FALL 2025 / EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS & MORE
THE CAUSE OF ART IS THE CAUSE OF THE PEOPLE Those words byWilliamMorris, inscribed in stone above the museum’s front entrance, exemplify our longstandingmission to bring the power of art to the greatest possible number of people. Your support for the museum continues this important tradition of connecting art and the public. Learn more at amam.oberlin.edu/support. 87 North Main Street Oberlin, Ohio 44074 440-775-8665 amam.oberlin.edu Tue–Sat / 10 am–5 pm Sun / 1–5 pm Mon / Closed Always Free Cover photo: Tanya Rosen-Jones SCOTT SHAW EDITOR/DESIGNER Stacie Ross, Communications Director sross3@oberlin.edu CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Marlise Brown, Associate Curator of European and American Art Emily French, InterimCurator of Academic Programs Rory Gielty (OC 2027), Communications Assistant CAN’T MAKE IT TO THE ALLEN? Search the entire collection online: amam.oberlin.edu/collection Take a deep dive into highlights from the collection with the Allen App: allen.stqry.app Visit the galleries, changing exhibitions, and the Frank LloydWright house virtually with Allen Augmented Reality: amam.oberlin.edu/aar DON’T MISS A THING Follow us @allenartmuseum Sign up for our e-newsletter: amam.oberlin.edu/e-news GROUP TOURS Free guided tours are available for adults and K–12 visitors. For information, please call 440-775-8166 or email education.amam@oberlin.edu. MAYDAY MAGIC AT THE ALLEN The Allen recently hosted a multicultural celebration of spring. The museumwas alive with art, music, dance, food and drinks, and even a traditional Maypole dance. Events like this invite the campus and community to experience the museum as a vibrant gathering space. Help us plan more meaningful programs by taking our short survey at amam.oberlin.edu/survey or scan the code.
AT THE ALLEN / FALL 2025 / 3 TANYA ROSEN-JONES FROM THE DIRECTOR In 2009, Director StephanieWiles—knowing that the Allen would be closing for renovations—proposed a partnership with the Cleveland Museum of Art. Outstanding works fromOberlin’s European holdings would be guests in Cleveland for a year. CMA Director Timothy Rub enthusiastically agreed, and the relevant curators at both museums—Andria Derstine and I (both future directors of the Allen!)—set to work. This collaboration was a revelation. It was a joy to work with Andria, owing to her sophistication, intelligence, and advocacy for the Allen. We developed a course for the college around the collaboration, my introduction to Oberlin students. They wrote insightful labels about the Allen’s paintings for their temporary home, and we developed audio guides for more discursive interpretation, crafted by the students. I knew they would be perceptive, talented, and incredibly smart, but their love of learning, creativity, and excitement for sharing ideas with a broad public stuck with me even more. From that point forward, Oberlin has remainedmy ideal college museum for its deep and wide student engagement. The first part of my career was curatorial work at large civic art museums, where I loved the challenges of connecting scholarly research to the preoccupations of broad and diverse audiences. I then cut my teeth as Director at Krannert Art Museum at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I discovered howmuch university museums are liberating places to work and to lead! I often get asked what energizes me about academic museums. As a curator-at-heart, I love how you never have to make an excuse for research. Generating new knowledge is coin of the realm in higher education— serious research is respected and rewarded—which the Allen’s team executes at the highest level. As colleges and universities make the long-overdue turn toward true rapport with their communities, it’s a point of pride to lead this work on campus. Museums provide excellent models for faculty and students interested in engaged research and connecting with a broad public, since museums already excel at and understand the challenges in forging meaningful connections with all audiences. I’m very eager to lean into the city of Oberlin, Lorain County, and Northeast Ohio as even deeper partners in our work. And, the best academic museums (the Allen is case study #1) know how to deploy their spaces, collections, and programs for teaching, both by doing the work ourselves as well as knowing when to get out of the way of faculty, staff, and students, allowingmultiple interpretations and cultural frames to thrive, collide, and challenge us all. I’ve long been in awe of the Allen’s sector-leading work in this arena, and it’s even more thrilling to see the work up close and in action! I look forward to meeting you all, and please stop by to say hello. I am eager to hear about your experiences at the Allen and your hopes and dreams for this museum. As you will read in the following pages, the fall program is stellar and set up for our students, faculty, and community members to contemplate, learn, and enjoy. Jon L. Seydl John G. W. Cowles Director
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AT THE ALLEN / FALL 2025 / 5 Collaborative efforts of three institutions have allowed a special reunification of these important works: Oberlin College’s Garden of the Princess, Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin’s Saint Germain l’Auxerrois, and the Kunstmuseum in the Hague’s Quai du Louvre. These three cityscapes are some of Monet’s earliest renderings of Paris, painted shortly after the April 1867 opening of Paris’s Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) and during the waning years of Baron GeorgesEugene Haussmann’s radical project (1853–1870) to modernize and gentrify Paris. Monet’s cityscapes from 1867 attest to Paris’s importance as a growingmodern metropolis. The Allen’s presentation of these three works highlights Monet’s attention to two emerging facets of modern life in Paris: the Parisian cityscape transformed by Haussmannization and exposure to Japanese aesthetics during the Exposition Universelle. Monet’s Early Years In the 1860s, Monet moved from Le Havre to Paris and began to establish a name for himself in the city. He was surrounded by a supportive network of artists, including Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Frédéric Bazille, Alfred Sisley, and the writer Émile Zola. In 1865, Monet had his first taste of success: his work was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture’s annual exhibition—the Salon. For young French artists in the mid-19th century, entry into