The BYU Museum of Art will showcase four new exhibitions this semester, including work from some well-known artists.
The first exhibitions available for viewing on Jan. 28 are 'Across the West and Toward the North: Norwegian and American Landscape Photography' and
'From the Vault: American Highlights and Recent Acquisitions.'
The exhibition 'European Splendors: Old Master Paintings from the Kress Collection' will follow on Feb. 18 and 'Monumental Matters: Embodied Contemplation and Contemporary Art' on April 8.
“What we always want to do is be of great benefit to the campus and to our community in providing art that inspires dialogue and creates connections and promotes learning of all kinds,” Museum of Art director Janalee Emmer said.
Museum curator Kenneth Hartvigsen said the 'From the Vault' exhibition is an ongoing series of shows the museum has. “We are always collecting and looking for opportunities to expand our collection. 'From the Vault' will have some highlights and favorites.”
'From the Vault: American Highlights and Recent Acquisitions' will showcase the museum's American art collection including artwork from Norman Rockwell, Ernie Barnes and Minerva Teichert. This series will tell a variety of stories about America and the people involved.
Abby Myers, a BYU pre-graphic design major, said she loves art and seeing how different people express the world around them. 'It’s always good to have new things to look at and think about,” she said.
'European Splendors: Old Master Paintings from the Kress Collection' will be presenting 30 rare masterpieces. There will be religious artwork as well as portraits and historical scenes.
“Some of the pieces that are going to be on view in these exhibitions are very traditional artworks, things that are created using unexpected materials, pieces that inspire a feeling of awe,” Hartvigsen said. “They are massive in size. We have a painting coming in that's about 20 feet wide and 16 feet tall.”
'Monumental Matters: Embodied Contemplation and Contemporary Art' will feature artwork from contemporary artists.
“People need this to help them understand the world and to help them feel connected, to bring comfort, joy and inspiration,' Emmer said. 'Art has a wonderful ability to do that. The museum can become a real refuge and a place of hope and joy for anyone who comes.”
To make room for new exhibitions the Museum has decided to close two current exhibitions. This includes 'Becoming America' which closed on Jan. 15 and 'L'Affichomania: The Passion for French Posters' which will close on Feb. 19.