TREASURES OF THE MADISON ART COLLECTION

March 28 - April 26, 2024

As an encyclopedic collection, the Madison Art Collection houses artwork from around the world and across time. This spring, the MAC opens the storeroom to showcase a wide range of art. From artifacts of Ancient Egypt to historic clothing, from Japanese prints to African masks, visitors will delve into history and discover new and exciting art forms. This exhibition will also feature items from the JMU Historic Clothing and Costume Collection, many of which will be on display for the first time. 

HAENBOK SAENGHWAL: KOREAN FASHION THEN AND NOW

November 7 - March 8, 2023-4

Hanbok is the traditional clothing of the Korean people, a style of dress that dates back to antiquity. While stylistic changes occurred over time, the essential form combining a jeogori 저고리 (jacket) with a chima 치마 (skirt) or baji 바지 (pants) has endured since the Three Kingdoms of Korea period 삼국시대 (57 BCE - 668 CE). Like other forms of Korean art, hanbok utilizes lines, silhouette, and space to create an impression of reserved beauty. It is also a symbol of cultural heritage and a window to Korean identity.  

This exhibition features garments by Prof. Suntae Hwang, Department of Design of Clothes at Kookmin University, and Prof. Jungok Um, Department of Fashion Design at Youngsan University. These designers work with the Hanbok Advancement Center under South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote hanbok and Korean culture by organizing international educational programs in Italy, United Kingdom and America. 

To discover more about the exhibition, click here.

DANGEROUS BEAUTY

January 31 - April 28, 2023

Weapons combine practical functions with aesthetic elements and are often defined by the violence they can wreck rather than their artistic value. This exhibition will showcase the rich holdings of the MAC as well as encourage students to reconsider the very definition of art.   

SAVORING THE MOON: JAPANESE PRINTS OF THE FLOATING WORLD

September 5 - December 2, 2022

Savoring the Moon: Japanese Prints of the Floating World highlights the Madison Art Collection’s impressive collection of Japanese paintings and woodblock prints in the ukiyo-e style. Ukiyo-e translates to “pictures of the floating world.” The term ukiyo originated as a Buddhist term meaning “sorrowful world” to express the desire to break free from the endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth. During the early Edo period (1603 – 1868), the first character was replaced with a homonym, changing the meaning to “floating world.” The concept of the “floating world” encouraged people to hedonistically embrace life’s pleasures and fleeting beauty. Popular ukiyo-e motifs ranged from festivals, ceremonies, courtesan culture, popular entertainment such as kabuki, nature, and Japanese mythology. Ukiyo-e proliferated during the Edo and Meiji period (1868 – 1912) and captured many facets of contemporary Japanese culture.

OUT OF DARKNESS: A HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY EXHIBITION FEATURING JEWISH ARTISTS FROM THE MADISON ART COLLECTION 

January 24 - February 4, 2022

In this special exhibition, the Lisanby Museum features the works of Ben Shahn and Marc Chagall, artists who incorporated their Jewish culture in their artwork. Through the Hebrew lettering and religious themes in Shahn’s activist artwork and the bright, colorful abstraction of Hasidic life in Chagall’s paintings, we invite you to explore how both artists processed the tragedies of the Holocaust as well as their internal reflection on faith. Out of the Darkness offers a space of contemplation for all and a visual journey of persecution, resilience, and, ultimately, hope.  

BEN SHAHN: ART AS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Access the digital exhibition

To support JMU student civic engagement in the upcoming elections, this digital exhibition represents the collaboration of four separate entities: the Office for Civic Engagement, faculty from the School of Art, Design, and Art History, objects from the Madison Art Collection, and the voices of the student body.  

The featured works by Ben Shahn, a prolific American artist who believed strongly in civic responsibility and art as activism, are drawn from the Madison Art Collection’s extensive Shahn holdings, thanks to gifts from Mr. Michael Berg and the Ben Shahn Estate. Dr. Laura Katzman, Professor of Art History in the School of Art, Design, and Art History, provided scholarly text on the artist and individual works. The Office for Civic Engagement worked to find students to respond to these works of art through the lens of 2020.  

ALL THAT GLITTERS

January 27 - April 24, 2020 (Disrupted due to COVID-19 closure)

In partnership with the James Madison University Mineral Museum, the Lisanby celebrates the connection between art and the natural world. All That Glitters will showcase artworks ranging from the ancient world through the twentieth century alongside priceless minerals. Highlighting both the important properties of featured minerals and their use within a wide range of mediums, cultures, and time periods, this exhibition promises to take your breath away. 

PURITY AND POWER: THE ART OF RUSSIAN ICONS

September 9 - November 22, 2019

Icons, painted images of holy persons or events, have a special significance within the Russian Orthodox Church. Whether depicting biblical stories or religious principles, these works of art serve as tangible images of devotion to orthodoxy and are deeply incorporated into the liturgy of the Church. They are actively used during services, with some icons even having hymns dedicated to them. Icons are also deeply personal objects, traditionally displayed in the home to represent the stories or values of particular interest to the inhabitants. These works of art, anonymously created and subject to strict standards, showcase both the artistry of imperial Russia and offer insight into the beliefs of the Russian Orthodox Church. 

ROCKET AGE: THE AMERICAN SPIRIT IN ART (1950-1980)

January 21 - April 19, 2019

A celebration of the diversity and cultural impact of American artists, Rocket Age examines how postwar events impacted modern art, and how artists used their creativity to help shape modern American culture.

BREAKING CHAINS: VOICES FROM SLAVERY TO CIVIL RIGHTS

September 10 - November 30, 2018

Supporting the statewide initiative American Evolution 2019, Breaking Chains commemorates the arrival of the first Africans to English North America by featuring art and artefacts connected with the history of African Americans from the 1800s to the 1960s. These objects, drawn from the Madison Art Collection and James Madison’s Montpelier, provide a visual reference for the culture, history, and personal experience of countless Americans during a seminal part of our nation’s history. As you journey from the beginnings of the transatlantic slave trade to the height of the Civil Rights Movement, we encourage you to remember those who suffered within the institution of slavery and celebrate those who fought for equality and social justice. Through utilizing quotes and multimedia from primary sources, this exhibition allows the voices of enslaved persons and activists to be seen and heard by a new generation of Americans. 

ADORATION AND ART: ANCIENT EGYPT, GREECE AND ROME

April 2 - 26, 2018

In this gallery you will encounter objects from three pre-modern Mediterranean cultures: Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Ranging in date from circa 1365 BCE to 200 CE, the artifacts in this exhibition reveal the essence of and give context to the historic places of worship according to their respective cultures. Discover the gods of ancient Egypt and their importance through enduring temple statues. Explore aspects of Greek temples through religious imagery. Finally, observe the grandeur of the Roman empire through votive offerings and temple treasures. Together we will explore the connections between these artifacts and the religious spaces in which they were used. 

LINKING MEANDERING PATHS

March 12 - March 23, 2018

Korean-Americans Sukjin Choi and Anna Westfall explore the influences of two different cultures on identity in the exhibition, Linking Meandering Paths. As sculptors and ceramists, Professor Choi of James Madison University and Professor Westfall of Eastern Mennonite University create a visual manifestation of themes of identity that resonate in our global world.