this governmentsponsored exhibition was the only place to establish their reputations and gain favor with critics and patrons alike. A favorable Salon review could launch an artist’s career. However, the Royal Academy was known for its old-fashioned tastes and stifling aesthetic values. Salon critics often conflated avant-garde artists together; despite their distinct styles, artists like Monet, Gustave Courbet, and Édouard Manet were all described as Realist painters at the Salon because of their attention to modern-life subjects. Paris, 1867 Although Monet experienced early success at the Salons of 1865 and 1866, his luck changed the following year. In many ways, the events of 1867 were not only a creative catalyst to Monet’s three cityscapes of Paris but had broader implications for the development of Impressionism. In the spring of 1867, Paris hosted the Exposition Universelle and the Royal Academy’s annual Salon at the same time. The fair boasted a record-breaking number of attendees— estimated at 15 million people—with more than 40 countries represented at the Champs de Mars. The fair was intended to showcase the best of French art and culture while celebrating the industrial progress, modernity, and innovation of Emperor Napoléon III’s Second Empire (1852–1870). Because of this, Salon jurors grew increasingly conservative in 1867 and rejected approximately two-thirds of the submissions, including works by Renoir, Sisley, Bazille, and two paintings by Monet. These sweeping rejections spurred the artists to think about an alternate exhibition outside the government-sponsored Salon. Seven years later Monet and Edgar Degas established the Société Anonyme des Artistes and held an exhibition in 1874 of works by about 30 artists, including Monet, Degas, Eugène Boudin, Renoir, Sisley, Opposite left: Claude Monet (French, 1840– 1926), Garden of the Princess, Louvre, 1867. Oil on canvas. AMAM, R. T. Miller Jr. Fund, 1948.296. Above left: Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926), Quai du Louvre, 1867. Oil on canvas. KunstmuseumDen Haag, Bequest Mr. and Mrs. G.L.F. Philips-van der Willigen, 1942, 0332453. Above right: Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926), Saint Germain l’Auxerrois, 1867. Oil on canvas. Alte Nationalegalerie, 1906 gift from the bankers Karl Hagen and Karl Steinbart, Berlin, AI 984 ON VIEW / STERN GALLERY / AUG 19–DEC 23 Claude Monet was one of the founding figures of the first Impressionist exposition in 1874. In Picturing Paris: Monet and the Modern City we focus on Monet’s early career, centering three of Monet’s cityscapes of Paris painted in 1867 from an elevated viewpoint inside the Louvre. CONTINUED
6 / AMAM.OBERLIN.EDU CONTINUED Paul Cézanne, Camille Pissarro, and Berthe Morisot (one of the fewwomen artists invited to exhibit with the group). This event would later be referred to as the first Impressionist exhibition. The Haussmannization of Paris On April 27, 1867, Monet and Renoir requested permission to paint “views of Paris from the windows of the Louvre.” This effort resulted in Monet’s three paintings, which are the core of the Allen’s exhibition. When Monet was painting these views, Paris was rapidly changing. Like many European cities, Paris was once comprised of narrow, dark, winding streets. During numerous political uprisings (in 1789, 1830, and 1848), revolutionaries used Paris’s medieval streets to their advantage, erectingmakeshift defensive barricades against royal and imperial forces. This changed when Emperor Napoléon III hired Baron GeorgesEugène Haussmann to reenvision Paris as a great imperial city. Napoléon’s plan was twofold: to bringmodern technology and amenities to the city and to widen and regularize city streets. This change not only encouraged the flow of commerce but, more importantly, helped imperial troops suppress political revolts. The “Haussmannization” of Paris brought clean water, modern sewers, and gas lanterns to illuminate the streets—making the fast-growing city much safer andmore hygienic. Haussmann also added scenic parks, theaters, and chic shops; regularized the façades of administrative buildings and apartments; and constructed better hospitals, asylums, and prisons. As much as this development improved Paris for many, it also displaced the working class and pushed vulnerable people to the outskirts of the city. In addition, Haussmann’s radical gentrification cloaked everything in dust and debris for nearly 20 years. While some artists in this exhibition celebrate the myth of modern Paris as the “City of Light,” others, like Honoré Daumier and Charles Marville, show a different side of Haussmann’s Paris. Japan, Paris, and theWorld’s Fair It was at the Japanese Pavilion at Paris’s Exposition Universelle of 1867 that Europeans experienced their first formal exhibition of Japanese arts and crafts. Japanese ports had recently reopened to trade with theWest after a sakoku (closed country) policy that lasted for nearly two centuries. European artists were drawn to the narrow vertical formats of hanging scrolls, as well as the solid areas of bold colors, strong diagonals, and rhythmic patterns in Japanese woodblock prints. Garden of the Princess, Louvre, with its vertical format and sloping, asymmetrical composition, is a significant departure fromMonet’s other Paris cityscapes painted in 1867. The oblique viewpoint and narrow vertical orientation may have been inspired by Japanese prints. Monet’s Cityscapes of 1867 The modern city is the main subject of Monet’s three paintings from the Louvre, romanticizing the beauty of the city rather than focusing on the negative aspects of Haussmannization. Monet captures Paris in a moment of rapid transition—the oldmonuments of previous centuries are juxtaposed with Haussmann’s spacious well-paved boulevards, and the regularized façades of new upscale apartment buildings. Human figures in Monet’s works are reduced to daubs of paint, signifying their movement through an evolving city. Organized by Marlise Brown, Associate Curator of European and American Art Above: Honoré Daumier (French, 1808–1879), Voila donc mon pot de fleurs qui va avoir du soleil... (There now! My flower pot will have some sun...), from the series Les Actualités, 1852. Lithograph. Gift of Eugene L. Garbaty, 1954.145. Left: Utagawa Hiroshige II 二代目歌川広重 (Japanese, 1829–1869), Night Rain at Akasaka Kiribatake (Akasaka Kiribatake uchū yūkei), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei), 1859. Color woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Mary A. Ainsworth Bequest, 1950.1413.
