focusing on fleeting patterns of light or the rhythm of ocean waves, while others reflect the human stories embedded within this stretch of coast—of those who came seeking escape, renewal, or belonging. Together, these works reveal Big Sur not merely as a destination but as a state of mind, a space of artistic and emotional encounter that continues to resonate deeply within California’s creative legacy. Curated by Rexine, whose extensive experience includes positions at the MIT List Visual Arts Center, the Rose Art Museum, and the Everson Museum of Art, the exhibition draws upon her passion for the intersection of place, memory, and artistic vision. Her sensitive approach allows the photographs to speak across time, linking mid-century perspectives with the enduring fascination the region holds today. Support for the Mid-century Big Sur Season has been generously provided by the Emile Norman Charitable Trust, Bill and Jeanne Landreth, Post Ranch Inn, and Bob and Kathleen Seibel, whose contributions help preserve and share the artistic spirit born from California’s coastal edge. Image: Henry Gilpin (1922–2011), Highway One, 1965, gelatin silver print. MPMA Acquisition Fund purchase in honor of Richard Garrod. 1984.081. © Estate of Henry Gilpin.

Eternal Construction: Photographic Perspectives on Southern California’s Built Environment examines a region perpetually under transformation—a place where expansion and decay coexist, and reinvention is woven into the very fabric of daily life. Drawn from the Laguna Art Museum’s permanent collection, this exhibition unites artists who have grappled with the shifting realities of urbanization, infrastructure, and environmental change. Rather than offering a sweeping overview, it invites viewers into an intimate, layered encounter with artists whose multiple works trace evolving conversations about the uses—and misuses—of land. The exhibition reveals a complex dialogue between differing approaches to the built landscape. Some artists document the physical world with an unflinching realism, chronicling freeways, construction sites, and abandoned spaces as testaments to human ambition and neglect. Others approach these environments conceptually, abstracting architectural forms or reimagining familiar urban spaces through manipulation, staging, or intervention. Each perspective sheds light on Southern California as both a site and a symbol—where dreams of progress and the realities of environmental strain continually collide. Featured artists include Lewis Baltz, Jeff Brouws, Laurie Brown, Luke Erickson, Jacques Garnier, Marcia Hafif, John Humble, Barbara Kasten, Jeremy Kidd, Tom Lamb, The Legacy Group, Deborah Oropallo, Julius Shulman, and Robert von Sternberg. Together, their works form a visual narrative of impermanence—capturing the tension between natural beauty and human construction, between idealism and entropy. Through their varied interpretations, these artists prompt reflection on what it means to build, to erase, and to rebuild again in a region defined by constant motion. Organized by Laguna Art Museum and guest curated by Tyler Stallings, the exhibition is supported by Mike Johnson and Taka Oiwa, underscoring the museum’s commitment to exploring the dynamic interplay between art, place, and transformation. Image: Jacques Garnier, At the Crossroad, 2015. Gelatin silver print. 20 x 30 in. 2018.018. Gift of the artist © Jacques Garnier

More Is More: Reinventing Photography Beyond the Frame presents singular works of art created from multiple photographs. Set in the experimental time of the mid-1960s to 1980s, the exhibition features artists who deconstructed, reconstructed, and multiplied photographs, playfully pushing photography’s physical boundaries and conceptual limits. By the 1970s photography had clawed its way from the margins of the art world, gaining greater acceptance in museums, galleries, and university classrooms. A new generation of artists began integrating photography into their artistic practice, working alongside photographers who were already fully engaged in the medium. With this newfound adoption—particularly among Conceptual and Performance artists—photography found itself at the vanguard of creativity. More Is More features 43 photographs by 25 artists, many of which are on view for the first time at the Nelson-Atkins. Artists in the exhibition include David Hockney, Gordon Matta-Clark, Andy Warhol, Barbara Crane, Nancy Burson, Jan Groover, John Baldessari, Lew Thomas, Vito Acconci, Eleanor Antin, Barbara Blondeau, and Ray Metzker, among many others. More Is More is accompanied by a selection of photographs in gallery L10, featuring works by Eadweard Muybridge, Ilse Bing, Irving Penn, Edward Weston, Doris Ulmann, Clarence White, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Louis-Rémy Robert, and William Henry Jackson among others. Organized by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Generous support provided by the Hall Family Foundation.

