“Faces of the Past" at the Putnam Museum & Science Center -- through September 4.
Through Thursday, June 9
Putnam Museum & Science Center, 1717 West 12th Street, Davenport IA
Hosting an original exhibition displayed in conjunction with the Figge Art Museum's For America: 200 Years of Painting from the National Academy of Design, Davenport's Putnam Museum & Science Center will, through September 4, offer a fascinating exploration into historic portraiture with the homegrown exhibit Faces of the Past.
Throughout the world, people see themselves in different ways, and different cultures demonstrate how they view themselves through their 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 Faces of the Past exhibit characterize a great deal about the cultures that made them. Exploring portraiture around the world and across time as a reflection of self-identity, popular culture, mythology, and ritual, Putnam visitors can expect to see faces representing 20 countries and 35 cultures, with the included artworks boasting a Pre-Columbian face jug, Japanese Noh and Kyogen theatre masks, dance masks from Africa, and much more.
On display in the venue's Kornder Hall, the Putnam's Faces of the Past is being showcased in partnership with the Figge Art Museum exhibit For America: 200 Years of Painting from the National Academy of Design, which is also viewable as of February 20. From its founding in 1825 to the present, New York's National Academy has required all Academicians elected to donate a representative work to the Academy’s collection. From 1839 to 1994, the Academy also required associates to present a portrait of themselves, whether painted by their own hand or that of a fellow artist. This has resulted in a collection of over 8,000 works by historical and contemporary masters such as Winslow Homer, William Merritt Chase, John Singer Sargent, Andrew Wyeth, Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith, Charles White, Jane Freilicher, and many others. The Figge's For America exhibit showcases more than 90 works made between 1810 and 2010 by some of the greatest American artists, drawn from the National Academy's extensive collections.
“The Putnam believes in strong community collaboration,” says Putnam President and CEO Rachael Mullins, “and we’re proud to be partnering with the Figge Art Museum on their upcoming For America exhibit from the National Academy of Design. 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.”
Faces of the Past will be on display at the Putnam Museum & Science Center through September 4, with the venue currently open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Viewing of the exhibition is free with $8-9 general admission, and more information is available by calling (563)324-1933 and visiting Putnam.org.