AT THE ALLEN / FALL 2025 / 7 ON VIEW / STERN GALLERY / JUL 29–MAY 24 FIBERS OF BECOMING: CONTEMPORARY PAPER WORKS BY SARAH BRAYER, AIMEE LEE, AND LIN YAN At the intersection of tradition and innovation, Sarah Brayer, Aimee Lee (OC 1999), and Lin Yan transform handmade paper into powerful expressions of cultural memory and contemporary identity. Each artist works within distinct East Asian papermaking traditions—Brayer with Japanese washi, Lee with Korean hanji, and Lin with Chinese Xuanzhi. Yet all three engage in a meditative dialogue between ancient craft andmodern vision. Their works embody the paradoxical nature of paper—seemingly delicate yet remarkably resilient, characteristics that create a powerful metaphor. Through their hands, the medium of paper allows space for improvisation and renewal, while remaining a vessel of remembrance and tradition. Whether through Brayer’s metaphysical contemplations and fluid compositions, created as the wet fibers coalesce on a screen, Lee’s exploration of self and community through engagement with harvestedmaterials and labor-intensive methods, or Lin’s reflection on the fleeting quality of time andmemory by recording the physical texture of architecture in sculpted paper, these artists demonstrate how paper—with its ability to hold both history and possibility in its fibers—can be a catalyst for becoming something completely new. Organized by Kevin R. E. Greenwood, Joan L. Danforth Curator of Asian Art Sarah Brayer (American, b. 1957), From the Sea to the Stars, from the Luminosity series, 2019. Pouredmulberry paperwork with phosphorescent pigment and gold leaf. ©Sarah Brayer Aimee Lee (American, b. 1977), Multi, 2023. Ink, printed beaten and laced mulberry paper bark, and natural dye on hanji, thread. ©Aimee Lee Lin Yan (Chinese, b. 1961), All Streets, 2011. Ink, Xuan paper. ©Lin Yan
ON VIEW / ELLEN JOHNSON GALLERY / JUN 14–DEC 23 The Pattern and Decoration movement (P&D) spanned the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, making decorative motifs a primary subject matter and offering an alternative to the austerity of minimalism and conceptualism. Emerging from the feminist art movement, P&D artists across the United States embraced non-Western cultures, elevated the applied arts, and altered notions of “good taste.” Although P&D initially garnered positive attention, critics failed to appreciate that its visual promiscuity was a rejection of heteropatriarchy andWestern hegemony. Drawn from the Allen’s collection, this exhibition stages a dialogue between historical P&D artists and those working today. This juxtaposition offers a precedent for the contemporary craft revival and traces the evolution of artistic positions on feminism, queerness, and global art. During the ColdWar, art theorists used the term “kitsch” to denigrate Soviet-style socialist realism and differentiate it from abstraction in theWest. Decades later, as that bias subsides, we can appreciate how artists also deploy kitsch to disarm viewers and elicit an emotional response. Riffing on architect Mies van der Rohe’s proclamation “less is more,” Robert Venturi, who designed the gallery that houses this exhibition, retorted, “less is a bore.” Underlying Venturi’s quip is a progressive politics of inclusivity and a rebuke of modernism’s fixation on “purity.” This exhibition celebrates art that is cute, camp, crafty, and decorative, while illuminating the critical implications of those strategies. Organized by SamAdams, Ellen Johnson ’33 Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art 8 / AMAM.OBERLIN.EDU
AT THE ALLEN / FALL 2025 / 9 ON VIEW / NORTHWEST AMBULATORY / JUN 13–JAN 25 VIDEO SPACE: MAXALMY Foreshadowing today’s rapid flow of information with uncanny accuracy, this 1980s video work presents a science fiction narrative of time travel in three acts: countdown, departure, and arrival. Aman with wires attached to his head receives his “daily input”—a briefing on news, travel, and entertainment. The feed accelerates until it is undecipherable. Disillusioned with 20th-century society, a man and woman are then transmitted into the 21st century. Although many problems have been resolved in the future, a computer glitch makes it impossible for the couple to communicate with each other any longer. The aesthetic and plot are characteristic of Almy’s work, which adopts tropes from information technology and advertising to speculate on an uncertain future. Organized by SamAdams, Ellen Johnson ’33 Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, and Dlisah Lapidus (OC 2026), Student Curatorial Assistant in Modern and Contemporary Art Top left: Miriam Schapiro (American, born in Canada, 1923–2015), Children of Paradise, 1984. Color lithograph and collage. Gift of Katie Brown, 2023.28.1. Middle: Edie Fake (American, b. 1980), Two Stories, 2018. Screenprint. Gift of the Oberlin College Art Department, RC2018.6. Bottom: Judy Pfaff (American, born in England, 1946), Untitled, from the series Strike 2, Ball 3, 1988. Mixed adhesive on mylar graph paper. Ellen H. Johnson Bequest, 1998.7.117. Above: Max Almy (American, b. 1948), Leaving the Twentieth Century (still), 1982. Video (color, sound), 10:40min. Special Exhibitions Fund, 1984.34.
