Continuing the celebration of the 125^th anniversary of the CRMA, the summer exhibition will look at 125 masterpieces drawn from our own collection.  Whereas Across the Atlantic looked at another prestigious American museum collection, we have much to celebrate within our own collection.  Works which normally do not hang together because of their diverse subjects or styles will coexist in an exuberant display of the CRMA’s treasures.  Works by Grant Wood and Marvin Cone will be joined by those of important early African-American artist Henry Ossawa Tanner, American Impressionist Frederick Carl Frieseke, and American sculptor Malvina Hoffman.  Roman treasures will be on view alongside modern and contemporary masterworks.  It will be a true celebration of the depth and breadth of the collection, as well as a celebration of the community which made this collection possible.

In 2020, local artist Mary Zeran will have been working as a profession artist for 10 years. Given the CRMA’s rich history of presenting the art of local artists—especially when they’ve achieved a certain milestone or completed a specific new body of work—the idea of displaying a 10-year retrospective of Zeran’s work during the CRMA’s 125^th anniversary year seems fitting.  One of the very few local artists to have spent her entire painting career working in abstraction, Zeran’s work will challenge viewers to see her subtle but significant evolution over the course of the past 10 years.  Constantly exploring, Zeran has crafted different methods of mark-making to accompany her evolution in palette and scale.  The exhibition will not only trace the trajectory of her career, it will also include a site-specific installation created especially for this exhibition.

Retired computer entrepreneur Peter Norton (Norton Antivirus Software) is a contemporary art collector as well as an active participant in various civic and philanthropic activities. In 1988, the Norton Family Christmas Project began commissioning artists to create original, multiple-edition works that were mailed as holiday greetings to friends, colleagues, and selected institutions.  In 2017, the CRMA received the bulk of these wonderful holiday greetings from Director Emeritus Terry Pitts and his wife Kathy Hall.

The objects and artists’ books that comprise the Project collection are incredibly varied. A sense of whimsy runs through many of the pieces: salt and pepper shakers become snow globes, a music box exhorts us to be silent.  Many works also have a sociopolitical focus, addressing issues as varied as slavery, AIDS, and gender identity.  Taken together, the Norton Family Christmas Project objects and artists’ books provide a wonderful snapshot of the last thirty years of activity in the art world at large, presenting the work of both emerging and more established artists.  The 2018 edition of the Norton Family Christmas Project was the last and ended the series.

The Museum store is highlighting various artwork by women artists, Women of the Store, in celebration of the month of May. If looking for the creative women in your life, we have a fabulous selection of art. Please stop in and enjoy the assortment and support our women artists!