The Great American Thing ( 7. February 2006, 10:30 by Derek) ~

We had the opportunity this last weekend to attend the opening of The Great American Thing at the Tacoma Art Museum. In my opinion this is the best exhibit I’ve seen in Tacoma. The breadth of artists represented while covering a common theme provides us with a unique opportunity to explore in depth a period of American social and art history. It isn’t merely a snapshot of a single artist or a few artists in a common medium. This show covers three galleries and includes 130 pieces from a long list of artists. Photographers, sculptors, and painters are all presented within the theme. From the Tacoma Art Museum website:

The Great American Thing explores the varied ways in which American artists from 1915 to 1935 conveyed what it meant to be a modern American. The exhibition takes its title from a prominent artist of this generation, Georgia O’Keeffe who asked, “How was the Great American Thing going to happen” if talented American artists continually traveled to Europe to create art, rather than seeking inspiration for their work at home? Featured American and European artists include Berenice Abbott, Stuart Davis, Charles Demuth, Aaron Douglas, Arthur Dove, Marcel Duchamp, Archibald J. Motley Jr., Georgia O’Keeffe, Man Ray, Charles Sheeler, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, and Max Weber.

We really enjoyed the Margaret Bourke-White show that ended in January. This one was better.

On the other hand, the contemporary photography exhibit in the uppermost gallery didn’t do it for us. Some of the pinhole and vintage camera work was okay. I wasn’t a fan of the large scale color photos. To each their own.

Link to the Tacoma Art Museum: Current Exhibitions