10 / AMAM.OBERLIN.EDU ON VIEW / RIPIN GALLERY / AUG 22–MAY 24 SHINING PRINTS: THE TALE OF GENJI REIMAGINED IN JAPAN The Tale of Genji, written in the early 11th century, is considered the world’s first novel. Composed by Murasaki Shikibu, a woman of the imperial court during the Heian period (794–1185), the masterpiece chronicles the romantic and political life of the fictional Prince Genji and spans multiple generations. In Japanese visual arts, The Tale of Genji has been reimagined through paintings, prints, and book illustrations. The earliest representations appeared just a century after the text itself, in illustrated handscroll paintings characterized by delicate brushwork, vibrant colors, and subtle ways of presenting the narrative. By the Edo period (1603–1868), and with rising literacy, the novel’s popularity spread beyond aristocratic and samurai elites to literate urban townspeople, or chōnin 町人. The era saw a flowering of Genji imagery in popular art forms like ukiyo-e woodblock prints and illustrated books. This exhibition celebrates the visual legacy of The Tale of Genji through two modes of artistic interpretation. The first features prints that reflect the style of the earliest 12th-century illustrations. The second reveals how 18th– 19th-century artists boldly recontextualized the tale’s characters and themes into their contemporary settings. Organized by Kevin R. E. Greenwood, Joan L. Danforth Curator of Asian Art, with assistance fromYe Yuan, Assistant Professor of Japanese and East Asian Studies ON VIEW / RIPIN GALLERY / AUG 22–MAY 24 FROM PAGE TO STAGE: KABUKI’S HEROIC HISTORY PLAYS IN JAPANESE WOODBLOCK PRINTS This exhibition explores how Japan’s epic war tales were transformed into popular kabuki theater performances known as jidaimono 時代物, or “history plays,” as documented through woodblock prints from the Edo period (1603–1868) to the 20th century. These prints and books reveal how historical narratives—particularly The Tale of the Heike, The Revenge of the Soga Brothers, and The Chronicle of Yoshitsune—were adapted for the stage, creating unique artistic expressions of these historical sagas, often with many elements reimagined for dramatic effect. Also featured are depictions of Chūshingura, or The Treasury of Loyal Retainers. This revenge story of the 47 rōnin—based on an early 18th-century incident but set in medieval times to avoid government censorship—was frequently performed alongside older military tales. The woodblock prints showcase kabuki’s rich visual language. Elaborate sets and gorgeous costumes provided the backdrop for actors who, through intense training, mastered stylizedmovements and formal gestures to bring historical figures to life. For many people in Japan who lived far from urban theaters or could not afford tickets, these prints offered a rare glimpse of kabuki’s spectacular visual world while simultaneously shaping how these early modern audiences understood their history. Organized by Kevin R. E. Greenwood, Joan L. Danforth Curator of Asian Art, with assistance fromAnn Sherif, Professor of Japanese and East Asian Studies
AT THE ALLEN / FALL 2025 / 11 ON VIEW / RIPIN GALLERY / AUG 22–MAY 24 FEMME ’N ISMS, PART III: FEMININE FACES AND INTIMATE SPACES Femme ’n isms is a multi-year series of exhibitions celebrating intersectional feminist artmaking in the Allen’s collection. Inspired by a recent gift of works by Käthe Kollwitz and Lotte Jacobi, the third and final installment of Femme ’n isms features portraits of girls and women, almost entirely by women and femme-identifying artists. Half of the works are self-portraits, in which artists highlight their workspace, labor, and ingenuity. Others capture a casual exchange between acquaintances who have knowingly let their guard down to express vulnerability. Conversely, musicians, actors, and other celebrities pose as characters or types. Across more than a century, in private and in public, these subjects make deliberate decisions about how they wish to appear. Participating in the production of their representation is a crucial means of asserting agency over their image and ultimately themselves. The exhibition includes works by Emma Amos, Cecilia Beaux, Martine Gutierrez, Lotte Jacobi, Käthe Kollwitz, Marie Laurencin, Joan Semmel, Cindy Sherman, and others. Organized by SamAdams, Ellen Johnson ’33 Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Left: Utagawa Kunisada III (Japanese, 1848–1920), Kabukisa, Sixth Month, Kyōgen, 1899. Ink on paper. Gift of Dominique H. Vasseur (OC 1973) in honor of Ronald F. Patnik and LawrenceW. Rassin, 2023.60A-C. Below: Chōbunsai Eishi 鳥文斎栄之 (Japanese, 1756–1829), Asagao (Morning Glories), from the series Scenes from the Tale of Genji, late 1780s. Color woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Mary A. Ainsworth Bequest, 1950.453. Above: Lotte Jacobi (German, 1896–1990), Käthe Kollwitz, ca. 1930. Gelatin silver print. Gift of AdamWerner in memory of Gloria (OC 1962) and Newton Werner, 2022.49.3.
