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The museum collection has grown substantially in recent years, sometimes through purchase but more often by gift. This exhibition brings together a large number of works new to the Allen—many on view for the first time—alongside others that have been visitor favorites for decades. While the museum’s important Eva Hesse holdings fill the adjoining gallery, paintings and sculptures formerly seen there, spanning the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, take their place here near others that range in date from the late 1940s to 2020. Testifying to the strength and breadth of the Allen’s modern collection, together they represent a striking diversity of artistic backgrounds, techniques, and approaches. Abstraction, a hallmark of the museum’s contemporary holdings since the mid-20th century, is explored in monumental canvases, sculptures, and small works on paper. In some compositions reality and illusion seem to intersect; others foreground the artist’s technique or are uncompromisingly direct. Several of the artists represented have significant connections to Oberlin, Cleveland, or Ohio, a testament to the museum’s relationships with alumni artists and donors and its championing of the artistic talents in our region. Featured, too, are multiple works devoted to figures important in the abolitionist movement and the struggle against oppression, as well as a significant number of works by women, reflecting the Allen’s longstanding commitment to highlighting these histories and these artists.

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