DAVENPORT, IOWA (February 16, 2021) — The Putnam’s next featured exhibit explores portraiture around the world and across time as a reflection of self-identity, popular culture, mythology, and ritual.
Faces of the Past is an original Putnam exhibit, set to open Saturday, February 20. The exhibit will be included with general admission and remain open through mid-2021 at the Putnam, a Smithsonian Affiliate museum.
Throughout the world, people see themselves in different ways. Cultures demonstrate how they view themselves through artwork. Whether depicted solely with human features, a blend of human and animal characteristics or something completely supernatural, the masks, wood-carvings, and pottery in the exhibit characterize a great deal about the cultures that made them. Visitors can expect to see faces representing 20 countries and 35 cultures including a Pre-Columbian face jug, Japanese Nō and Kyogen theater masks, dance masks from Africa, and more.
“The Putnam believes in strong community collaboration, and we’re proud to be partnering with the Figge Art Museum on their upcoming For America exhibit from the National Academy of Design,” Putnam President/CEO Rachael Mullins said. “When we learned of the portraiture by American Masters which will be featured, we thought it would be a great opportunity to compare and contrast portraits from cultures around the world. We hope visitors will get a chance to see both exhibits.”
Exhibit admission is included in the price of general admission — $9 for adults, $8 for youth (ages 3-18), seniors, college students and military. Through the Putnam’s new Museums for All program, admission is $1 per person for households (up to 2 adults and 3 children) with the presentation of an EBT card. Admission is free for members.
For more information, visit putnam.org/Exhibits/Featured/Faces-of-the-Past. For groups, or to plan your visit, call 563-324-1933.
About the Putnam
The Putnam Museum brings to life a sense of place, time, and purpose to ignite human potential and inspire our diverse community to learn about and care for our world and all its people. For more than 150 years, guests have experienced the Putnam’s permanent exhibits like Unearthing Ancient Egypt as well as an array of programs. In more recent years, internationally-recognized traveling exhibits have been among the museum’s offerings. The Putnam is dedicated to helping guests discover and explore in a friendly and engaging atmosphere.
For more information about events and exhibits, visit putnam.org.