12 / AMAM.OBERLIN.EDU BUILDING A LOVE FOR ART In addition to welcomingmore than 1,700 visitors for gallery tours last year, the Education Department brought art experiences into the community. From summer camps and daycares to assisted living facilities, the Allen serves as a creative catalyst—fostering connection, inspiration, and engagement well beyond its walls. Here, Ellis Lane (OC 2022) and Lizzy Greenwood introduce hand printing to toddlers at the Acorn Childcare Center in Avon after reading Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh. TANYA ROSEN-JONES SUPPORTING THE ALLEN’S EXHIBITIONS To honor the transformative leadership of our former director, the Allen’s Visiting Committee created the Andria Derstine Fund for Exhibitions. This is the first museum fund dedicated solely to supporting exhibitions, ensuring that the Allen’s superlative exhibition program has the long-term support it deserves. The earnings will help cover a wide range of exhibition-related expenses, including loans, design, and programming. “I can think of no better way of honoring Andria’s legacy than with this inspired fund,” said newly-appointed director Jon Seydl. We invite you to support the Andria Derstine Exhibitions Fund. Your gift will continue her legacy of excellence in arts education and engagement. To make a gift by mail, return the envelope in this magazine indicating “Derstine Fund” in the open space, or give online at the link below. amam.oberlin.edu/support
In my coursework at Oberlin College, I have learned that the concept of “craft” has been historically undervalued inWestern art history in comparison to other art forms, such as painting and sculpture. Because the women in my family engaged in both realms of artistry, I never thought of the two as separate, never as one less than the other. Both of my grandmothers were avid crocheters and embroiderers. They made blankets, tortilla covers, scarves, gloves, sweaters, and anything else one can imagine. When I got the opportunity to work as a curatorial assistant at the Allen, Marlise Brown gave me my first assignment, researching the Mexican embroidery samplers in the collection. I was elated that my first task in a museum space was one with which I shared a cultural background! Since they arrived at the museum in 1942, few researchers had investigated these delicate and beautiful artworks. As early as the 14th and 15th centuries, embroidery samplers were created as teaching tools for young women preparing for their domestic daughter. These acts of care and preservation demonstrate the generational protection of Indigenous craftsmanship. Marlise gave me the exciting opportunity to place my own flair on an upcoming exhibition featuring the embroidery samplers. This project has bloomed to preserve these women’s artistry in today’s political context. Because of the disconnect between “craft” and “art,” their identities were rarely recorded and were later forgotten. My research into embroidered and beaded works from Iroquois, Navajo, Turkey, West Africa, Japan, and other regions will aid storytelling of creativity within domestic household roles. An exhibition is planned for fall 2026; join us in celebrating and remembering the works of centuries of women worldwide who have exuded resistance fromdomestic household roles. —Natalia Alvarado (OC 2025) HIGHLIGHT / RECENT GRADUATE UNRAVELING CONNECTIONS: CRAFT, ART, AND MEMORY A student reflects on the intersection of embroidery, family, and identity in women’s artistry and resistance across generations and cultures. roles. Girls and women would practice their needlework with repeated patterns, floral motifs, and lettering. Throughout the world, perfecting needlework was essential to a young girl’s education, as they would apply embroidered ornament to their family and household items. After the Spanish conquest of Mexico, missionaries introduced Spanish needlework skills, which are believed to have originated in ancient Egypt, Persia, and several regions in the Near East. Most of the embroidery samplers at the Allen were produced by Indigenous young women from several Mexican states, such as Oaxaca, Puebla, and Jalisco. These women gifted the samplers to Maximilian I, Austria’s archduke and Mexico’s emperor from 1864 to 1867. Maximilian and Empress Carlotta possessed an extensive art collection, which included the embroidered samplers. Shortly after his execution in 1867, President Benito Juarez ordered the destruction of Maximilian’s entire art collection. However, these samplers were preserved by Dolores Bussi de Ruizand, who later passed them to her AT THE ALLEN / FALL 2025 / 13
14 / AMAM.OBERLIN.EDU MIKE CRUPI HIGHLIGHT / ACADEMICS A SHARED BEGINNING, A LASTING IMPACT As the first Shared Art cohort graduates, the Allen celebrates a growing campus tradition that begins with a single image—and grows into community. This year marked an important milestone in the Shared Art program: the first class to participate in the program graduated in May. Shared Art, a collaboration between the Allen’s Academic Programs staff and the College’s Director of Academic Advising Programs, began in 2021 after a review of orientation programming revealed interest in creatingmore traditions and shared experiences. Modeled after a common reading program, Shared Art asks: Can a single work of art build community? Each year, every incoming first-year student engages with one artwork selected by a student committee and displayed in themuseum for the semester. During orientation, themuseum hosts a Block Party for the entire class. Students view the work, explore the galleries, enjoy crafts, and play games, among other activities. Introducing themuseumduring the first week on campus builds community and helps the students see the museumas a space for joy, contemplation, and learning. Throughout the fall semester, Peer Advising Leaders (PALs, upper-class students who help first years transition to college life) lead a series of small group conversations. Early in the semester they discuss “Thriving in Diverse Communities,” in which the Shared Art work serves as the starting point for conversation about belonging and the ways our roles within a community can fluctuate. In the spring, a committee of students selects the Shared Art work for the next incoming class. Members are nominated by offices across campus, bringing in students from a range of backgrounds: some are arts and humanities majors, others STEM, and they participate in various sports, religious groups, and clubs and co-ops. The common denominator among these students is not a background in art or art history, but rather a passion for creative thinking and community building. The Shared Art Committee meets twice during the spring semester. In the first meeting, they discuss the program and a shortlist of artworks created in consultation with the Allen’s staff and student workers. The committee members share their impressions of each work, imagine what conversations it can spark, and evaluate its possible strengths and limitations for discussions. The committee members then vote on the artworks, and in the secondmeeting discuss the chosen work further and brainstormpotential programming and ideas for the Block Party. To mark the program’s four-year-milestone, members of the graduating class were sent a message of congratulations along with an image of their Shared Art piece, LaToya Ruby Frazier’s 2007 photograph, Grandma Ruby’s Refrigerator. “LaToya Ruby Frazier’s work has stuck with me and continues to come up in my life because of the Shared Art program,” said one student. Academic Programs staff at the Allen look forward to seeing where the next four years take this engaging program.
