Wausau, Wisconsin: Spice up summertime by experiencing contemporary artwork featuring the dazzling patterns, vibrant colors, and nonlinear storytelling, resplendent throughout Many Visions, Many Versions: Art from Indigenous Communities in India, on view through August 30.
Learn about life and culture in India through artworks from central India’s Gond and Warli communities, the Mithila region of Bihar, and the narrative scroll painters of West Bengal. These distinct, abundantly imaginative Indian cultures are united by a common love of narrative as a source of meaning in daily life. The resulting artwork is imbued with tradition, yet dynamically responsive to contemporary global issues.
With themes ranging from myth, cosmology, and nature – real and imagined – to village life and contemporary topics, Many Visions, Many Versions highlights cultural roots and current concerns via artists’ distinctive forms, techniques, and styles. The exhibition features more than forty paintings and drawings by twenty-four artists including Jangarh Singh Shyam, Jivya Soma Mashe, Sita Devi, and Swarna Chitrakar.
Many Visions, Many Versions, curated by Drs. Aurogeeta Das and David Szanton with assistance from consulting curator Jeffrey Wechsler, organized by BINDU Modern Gallery, and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C., recently made a “Top 20 Exhibitions Across the U.S.” list by Hyperallergic, an online arts publication, naming it among “brilliant exhibitions across the U.S., exploring themes of identity and community in innovative ways.”
India Art & Culture Quest
In addition to exhibition artwork on view, colorful objects showcasing the culture of India include rangoli floor paintings – an auspicious welcome sign featured in Indian homes, thresholds, festive celebrations, and even daily rituals – using dyed rice flour and sand to create colorful symmetrical and ephemeral artwork. Be inspired by three vibrant rangoli examples in Art Park, where visitors engage in a different, visual-only way; hands-on interactives are not currently possible.
A note about the Museum’s summer programs
All programs in June and July are suspended to help slow the spread of Covid-19; whether or not August programs can take place has yet to be determined. For details, posted when possible, check the online events calendar at https://www.lywam.org/events-calendar/
Explore Many Visions, Many Versions themes via the Museum’s free Activity Guides, designed for use by all ages and available online.
Acknowledgments
The Woodson Art Museum thanks members, donors, grantors, and sponsors for their support. Summer sponsors are Wausau Homes and 5 Koshas Yoga and Wellness. Additional educational support comes from Alice W. and Joseph F. Smith, Jr. and Jim and Sue Konkel. Exhibitions and programs are supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts. Marketing supported in part by City of Wausau Room Tax funds.
For more information, visit www.lywam.org, e-mail the Museum at info@lywam.org, call 715-845-7010, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Woodson Art Museum Hours
Tues–Fri 9am–4pm
First Thurs of each month 9am–7:30pm
Thursdays during Birds in Art 9am–7:30pm
Sat–Sun Noon–5pm
Closed Mon & holidays, including New Year’s Day, Easter, July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas
Admission: Always Free Admission
Phone: 715.845.7010
Email: info@lywam.org
Location: 700 N. 12th Street (Franklin & 12th Streets), Wausau, Wisconsin 54403-5007
Online: www.lywam.org