How does learning from cultures different from our own shift our perspectives and understanding of the world? Africa Past, Present, and Future: Celebrating 65 Years of the MSU African Studies Center marks this major anniversary year while also forwarding important questions about the role of collections and object-based learning to expand our knowledge and understanding of the world around us—and our place therein. In 2025, the MSU African Studies Center (ASC) celebrates its 65th anniversary, a remarkable achievement with so many impactful years of service to the university community and across the African continent. Composed of works from the collections of the MSU Broad Art Museum and MSU Museum, the works on view present a wide range of African art and cultural objects that help narrate the relationship of MSU to Africa and its many countries, ethnic groups, and peoples. The museums’ collections of African art grew in significance at the same time that MSU became more deeply involved with the founding of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka—a partnership forged between then-MSU president John Hannah and the Nigerian government. At this same moment, in 1960, Hannah initiated the formalization of the ASC, the second such organization to be inaugurated in the United States at that time. Through this shared history and building upon the incredible work of the ASC today, this exhibition offers experiential opportunities for visitors to learn about the ASC’s captivating work and how university collections continue to advance teaching and learning about and from the many cultures of Africa—past, present, and future. Africa Past, Present, and Future: Celebrating 65 Years of the MSU African Studies Center is organized by the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University and co-curated by Steven L. Bridges, senior curator and director of curatorial affairs at the MSU Broad Art Museum; Kurt Dewhurst, professor and curator at the MSU Museum, and director of arts and cultural partnerships at University Outreach & Engagement; Leo Zulu, director of the MSU African Studies Center; and Erik Ponder, African Studies Librarian; with additional curatorial advisors: Candace Keller, associate professor of art history and visual culture at MSU; Marsha MacDowell, professor and curator at the MSU Museum, and director of the Michigan Traditional Arts Program; Ray Silverman, former professor of art history and visual culture, curator of African Arts, and director of museum studies at MSU; Lynne Swanson, cultural collections manager at the MSU Museum; and Chris Worland, textile artist and former guest curator at the MSU Museum. Support for this series is provided by the MSU Federal Credit Union. This exhibition is the result of a partnership between the MSU African Studies Center, International Studies and Programs; MSU Broad Art Museum; MSU Museum; and MSU Libraries.

With a diversifying population, rapidly evolving cities, and transforming ecology, North Carolina has undergone immense change, especially in recent years. This exhibition features works by artists who are reckoning with the inevitability of the passage of time across our state. While some artists reflect on deeply personal memories of their home and their relationship with the land and built environment, others highlight the consequences of climate change and the legacy of social injustice. Then and There, Here and Now challenges viewers to consider their own relationship to the past—however nostalgic, mournful, disorienting, or hopeful—and its impact on the present. Organized by the North Carolina Museum of Art. This exhibition is made possible, in part, by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources; the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation, Inc.; and the William R. Kenan Jr. Endowment for Educational Exhibitions. Research for this exhibition was made possible by Ann and Jim Goodnight/The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fund for Curatorial and Conservation Research and Travel. Image: Elizabeth Matheson, Pinecrest Pool, 2004

Soft Spaces presents a compelling series of installations featuring the work of alumni from the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art Fellowship, an international and intergenerational program dedicated to nurturing LGBTQIA+ artists of color. Since its founding in 2017, the Fellowship has provided a space for mentorship, collective learning, and professional development, guiding artists in the creation of sustainable practices while fostering radical affirmation of identity through liberatory pedagogy. The exhibition’s title, Soft Spaces, reflects the environment of care, experimentation, and vulnerability that the Fellowship cultivates. Participants describe the program as a sanctuary for exploration, where artistic risks can be taken and personal expression is nurtured. Within this context, the notion of softness becomes both a literal and metaphorical framework, shaping how the works on view engage with process, identity, and community. Soft Spaces brings together recent work by thirty-eight artists from the 2019–20, 2020–21, and 2021–22 Fellowship cohorts. The range of practices represented is expansive, encompassing digital and media art, painting, photography, filmmaking, performance, and installation. Each work embodies the artist’s exploration of self, history, and societal structures, highlighting the diversity of voices and perspectives cultivated by the program. By presenting these works collectively, Soft Spaces emphasizes the intersection of individual creativity and shared experience. The exhibition not only showcases the technical skill and conceptual depth of the artists but also illuminates the ways in which a supportive community can empower innovation and sustain artistic growth. Through these installations, viewers are invited to witness the transformative power of mentorship and the vital contributions of LGBTQIA+ artists of color to contemporary art today. Image: Alison Viana, Felix, 2024. Digital print, 24" x 36". Courtesy of the artist.