AT THE ALLEN / FALL 2025 / 15 “ SharedArt began as a simple idea—could onework of art bring students together? Four years later, it’s become ameaningful tradition.Watching that first group graduate this springwas a powerful reminder of howdeeply art can inspire dialogue.” —Emily French, InterimCurator of Academic Programs ON VIEW / EDUCATION HALLWAY / AUG 6–JAN 25 SHARED ART 2025: SUZANNE BENTON For the incoming class of 2029, the student-led committee selected Young Lady Graduates, Oberlin College, 1855 by Suzanne Benton—a powerful print that invites reflection on Oberlin’s complex history and the intersections of race, gender, and class. This evocative image will become a point of connection for first-year students as they navigate the start of college, sparking dialogue, curiosity, and community. Organized by Emily French, Interim Curator of Academic Programs, and Shared Art Committee Members: Miriam Barnhill-Wright (OC 2027), Joanne Kim (OC 2026), Mimi Montefiore (OC 2025), Tanisha Shende (OC 2026), and Sereena Sperry (OC 2027) Top left: LaToya Ruby Frazier (American, b. 1982), Grandma Ruby’s Refrigerator, 2007. Gelatin silver print. Carl Read Gerber Contemporary Art Fund, 2018.21. Bottom left: In addition to viewing the Shared Art work, Block Party activies include crafts, games, snacks, andmusic. The event is designed for first-year students to get aquainted with the museum and each other. Right: Suzanne Benton (American, b. 1936), Young Lady Graduates, Oberlin College, 1855, 1997. Monoprint with chine-collé. Gift of Mrs. Annabel Shanklin Perlik (OC 1949), 2009.29.
16 / AMAM.OBERLIN.EDU Allen Memorial Art Museum’s collection is composed of more than 15,000 works—with less than 5% of the collection on view. Some artworks in storage have signs of aging or damage and require conservation before they can be displayed. Regardless of the level or nature of an object’s flaws, the Allen is committed to maintaining the integrity and safety of its art. Art conservation is a meticulous collaboration between curator and conservator. An exacting blend of art and science, the process includes techniques ranging fromX-ray imaging and paint chemistry to historical and visual analysis. Conserving a single work may take months to years, depending on the complexity of the object and its condition. Fortunately, the Allen has longstanding relationships with esteemed conservators and one of the pioneering labs in the region. The IntermuseumConservation Association (ICA) was founded in 1952 on Oberlin College’s campus. Through partnering with the Allen, along with several other museums in the region, the ICA helped create the standard for how to care for and repair artwork. Now housed in the Pivot Center for Art, Dance, and Expression in Cleveland, the lab has dedicated conservators for paintings, textiles, works on paper, and objects. Prior to her recent retirement, the Allen’s longtime registrar Lucille Stiger oversaw logistics regarding the museum’s art conservation efforts. She reviewed art treatment proposals, estimates, and condition reports, worked as a liaison between conservator andmuseum curator and director, and organized transport for the art. She was with the Allen for 28 years and worked with the ICA throughout the organization’s growth and relocation to various locations. “It was wonderful when the lab was right next door,” Stiger said. “We could call up the conservators to do ad hoc work and ask themquestions because they were so close.” THE ART OF CONSERVATION BEHIND THE SCENES, EXPERTS REPAIR AND RESTORE ART Every artwork in the Allen’s collection has a story—and sometimes, that story includes damage, age, or alteration. Conservation is more than repair work; it’s a form of stewardship that revives fragile objects and prepares them to inspire once again. As part of the exhibition planning process, the museum registrar converses with curators about the art they plan to use. If they select anything with signs of deterioration or damage, it becomes a priority for conservation. “Conservation is expensive. If something has the potential to worsen over time, we’ll conserve it. Otherwise, it’s when something will be on display,” Stiger said. Awork of art from curator Marlise Brown’s collection is currently in the process of being conserved at the ICA. “When I began working here, I saw Jean Marc Nattier’s Portrait of Madame de Pompadour (right) in storage—a very important French artist painting an important 18th-century French figure. I thought, ‘Why don’t we have this great painting out on view?’” Brown said. Before the Allen acquired the work, two of its previous owners had commissioned different artists to alter the collar of Madame de Pompadour’s gown. “At one point, the cloth
AT THE ALLEN / FALL 2025 / 17 around her shoulders was much lower. A previous owner was a bit prudish, thought it was inappropriate, and had another artist paint a higher neckline. A later owner knew this wasn’t accurate, so they created a lower neckline, but not as low as the original.” The Pompadour portrait has been with the ICA for more than a year and has undergone incremental changes. Brown described their work of removing overpaintedmaterials as “opening windows,” where it can be unpredictable what lies underneath. Brown is excited for future opportunities to showcase the painting when the conservation is finished. Thanks to a grant from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, curator Kevin Greenwood undertook a large-scale conservation project of the Incense Burner with Dragon Base with a conservator in Boston last year. “It’s a spectacular centerpiece for the Asian gallery. That’s why I pursued it,” Greenwood said. He has also worked with the ICA’s objects conservator for repairs to a bronze Buddha statue (left). Several elements potentially identifying the Buddha as Medicine Master had been lost or broken off over the years, including a medicine jar in one hand and the healingmyrobalan plant in the other. Greenwood opted not to create new components for the restoration, fearing they would be too speculative. However, the ICA repaired one stretched earlobe of the statue and built a custommount for the security of the work during exhibition and storage. A video with more information about this conservation project can be found at amam.oberlin.edu/buddha. Conservators are among the most important, often unsung, behind-the-scenes workers in the museum industry. Their subtle yet calculated improvements to works of art typically go unnoticed because they match so well. The Allen’s curators enjoy collaborating with conservators, learning from each other, and restoring the stability of important artworks so they can be displayed once again. “In my time at the museum, the ICA never changed,” Lucille Stiger said. “They’re all great people and top-notch conservators. It’s a labor of love, and the work is always fabulous.” “ When done right, a conservator’s work is invisible.” —KevinGreenwood Top left: Independent conservator Heather Galloway examines the condition of Henri-Edmond Cross’s The Return of the Fisherman (1896). Bottom left: Unrecorded Chinese Artist, Seated Buddha, probably Yaoshifo (Bhaiṣajyaguru, Medicine Master Buddha), 11th–12th century. Bronze with traces of gilding. R. T. Miller Jr. Fund in memory of Hazel Barker King, 1961.51. Near left: Lucille Stiger and Kevin Greenwood inspect the bronze dragon upon its return from a conservation lab in Boston. Above: Jean Marc Nattier (French, 1685–1766), Portrait of Madame de Pompadour, ca. 1750. Oil on canvas. Gift of Mrs. Helen B. Tolles, 1963.35.
