Most amazing museum in Ohio

November 5, 2009

Above is a photo of the Miami University Art Museum.  Very unassuming.  Almost a cliche, at least from the outside.  But wait until you step inside!  Absolutely amazing!  Whoever curated the shows is a genius.

Three shows are up, my favorite being Composition in Black and White.  There's Pueblo pottery.  Black Wedgwood.  A black Louise Nevelson.  Black and white gowns.  Black and white photographs by 20th century legends.  And a strong representation of political works.  The most haunting is an oil by Philip Morsberger, painted when he was on the arts faculty of Miami of Ohio, entitled "Missing No. 1."  He started it as a portrait of Goodman, Cheney, and Schwener and then muted it after the world learned of their murder.  Legendary bad boy Chris Burden is represented with "Atomic Alphabet," George Bellows (one of my all-time favorites and Columbus OH native) is represented with a preacher preaching to convicts, and McCarthy winner Kara Walker a haunting silhouette "African/American."   Thom Shaw's "Drive By" hits you in the stomach with the aftermath of a driveby shooting, and a photo by Chris McNair of a bombed out southern church also hurts.

Another show, "Figure and Form," uses portraits, among other artistic expressions, to tell people's stories.  My favorite was the wall on which hung four elegant old portraits.  The fifth item on the wall was a 12' baroque mirror so you could make yourself into a portrait, too.  Cute.

I loved this museum.  I want to go back.  Its goodness makes up for my disappointment later in the day with the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center (zipped through in under 5 minutes).  The nearby Weston Art Gallery, in the Aronoff Arts Center, had better shows up.  There were three of them, all contemporary and all whimsical.  Here's a photo of an installation by Casey Riordan Millard.

Well, okay.  It's not Rembrandt, but it's also not video "art."

I'll close for today with two facts about Ohio you probably don't know.  1)The only whistles made in America are produced in Columbus.  2)Margaret Bourke-White started her career in Cleveland, photographing machines and industry.  It's been that kind of day.