Captive Lands, an exhibition presented in conversation with Making Their Way: The Florida Highwaymen Painters, invites visitors to reconsider how artists have represented and reimagined the American landscape. Drawn primarily from the Addison Gallery’s distinguished permanent collection, the exhibition unfolds through five thematic sections that trace the evolution of the land as subject, symbol, and possession. Through these works, the exhibition questions the ways in which the landscape has been idealized, exploited, transformed, and reclaimed over time. Rather than presenting a single, unified narrative, Captive Lands encourages reflection on the diverse and often conflicting histories embedded in the terrain of the United States. The first section, rich in nineteenth-century paintings, reveals how early artists constructed romantic visions of wilderness and frontier—images that continue to shape our national imagination. The second gallery turns to depictions of cultivated fields and industrial sites, illustrating the land’s conversion into an engine of productivity and profit. The third examines places such as Niagara Falls and Florida, whose natural splendor became intertwined with mass tourism and commerce, transforming the sublime into spectacle. In contrast, the fourth section engages with landscapes marked by memory and loss, exploring how the land bears witness to historical trauma. Here, nature becomes both a repository and a record, holding traces of human struggle and resilience. The final gallery focuses on the American West—a region long mythologized as both promise and battleground—and reflects on its enduring significance as a measure of America’s shifting relationship with nature and progress. Ultimately, Captive Lands asks what it truly means to “capture” a landscape: to depict it, to possess it, or to understand it. As Willa Cather once wrote, “The land belongs to the future.” This exhibition reminds us that how we see and shape it today determines what that future will hold. Image: Walker Evans, Resort Photographer at Work, 1941. Gelatin silver print, 4 1/2 x 6 inches. Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, gift of Arnold H. Crane, 1985.46.50 © Walker Evans

On view through January 18, 2026, this exhibition presents fifty powerful photographs by Danny Lyon, one of the most influential documentary photographers to emerge in the 1960s. Known for his immersive approach to storytelling, Lyon captured the lives of those existing on the margins of mainstream America with unflinching honesty and compassion. This series, focused on the Chicago Outlaws motorcycle club between 1963 and 1967, remains one of his most iconic bodies of work. Shot in black and white, the images transport viewers into a world of loyalty, freedom, and defiance. Lyon did not stand apart from his subjects—he rode with them, lived among them, and recorded their lives from within the brotherhood. His photographs are accompanied by excerpts from interviews and text written by Lyon himself, adding a deeply personal voice that complements the raw immediacy of his visual storytelling. Each frame reflects both the exhilaration and the solitude of those who chose to live by their own rules. While Lyon’s lens reveals the harsh realities of life on the road and within the club, it also captures fleeting moments of tenderness and humanity—friends laughing, lovers embracing, and quiet glances filled with unspoken understanding. This balance of grit and grace defines Lyon’s work and continues to influence generations of photographers seeking truth through the camera. The exhibition celebrates Lyon’s ability to blend artistic vision with journalistic integrity, crafting images that are both documentary records and timeless works of art. His portrayal of the Outlaws offers not only a glimpse into a subculture but also a meditation on freedom, identity, and the complexities of belonging in postwar America. Image: Danny Lyon, Route 12 – Wisconsin, 1966, 16 x 20” modern gelatin silver print, Copyright Danny Lyon / Magnum Photos, www.instagram.com/dannylyonphotos, www.bleakbeauty.com, Courtesy of Etherton Gallery

