Revisiting the RISD Museum - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Revisiting the RISD Museum - Inside Art with Michael Rose

One of the great lessons of the last year has been to take nothing for granted; not friends and family, not work, not even the bare essentials. Out of this period of disruption though, many have gained a renewed respect for formerly underappreciated people, places, and things. So, as cultural venues come back into full operation, a reappraisal of their value becomes possible. One such place is the RISD Museum. After many months of closure, the museum recently reopened to the public and visiting now is like slowly becoming reacquainted with an old friend. In displays of its permanent collection as well as in incisive temporary exhibitions, the museum offers something for everyone.

The RISD Museum reopened on June 13 and is quickly implementing a new normal. Going forward, the galleries will be open to the public on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10 am-5 pm each day and also Thursdays and Fridays from 12-7 pm each day. Admission is free all day on Sundays as well as on Thursdays and Fridays from 5-7pm each day. These complimentary hours are a real asset, making the museum more accessible to all. Guests must reserve tickets in advance and are also required to wear face masks when visiting. On a recent trip to the museum, its galleries were full of space to socially distance while enjoying the varied exhibitions and artworks on offer.

For longtime fans of the institution, the old favorites are ready to be seen. The enormous blue gallery that anchors the center of the museum is lined with European paintings, grand and familiar. Beyond it, a Romanesque portal usher visitors into the medieval world, complete with its quirky soundtrack of ephemeral chant. In other galleries, Greek and Roman antiquities hold court, while around the corner one can find the odd van Gogh, Renoir, or Monet. There is something reassuring about this, that after more than a year away all of these treasures can be found largely as they were before the pandemic upended day-to-day life and made museum-going an impossibility.

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For those more interested in art being made now, recent acquisitions give a thrilling peek into what the future holds, both for the RISD Museum and for other public and private collections. These works, by a new school of artists, demonstrate contemporary modes of making. Orchard Beach, for instance, a wonderful small painting by recent RISD graduate Cheyenne Julien shows a bikini-clad figure walking into the surf while tethered by a fluorescent pink leash to a dog who seems uncertain about the sea. Other paintings by Edie Fake, also a RISD alum, as well as Jeanette Mundt, and Ramiro Gomez can be counted among the standout pieces newly purchased for the museum’s already considerable holdings. While these works diverge in technique and style they each make use of punchy and attractive color.

Nearby, the special exhibition Defying the Shadow shares works by Black artists primarily focused on figurative subject matter. Curated by Dr. Anita N. Bateman, this show presents a range of items dating from the nineteenth century to artworks made more recently. A 1923 nude by photographer James Van Der Zee and the 1930 gouache Dance Magic by Aaron Douglas transport visitors to the Harlem Renaissance while pieces by Carrie Mae Weems, Kara Walker, and Kerry James Marshall bookend the show’s timeline with contemporary art. A particularly stunning painting by current RISD faculty member Jennifer Packer is featured in the exhibition. Titled Eric, it is full of fantastically expressive marks paired with narrative quietude. On view through December 18, 2021, Defying the Shadow will undoubtedly reward repeat visits.

Also on view through December 18, another exhibition explores the world of Islamic art. It Comes in Many Forms: Islamic Art from the Collection features items in a range of media, from textiles and furnishings to photography and manuscripts. The introduction for the exhibition states that the artworks on view “offer explorations into migration, diasporas, and exchange and suggest the difficulty of defining arts from a transnational religious viewpoint.” Although a tight collection of thirty pieces, the exhibition meets this goal and offers a thought-provoking perspective. It also excitingly features a number of items from the museum’s collection that have never been publicly exhibited before.

Alongside these selections, there is indeed plenty more to see at the RISD Museum. For those who have gone months without viewing art in-person, the institution's myriad options might even be overwhelming. Gratefully, with its galleries reopened and ample free hours available, Rhode Islanders can make their way to College Hill as much as they like to take in the abundance of art that the museum has to offer.

Full details on planning your visit can be found at www.risdmuseum.org.