18 / AMAM.OBERLIN.EDU “ When I sawan open volunteer position years ago, I didn’t knowanything about the house yet. I’ve been learning ever since, and I still learn something newevery time I’mthere.” —FredUnwin, Volunteer Docent
AT THE ALLEN / FALL 2025 / 19 ANDREW PIELAGE HIGHLIGHT / FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HOUSE PRESERVING HOUSE & HISTORY FromEllen Johnson’s stewardship to modern-day renovations, this Usonian landmark designed by Frank LloydWright continues to inspire through its architecture, history, and public engagement. In 1947, Charles and Margaret Weltzheimer commissioned architect Frank LloydWright to design their new family home in Oberlin. The house remained in Margaret’s possession until 1963. The next several owners made significant changes to the house’s interior. Art historian and Oberlin College Professor Ellen H. Johnson purchased the house in 1968. She lived there for the rest of her life and was dedicated to restoring as much as she could toWright’s original design. Johnson arranged for the home to be donated to Oberlin College upon her death, with the intention of using it as an educational public space for tours and teaching. The Allen Memorial Art Museum now oversees the house with other college departments, managing everything frompublic events, including its often sold-out monthly tours, to coordinating landscaping and as-needed repairs. As the first Usonian (Wright’s term for his utopian vision of affordable American architecture) home built in Ohio, theWeltzheimer/Johnson House is a cultural landmark and a pillar of artistic and architectural innovation. Fred Unwin has been a volunteer at the house for more than two decades and is deeply committed to researching its history and sharing his findings with the general public. A Case Western Reserve University alumnus, Unwin has a background is in theater and interior design. He says giving tours at theWeltzheimer/Johnson House keeps his performing skills sharp. Some of his favorite factoids include the many famous visitors Ellen Johnson had throughout her years at the house, such as composer John Cage, painter Robert Rauschenberg, and performance artist Scott Burton. When compared to other homes in the surrounding area, Wright’s design is striking. It is tucked away at the end of a long driveway. The house sits at a 45-degree angle, rather than parallel to the street. The exterior is almost entirely transparent, due to floor-to-ceiling glass windows, which allow the home to heat itself through passive solar energy. “Wright was born in 1867 and came from an agrarian society that was just starting to confront industrialization. When he was young, houses were just like little boxes. He believed that we need to live in concert with nature, and this would give people better lives. This idea attracted the Weltzheimers toWright—they were fascinated by him,” Unwin explained. Jill Greenwood, Eric & Jane Nord Family Curator of Education, is project manager and events coordinator for the house. She has advocated for a new roof, wood restoration, and a boiler for wintertime heating, all part of the summer 2025 temporary closure. “There are changes that are absolutely necessary, like the roof—we must protect the home fromwater infiltration. Similarly, the door and windowwood restoration project is necessary to secure the structure,” Greenwood said. Some aspects of Wright’s original designs were not materialized during his lifetime, but are being honored now. The orchard in the front yard—also at a 45-degree angle—is a recent example made possible by the Ring Foundation. According to Greenwood, the history of fully realizing this plan goes back decades. “More than 20 years ago, two students conducted a feasibility study to plant andmaintain the orchard Wright designed. It includes 33 fruit-bearing trees planted at an angle to the driveway and parallel to the orientation of the house. It was not planted during the students’ tenure at Oberlin College, but one of their fathers donatedmoney through their foundation to make the orchard a reality,” she said. The Allen and Oberlin College have taken many other steps to return the house to its intended state, or make changes aligned with the previous owners’ values. Unwin facilitated a reupholstery project for some of Ellen Johnson’s furniture, and a long-lost perforated board from the home’s exterior has recently found its way back to Oberlin through a generous donation fromCathy Meints. “This wooden board from the house went up for auction. Meints bought it and gifted it back to us, which is fantastic,” Greenwood said. “It’s fun to see all these pieces of the house come back together. We honor themby putting the belongings where they would have been originally located.” Under the care of the Allen and Oberlin College, theWeltzheimer/Johnson House’s legacy will continue to live on through restoration and education.
20 / AMAM.OBERLIN.EDU FROM CLASSROOM TO GALLERY Students in Professor ZéWille Kielwagen’s Intro to Installation: Site-Specificity class created site-specific artworks for the Allen and, with support frommuseum staff, installed them at the museum for one class period. Each project offered a thoughtful response to the museum’s spaces. Examples above: Becoming the Allen by Anna Sophia Abundis (OC 2024) used a tattoo of a phrase from the façade of the building to explore turning the artist’s body into a livingmuseum; Hyperinflation by Katie Baum (OC 2025) juxtaposes the artist’s life-changing bottle of medication with a painting of similar value. AND THE WINNER IS… The competition was stiff, but the Ben-Day Dots squeaked out a win in a staff bowling championship held in honor of our interimdirector Katie Solender. We are very grateful to Katie for her invaluable leadership during our time of transition. As a member of the museum’s Visiting Committee, we are glad she will continue her positive impact on the Allen. ALPHA CARE AND THE ALLEN IN THE COMMUNITY The Allen partnered with Alpha Care in Lorain to offer sensory-rich tours that centered touch, sound, and inclusive engagement. Participants listened to music while sketching in front of Judit Reigl’s radio-inspired painting and explored 3D prints from Multiples and Modes of Access. Later, curatorial assistant Ellis Lane (OC 2022) visited Alpha Care to share more about 3D prints and other disabilitycentered initiatives at the museum. INSIDETHE ALLEN Ellis Lane dicusses an object from the touch collection with a visitor fromAlpha Care.