The West in Focus: Women brings together an evocative selection of 30 to 40 photographs drawn from the Booth’s permanent collection, offering a fresh perspective on the history and mythos of the American West. The exhibition highlights the strength, spirit, and complexity of women who have shaped and been shaped by this vast landscape, both in front of and behind the lens. Through a combination of intimate portraits, sweeping vistas, and everyday scenes, the show reveals the enduring power of photography to tell women’s stories across generations. Among the featured works are the deeply human portraits of Dorothea Lange, whose compassionate eye captured the resilience of women during the Great Depression, and the refined yet bold compositions of Imogen Cunningham, whose modernist sensibility redefined the possibilities of the medium. Cara Weston’s photographs of California’s coastal terrain introduce a quieter, more contemplative view of the West—one grounded in light, solitude, and reflection—while Barbara Van Cleve’s classic depictions of Western women celebrate grit, independence, and an unshakable connection to the land. The exhibition does not limit itself to a single narrative. Instead, it brings together voices from different times and traditions, presenting women as pioneers, artists, mothers, ranchers, and dreamers. The photographs—created by both women and men—capture the layered realities of life in the West, from its wild open spaces to its intimate domestic moments. Together, they form a visual chronicle of perseverance and transformation, where myth and memory meet. The West in Focus: Women is a tribute to the women who helped define the Western experience, not as supporting figures in a familiar legend but as central characters whose presence continues to shape the story of America’s frontier—past, present, and future. Image: Jay Dusard, Rose Mary Mack, Artist, Prescott Arizona, 1969, 7.5 x 9.5″, gelatin silver print, Booth Western Art Museum permanent collection, Cartersville, Georgia, ph2018.005.050

Manuel Álvarez Bravo: Collaborations explores the profound role that connection, dialogue, and shared vision played in shaping one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century photography. Featuring more than one hundred photographs and pieces of ephemera, the exhibition reveals how collaboration was not simply an occasional aspect of Álvarez Bravo’s practice but a defining element of his artistic identity. Often celebrated as the father of Mexican photography, Álvarez Bravo’s achievements emerged from a dynamic creative ecosystem. Beginning his career in the 1920s, in the vibrant aftermath of the Mexican Revolution, he became part of a flourishing art scene in Mexico City that brought together painters, writers, and intellectuals. Over seven decades, he formed creative partnerships with some of the most important cultural figures of his time, including Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, André Breton, Luis Buñuel, and Octavio Paz. These collaborations nurtured an aesthetic that blended surrealism, symbolism, and realism, while reflecting Mexico’s evolving identity in the modern era. The exhibition examines the layered nature of authorship in photography—how choices around subject, framing, exposure, printing, and display can be shared or influenced by others. Álvarez Bravo often blurred these boundaries, working closely with mentors, lovers, and peers to shape images that transcend the notion of individual creation. His photographs become visual dialogues, each bearing the imprint of collective imagination and emotional exchange. Curated by Mia Laufer, former Associate Curator at the Des Moines Art Center, Manuel Álvarez Bravo: Collaborations invites visitors to reconsider the myth of the solitary artist. Instead, it presents Álvarez Bravo as part of a vital artistic network—one that transformed photography into a deeply collaborative art form rooted in friendship, exchange, and the shared pursuit of meaning. Image: Manuel Álvarez Bravo (Mexican, 1902 – 2002) Caja de visiones (Box of Visions), 1931 Gelatin silver print Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections; Purchased with funds from Craig and Kimberly Shadur, 2024.11 Photo: Rich Sanders

Photojournalism is work and it is livelihood, it is craft and it is documentation, it is a way to be in the world and to share the world, it is a way to resist oppression while insisting on the fullness of life. Black Photojournalism presents work by more than 40 photographers chronicling historic events and daily life in the United States from the conclusion of World War II in 1945 to the presidential campaigns of 1984, including the civil rights movements through the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Drawn from archives and collections in the care of journalists, libraries, museums, newspapers, photographers, and universities, the original work prints in the exhibition were circulated and reviewed in publishing offices before anything went to print. Each one represents the energy of many dedicated individuals who worked to get out the news every single day. One picture leads to another, making visible multiple experiences of history while proposing ways of understanding today as tomorrow is being created. Responding to a dearth of stories about Black lives told from the perspectives of Black people, Black publishers and their staff created groundbreaking editorial and photojournalistic methods and news networks. During a period of urgent social change and civil rights advocacy, newspapers and magazines, including the Afro American News, Atlanta Daily World, Pittsburgh Courier, Chicago Defender, and Ebony, transformed how people were able to access seeing themselves and their communities. Their impact on the media landscape continues into the digital present. The exhibition, designed by artist David Hartt, is co-organized by Dan Leers, curator of photography, and Charlene Foggie-Barnett, Charles “Teenie” Harris community archivist, in dialogue with an expanded network of scholars, archivists, curators, and historians.