American artist, composer, poet, and music theorist John Cage (1912-1992) was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde.  His interest in East Asian and Indian philosophy led him to abandon intention, memory, and personal taste to focus instead on process and chance in music, performance, and visual art, and this is especially evident in his prints. To commemorate John Cage’s centennial in 2012, on view are several prints including Not Wanting to Say Anything About Marcel, Lithograph A and Lithograph B, created in 1969 as a tribute to artist Marcel Duchamp. 

Flow, Just Flow, Variations on a Theme will feature approximately 25 works by contemporary artists who explore the concept of “flow.” The exhibition uses the psychological state of flow as a launching point to examine related definitions and applications, many of which involve kinetic forms, non-static content generation, visitor interaction, and collective states of being. The media represented includes video, sound, installation and kinetic sculpture, in addition to more traditional two- and three-dimensional materials.

The exhibition features more than fifty shells and corals from the Margaret B. Dunkum Shell Collection that highlight the rich marine environment that surrounds the 7,100 islands that make up the archipelago of the Philippines. It provides a brief context for understanding the anatomy of mollusks, as well as their historical importance to the local economy. In 2005 the collection of more than 1,500 shells, corals, and other specimens were given to the Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature in memory of Margaret B. Dunkum by her daughters Barbara D. Long and Florence D. Gadol.

Waylande Gregory (American, 1905-1971) was one of the leading figures in twentieth-century American ceramics who helped shape the Art Deco period in the United States. The exhibition is the first retrospective of the art of Gregory, highlighting approximately sixty-six works including paintings, glass, and ceramics, most notably four Electrons from his major commission for the 1939 World’s Fair, The Fountain of the Atom.

Evolving from English roots to designs originating in America, the term “Rockingham” describes a dark brown glaze created by potters in Yorkshire, England, working at the estate of the Marquis of Rockingham. American potters who immigrated from England in the early 1800s, adapted the glaze and its application techniques to the tastes of the new market, where it quickly became one of the most popular wares of the mid-nineteenth century. The installation features both utilitarian and decorative ceramics which highlight the range of variety in styles, glazes, and materials found in Rockingham ware.

This new installation features a selection of objects from the museum’s permanent collection, including woodcarvings, jewelry, and bronze statues from Nepal, India, and Tibet. The exhibition highlights the major art forms of the region, and provides an introduction to the religions and culture of the area. It includes examples of traditional craftsmanship used to produce objects for worship in Buddhism and Hinduism, for everyday use, and for trade and tourists.