AT THE ALLEN / FALL 2025 / 21 THE ALLEN’S GRADUATES As part of a graduation tradition, the Allen’s Education Department designs custom stoles for student employees, each inspired by a work of art on view. Max Andrejco wears this year’s stole, drawing inspiration from artist Miriam Schapiro. The orange gloves, a must-have tool for those handling art, were awarded for his careful work with Michael Reynolds learning the ropes of a preparator. I love it! It’s beautiful! — Isabel (5 YO), Aurora, CO Noted in the Allen’s visitor book STAFF NEWS: FIONA GIMÉNEZ-COLLINS The Allen is delighted to welcome Fiona Giménez-Collins as the newCuratorial Assistant in Academic Programs. A recent graduate of Oberlin College (Class of 2025), GiménezCollins is an interdisciplinary visual artist with a B.A. in Studio Art and a minor in Art History, focusing on Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art. In her new role, she is excited to help facilitate deep, meaningful learning experiences with the museum’s collections. Giménez-Collins brings a strong commitment to collegiate arts education, shaped in part by her longstanding involvement with the popular ExCo course BadArtCo, where she led peer-based engagement with the Allen’s holdings. Her experience as both artist and educator makes her a valuable addition to the Academic Programs team. I don’t think you’re ever prepared for how attached you can get to a piece of art. —Kate Boney (OC 2026) Noted in Art Rental e-journal Leonardo Drew (American, b. 1961), Untitled, ca. 1995. Black and white screenprint on bingo board. Gift of Cristina Delgado (OC 1980) and Stephen F. Olsen (OC 1979), RC2010.2.1. ART RENTALGETSADIGITAL TWIST A new feature of the beloved Art Rental program invites participants to connect by sharing reflections and photos through an online journal for each artwork. Developed by Coordinator of Student and Community Connection Alyssa Traster, the e-journal fosters deeper engagement with the collection. The Sho-Jo-Ji Japanese Dancers perform at an event.
SEP 11 / 5:30 PM ALLEN AFTER HOURS / ART PARTY! We put the ART in pARTy! Celebrate the start of the semester with an evening of art, music, and community. Explore the exhibitions, meet the Allen’s new director Jon Seydl, and enjoy live jazz in the back courtyard with John Hebert (OC 2028) on piano, Milei Sagawa (OC 2026) on bass, and Max Simas (OC 2026) on drums, plus complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres. Come for the art, stay for the vibe! SEP 16 / 3 PM TUESDAY TEA / JON SEYDL ON ART, LEADERSHIP, AND WHAT’S NEXT Get to know the Allen’s new director. Jon Seydl will talk about his experiences as a curator and director. He will also share what drew him to Oberlin and some ideas about the future direction of the museum. Don’t miss this chance to welcome him to Oberlin and hear what’s on his mind! OCT 4 / 11 AM–3 PM COMMUNITY DAY Get ready for an afternoon of creative exploration! Inspired by the exhibition Picturing Paris: Monet and the Modern City, families and art enthusiasts of all ages can enjoy art making and activities that bring Monet’s early Parisian visions to life. Drop in any time to this free event for the perfect blend of art, history, and hands-on creativity. Explore Monet’s early cityscapes, on view together for the first time in North America! OCT 9 / 5:30 PM ALLEN AFTER HOURS / OUT OF BODY Artist Edie Fake will explore the visual “codes” that exist within queer and trans life and art, examining how these function as tools of visibility and resistance. Drawing from his own artistic practice, Fake will discuss the way in which queer communities have historically created andmaintained cultural continuity through visual language—particularly as a means of space-making and survival during periods of political oppression. Fake’s artwork is currently on view in the exhibition Kitsch, Craft, Critique. OCT 11 / 10:30 AM, OCT 16 / 3:30 PM GALLERY TALK / THE JAPANESE ROOTS OF FRENCH IMPRESSIONISM Developed in France, Impressionism nurturedmany of the same motives and techniques used by French Realists and the Barbizon School of landscape painters. However, perhaps the most significant source of inspiration for Impressionist artists like Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Mary Cassatt were woodblock prints and decorative arts from Japan. Join Kevin R. E. Greenwood, Joan L. Danforth Curator of Asian Art, and Marlise Brown, Associate Curator of European and American Art, for a gallery talk on the Japanese Pavillion at Paris’s Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) of 1867 and the lasting impact that Japanese art had on the Impressionist movement. Registration required: amam.oberlin.edu/gt-oct SEP 25, OCT 16, NOV 20, DEC 18 / 12:15 PM JOIN US FOR MINDFUL MEDITATION ON ZOOM Looking for a way to relax and enjoy art? Libni López, a clinical therapist with Authentically You Therapy, and Ellis Lane (OC 2022), Curatorial Assistant in the Education Department, will lead a 45-minute Zoom session of intentional mindfulness and discussion centered around a work of art. Free and open to everyone. Registration required: amam.oberlin.edu/meditation Left: Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926), Wisteria, 1919–20. Oil on canvas. R. T. Miller Jr. Fund, 1960.5. Below: Sanaa Gateja (Ugandan, b. 1950), Mr. and Mrs., 2023. Paper beads, thread, and papier-mâché on bark cloth. Ruth C. Roush Contemporary Art Fund and funds fromCarl Read Gerber (OC 1958), Jerry M. Lindzon, Douglas Baxter (OC 1972), and Peter Frumkin (OC 1984), 2023.61. Right: Tanaka Yū 田中悠 (Japanese, b. 1989), A Tsutsumimono (“Wrapped ItemA”), ca. 2020. Glazed stoneware. Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz Collection, TL41.2024.6. 22 / AMAM.OBERLIN.EDU
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