An awe-inspiring celebration of an intergenerational group of artists—one that is both comprehensive and long overdue—Blurring Boundaries: The Women of American Abstract Artists, 1936 – Present highlights the indelible ways in which the women of American Abstract Artists have, for more than eighty years, shifted and shaped the frontiers of American abstraction.
Blurring Boundaries is on view at LSU Museum of Art July 14, 2022 – October 23, 2022
Baton Rouge, Louisiana— LSU Museum of Art is pleased to present Blurring Boundaries: The Women of American Abstract Artists, 1936 – Present, on view starting July 14, 2022. The hierarchy of distilled form, immaculate line, and pure color came close to being the mantra of modern art—particularly that of American Abstract Artists (AAA), the subject of a new exhibition entitled Blurring Boundaries: The Women of American Abstract Artists, 1936 – Present. From the outset—due as much to their divergent status as abstract artists as to their gender—women of American Abstract Artists were already working on the periphery of the art world. In contrast to the other artist collectives of the period, where equal footing for women was unusual, AAA provided a place of refuge for female artists. Through fifty-six works, Blurring Boundaries explores the artists’ astounding range of styles, including their individual approaches to the guiding principles of abstraction: color, space, light, material, and process.
Founded during the Great Depression, American Abstract Artists was established at a time when museums and galleries saw abstract art as “not American” because of its derivation from the European avant-garde and its elusive imagery. Even the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which mounted its first major exhibition of abstract art in 1936, hesitated to recognize American artists working within the vein of abstraction. This lack of institutional recognition angered abstract artists working in New York and was the impetus behind the founding of American Abstract Artists later that year. Abstraction empowered many women artists to create freely, who have had major impact within AAA since its founding.
More than eighty years after its founding, AAA continues to nurture and support a vibrant community of artists with diverse identities and wide-ranging approaches to abstraction. In celebration of this tradition, Blurring Boundaries traces the extraordinary contributions of the female artists within AAA, from the founders to today’s practicing members. Included are works by historic members Perle Fine, Esphyr Slobodkina, Irene Rice Pereira, Alice Trumbull Mason, and Gertrude Greene, as well as current members such as Ce Roser, Irene Rousseau, Judith Murray, Alice Adams, Merrill Wagner, Katinka Mann, and Susan Bonfils (of Baton Rouge, Louisiana).
Blurring Boundaries: The Women of American Abstract Artists, 1936-Present was organized by The Clara M. Eagle Gallery, Murray State University, Murray, KY and the Ewing Gallery, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN and is toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC. The exhibition was curated by Rebecca DiGiovanna. This exhibition is also sponsored by Taylor Porter Attorneys At Law and the LSU MOA Annual Exhibition Fund donors.
Click here to view more details on the exhibition webpage.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Tour Schedule
Blurring Boundaries will be on display at the South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend, IN (October 17, 2020 – January 3, 2021); the Baker Museum, Naples, FL (March 25, 2021 – July 23, 2021); the Freedman Gallery Albright College (August 31, 2021 – December 17, 2021); the Peeler Art Center, DePauw University, Greencastle, IN (February 8, 2022 – April 26, 2022); the LSU Museum of Art (July 14, 2022 – October 23, 2022); and the Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, CT (May 7, 2023 – September 10, 2023).
American Abstract Artists was founded in New York City in 1936 to promote and foster greater understanding of abstract and non-objective art. AAA was a predecessor of the New York School and Abstract Expressionism, and was instrumental in the development and acceptance of abstract art in the United States. To this day, AAA organizes exhibitions, produces print portfolios and catalogues, and provides a forum for discussion through panels and lectures. AAA distributes its published material to cultural organizations worldwide, documents its history in the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, and maintains an archive at the Whitney Museum Library.
International Arts & Artists in Washington, DC, is a nonprofit arts service organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural understanding and exposure to the arts internationally, through exhibitions, programs and services to artists, arts institutions and the public. Visit ArtsandArtists.org
The Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture is named in honor of C. Kermit “Buck” Ewing, who initiated the art curriculum at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 1948. Begun in 1981, the Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture is a professionally managed university gallery that is funded jointly by the School of Art and the College of Architecture and Design. Their mission is to coordinate exhibitions that illustrate both historical and current attitudes in art and architecture; to support the academic goals of these respective areas; and to serve as a cultural resource for the general university and regional communities. The Ewing Gallery has developed and maintained a permanent collection for the purpose of scholarly research and the enrichment of the University and regional communities.
The Clara M. Eagle Gallery, Murray State University The mission of Murray State University Galleries is to serve the students and scholars of Murray State University’s community by conceiving and hosting diverse, dynamic exhibitions. An integral part of the Department of Art, the four distinct spaces of the University Galleries engage students and scholars in creative and intellectual discourse with regional, national, and international artists, and act as a laboratory for creative experimentation and expression. The Clara M. Eagle Gallery is a multi-level exhibition space for visitors to learn about the history of art and present-day media. In addition to hosting several major national exhibitions throughout the year, the gallery annually organizes exhibitions of work from graduating students, as well as contemporary art exhibitions which complement the University’s studio programming.
Visit LSU Museum of Art’s Facebook and Instagram pages @lsumoa regularly for program announcements and exhibition updates. For more information: www.lsumoa.org
LSU MOA thanks the generous donors to the LSU MOA Annual Exhibition Fund for making this exhibition possible: Louisiana CAT; The Imo N. Brown Memorial Fund in memory of Heidel Brown and Mary Ann Brown; The Alma Lee, H. N., and Cary Saurage Fund; Charles "Chuck" Edward Schwing; Robert and Linda Bowsher; LSU College of Art + Design; Mr. and Mrs. Sanford A. Arst; and The Newton B. Thomas Family/Newtron Group Fund.
ABOUT LSU MUSEUM OF ART
LSU Museum of Art seeks to enrich and inspire through collections, exhibitions, conservation, and education, serving as a cultural and intellectual resource for the University, Baton Rouge, and beyond.
LSU Museum of Art is supported in part by a grant from the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, funded by the East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President and Metro Council. Additional support is provided by generous donors to the Annual Exhibition Fund, members, and community partners. Supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council. Funding has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support provided by Art Bridges and Junior League of Baton Rouge. Thank you to the following sponsors of Free Friday Nights and Free First Sundays at LSU MOA: Louisiana Lottery Corporation and IBERIABANK, a division of First Horizon, for sponsoring free admission and Louisiana CAT for sponsoring programming.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The museum is located in downtown Baton Rouge at 100 Lafayette Street on the Fifth Floor of the Shaw Center for the Arts. General admission is $5 each for adults and children age 13 and over. Admission is free to university faculty and students with ID, children age 12 and under, and museum members. Active duty military members, first responders, and their families receive free admission with ID as part of the Blue Star Museums program. Valid during normal operation hours, show your EBT card and photo ID at the admissions desk and receive free admission for up to 4 individuals. Come back anytime, there’s no limit to how often you can visit through Museums for All. Museum Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursday and Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday 1-5 p.m.; and closed on Mondays and major holidays. Free admission occurs on the first Sunday of each month and every Friday night from 5-8 p.m. For more information: visit www.lsumoa.org, call 225-389-7200, and follow the museum on social media @lsumoa for exhibition and program updates.
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