Current Exhibitions
Synthesis 90-A, 1990-1994. Collection of Morris Museum of Art,
Augusta, Georgia.
Ida Kohlmeyer: Standing Among Giants
October 4, 2008 – January 11, 2009
Ida Kohlmeyer (1912-1997) was one of Louisiana’s few modern art pioneers, and the region’s best-known female artist by the time of her death at age 84. Balancing the roles of wife, mother, and professional artist, Kohlmeyer did not begin her artistic career until she was middle-aged, yet she quickly earned national acclaim at a time when male artists dominated the art world. This exhibition of painting and sculpture demonstrates the influence of leading masters, including Hans Hofmann, Mark Rothko, and Joan Miró, on the development of Kohlmeyer's distinctive style. Organic and geometric forms, dazzlingly bright colors, and a personal vocabulary of signs and symbols characterize her work.. Organized by LASM.
Coiled Pine Needle Basket and Lid. 1973 ca. Rosabel Sylestine,
Coushatta Indian tribe of Louisiana.
American Indian Baskets from the Permanent Collection
September 26, 2008 - February 1, 2009
From prehistory through the present, American Indian artisans have created baskets in many forms for utilitarian, ceremonial, and commercial purposes. Their baskets have been used for the transportation of food items, for storage, and for burden tasks such as carrying earth to create the ceremonial mounds that dot the Mississippi River Valley. Although traditional basket makers still weave baskets for utilitarian purposes, they also employ techniques and designs that address the growing tourist and collector market.
Across the United STates, indigenous basket makers use a variety of materials and techniques. This exhibition focuses on baskets from the southeastern United States and includes Chitimacha double-weave river cane baskets, Choctaw coiled pine needle baskets, and Coushatta effigy baskets. The exhibition also features examples from the American Southwest, including those of the Apache and Havaspai tribes.
Double Wedding Ring Quilt (detail), n.d., unknown (American), cotton fabric. Gift of Mrs. William Tait Baynard. 1974.001.003
Quilts from the Permanent Collection
October 4, 2008 – January 11, 2009
Cherished and often passed on through generations, quilts are prized as much as for the memories they invoke as for their handiwork. This method of sewing is presumed to have originated Egypt and China before written history.
Early Americans may have pieced together scraps of fabric as a form of recycling, but by the early 19th century, textiles had become more affordable and kits of assorted patches were available. In the 1960s, many women artists began to incorporate the act of sewing into their artwork, bringing quilting into the contemporary art mainstream, and in 1976 America's bicentennial celebration spawned a revival of quilting throughout the country. Today several museums are devoted to quilts and quilting history. The quilts in LASM's collection date from 1875 through the 1970s and exemplify a range of styles, methods, and popular designs.