In the 1514 engraving by the German printmaker Albrecht Dürer, we see an enigmatic winged figure deep in contemplation. Around her is an array of symbolic items, and in the background we see a rainbow, the rays from a comet, and a devil-like creature holding a banner with the name of the print—Melencolia I. This is one of many excellent works of art now on view thanks to the expansion of the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum. The five new galleries on the lower level of the Kemper are now available for viewing and exhibit prints, photography, and other works on paper spanning centuries, multimedia pieces, and some of the collection’s historical holdings.
In the stair gallery is a display of ancient Greek vases bought by Washington University after they were shown in the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. From lekythoi to alabastra vessels and black-figure to red-figure technique, we see a wide range of subject matter and styles on display.
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The works on paper feature a range geographically from Europe to Japan—temporally from the early 16th century to present day. There are prints and drawings by Picasso, Rembrandt, Hiroshige, Miró, and Richard Long. The photography gallery includes portraiture by Andy Warhol, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, and Shirin Neshat, among others.
Sabine Eckmann, the William T. Kemper director and chief curator of the Kemper Art Museum, says of the expansion: “With the opening of the new lower level galleries, we feel very rewarded for all the hard work it took to complete the expansion. It is the very first time in museum’s history that we are able to display our incredible art collection on three levels. In addition, the museum now has a distinct area for its teaching gallery that fulfills our mission as an academic art museum. It provides space for the voices of our faculty, who can expand their conversation beyond the classroom and into the community.”
Currently in the teaching gallery is “Truths and Reckoning: The Art of Transformative Racial Justice,” curated by Geoff Ward, associate professor in the department of African and African-American Studies. The exhibition functions as a pop-up memorial museum that acknowledges the past and looks to the future of racial justice. The powerful exhibition features artwork, photography, and video that aim to, in the words of Dr. Ward, “counter the false narrative that settler colonialism, genocide, and enslavement—histories deeply embedded in our nation’s origins—’ended long ago.’” Also featured in the gallery is a digital rotation of selected images from the Documenting Ferguson Archive.
The new galleries are now open the public. Be sure to also check out the new exhibition on the main first floor, “Multiplied: Edition MAT and the Transformable Work of Art, 1959-1965.”
