MoNA AT 35

Exhibition Date: July 2, 2016 to September 11, 2016
Reception Date: Saturday, July 9, 2016 - 2:00pm

As the 35th Anniversary exhibit, Mona at 35 seeks to explore the trajectory of art in the Northwest, both regionally and locally, by including artists included in the “Northwest School” and those working at the same time but not included in the traditional group. The exhibition features several large-scale works new to the permanent collection, including the William Cumming mural discovered at the Skagit County Fair two summers ago, which had been stored for decades in a local barn. The mural will be shown in its current state, as we start the fundraising process for its conservation. A section of the exhibition will also focus on Skagit County artists working in two and three dimensions, exploring flora, fauna, life, and land. The central theme of the exhibit is the different types of journeys that individuals, artworks, and institutions can embark on, whether it is physical movement, the evolution of a museum, or an adventure through different points of view. Artists include Guy Anderson, Charles Laurens “Larry” Heald, Helmi Juvonen, Neil Meitzler, Viola Patterson, and Barbara Straker James.

The William Cumming mural is a major addition to the permanent collection: a time capsule lost for decades, the painting represents an important chapter in the history of Northwest art. The mural allows us to relate the history of the Depression-era New Deal programs that supported artists all over the country, and to show how it impacted artists in our own region. The Cumming mural is one of four surviving large-scale paintings in Skagit County that document early-twentieth-century industry of the Northwest, and provides a connection to our past that also shows the continuity of livelihoods from 75 years ago to the present day. At MoNA, we tell the whole story of Northwest art, from its beginnings to the emerging artists of today and tomorrow, including the social, cultural, historical, and environmental contexts that contribute to the vast spectrum of art made in this region. The Cumming mural is a significant contribution to our local art history with regional and national implications, and we are honored to be stewards of its care.