A New World: Pre-Columbian Art from the Carroll Collection
March 29–June 15

In 2006, the Johnson received a spectacular gift of pre-Columbian ceramics, stone carvings, tools, and gold adornments in a great variety of form and decoration from Thomas Carroll, PhD 1951. The collection primarily represents cultures active in present-day Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Costa Rica, with the greatest concentration from Ecuador; the exhibition highlights these fascinating and less-studied Ecuadorian works, underlining the Museum’s enhanced status as a destination for the appreciation and study of these cultures. Works range from tiny Valdivia fertility figures dating from 3000 BC (among the oldest figural sculptures in the Western Hemisphere) to objects such as a tall, elegant Tuza urn from Carchi province, datable between 1250 and 1500 AD.

Ramayana in the Arts of India and Southeast Asia
April 5–June 15

The great Hindu epic Ramayana relates the major events in the life of Rama, a form of the god Vishnu, from his birth to his death. The story deals with his disinheritance, his exile, the kidnapping and rescue of his wife Sita, the defeat of King Ravana (the kidnapper) with the help of the Monkey King Hanuman, Rama’s regaining of the throne, and the eventual tragedy in his family. Through paintings, textiles, puppets, and other works inspired by this favorite narrative in the arts of India, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, this exhibition explores both the artistic commonalities and unique adaptations of the story by diverse cultures.

Cornell Art Department Faculty
April 5–June 15

Cornell's artist-teachers produce remarkably varied work in many media, and their biennial exhibition is always fascinating and exciting. What makes this display especially interesting is that these are professional artists who live and work among us. This exhibition presents the work of twelve current faculty members, including video, photography, drawing, painting, and sculpture.

Exquisite Corpus: Interacting with the Fragmented Body
April 5–June 15

Head, Heart, Arms, Legs: what happens to the human body when it is conceptually dissected? This year’s History of Art Majors’ Society is proud to present Exquisite Corpus: Interacting with the Fragmented Body. This student-curated exhibition concentrates on the segmented human form. By dividing the physique into a selection of different parts via a selection of artworks from the Museum’s permanent collection, the viewer will be able to reconsider the status (or statuses) of the deconstructed body. Furthermore, such an exhibition necessitates a certain degree of interactivity. In this show, the viewer’s mind and body will physically and conceptually interact with subsections of the body. Relating art historical practices such as conceptual and performance-based art, the viewer will have the chance to leave his or her mark in the exhibition space by participating in a Museum-situated vote inspired by Hans Haacke or performing a self-activated photo shoot with the use of a Polaroid camera. In the end, Exquisite Corpus will allow for a specific interaction between the viewer’s living body and the fragmented body that exists in the realm of art. This exhibition was funded by a generous gift from Betsey and Alan Harris.

Something Old/Something New: Gifts from Alumni
March 22–July 27

In celebration of this year’s Reunion classes, this exhibition will highlight a wide variety of gifts to the Museum’s collection in the areas of contemporary art and works on paper. Some of these are very recent additions to the collection and have not been shown before; some are old favorites that have been part of our collection for many years. This exhibition recognizes the generosity of our returning alumni and the difference they make to the fine quality of our permanent holdings.

Frank Lloyd Wright Art Glass from the Martin House
Ongoing

This installation, in the Museum’s American art galleries on our second floor, brings one of Wright’s famous “Tree of Life” windows to Cornell. On loan from the Darwin D. Martin House, an important 1905 Wright house in Buffalo, this window is presented in tandem with the Museum’s own art glass casements from the Martin House. This pairing of art glass panels designed for different areas of the house shows how Wright redefined the boundary between interior and exterior space and explores Wright’s revolutionary use of color and light in architecture. The Johnson Museum installation and the accompanying materials were made possible by a generous contribution from Bill Cooke Chevrolet-Cadillac, Inc., and Bill Cooke Imports, Inc., of Ithaca.