Three exhibitions opening at the New Mexico Museum of Art on Friday, September 20, 2013 examine the intent behind collecting art – from the perspectives of the museum and the private collector. Organized by three of the museum’s curators those exhibitions are:
Museums’ collecting decisions are purposeful and steered by a variety of criteria, such as the museum’s mission and role in the community, ideas or artistic practices that are specific to the region, and the important figures in the creative life of a community.
What drives a collector to collect? Some have an urge to amass and catalog possessions while others accumulate objects more casually. However formed, by identifying particular works and assembling them into a collection, tells us something about the collector and his world.
This show offers a rare opportunity to see multiple works from several distinctive collections associated with the museum, part of a museum-wide initiative to consider the art of collecting. Seeing these groups installed together provides a chance to assess their separate sensibilities as well as their interconnections.
The free museum-wide opening reception on Friday, September 20 is sponsored by the Women’s Board of the Museum of New Mexico.
In addition, we will be celebrating the launch of our new Gallery Resource Areas, generously supported by the Joyce Peters Memorial Fund.
