Sheldon Museum of Art Main Content

Exhibition

Person of Interest

February 1, 2020 through July 3, 2021
  • Judith Shea, Louise Monument: Portrait of Louise Bourgeois.
  • John Singer Sargent, Jean-Joseph-Marie Carriès.
  • Betye Saar, A Handful of Stars.
  • Barkley Hendricks artwork: "Bid ’Em In/Slave (Angie)"
    Barkley Hendricks, Bid ’Em In/Slave (Angie).
  • Enrique Chagoya, Le Cannibale Moderniste.
  • Grant Wood, Arnold Comes of Age (Portrait of Arnold Pyle).
  • Nancy Reddin Kienholz and Edward Kienholz, J.C. #36.
  • Edward Hopper, Night Shadows.
  • Hank Willis Thomas, Priceless #1.
  • Yinka Shonibare CBE, Dad, Dad, and the Kids.
  • David Park, City Street.
  • Cindy Sherman, Untitled (#138).
  • Catherine Opie, Divinity Fudge.
  • Radcliffe Bailey, Distant Stars.
  • Mark Rothko, Yellow Band.
  • Roger Shimomura, Block Dance Break.
  • Max Pechstein, Selbstbildnis mit Pfeife (Raucher) [Self-Portrait with Pipe (Smoker)].
  • Milton Avery, Self-Portrait.
  • Constantin Brancusi, Self-Portrait of the Artist in His Studio.
  • Francesco Clemente, I.
  • Beth Van Hoesen, Self I.
  • Renée Stout, Self-Portrait.

Exploring nuances in portraiture from the late nineteenth century to today—and testing the very definition of the genre—Person of Interest presents depictions of the literal and abstracted body from Sheldon’s rich holdings and selected loans. This exhibition asks open-ended questions about self-fashioning, cultural memory, gender identity, and performance of identity. In doing so, it prompts conversations about race and representation, institutional power, lived experience, and other relevant and timely issues.

Sheldon’s entire second floor—including the Kathryn and Marc LeBaron Gallery, Rohman Family Gallery, Sarah Pearson Campbell Gallery, Henning Family Gallery, and Woods Family Gallery—will be dedicated to this multifaceted exploration of portraiture. Radcliffe Bailey (b. 1968), Willie Cole (b. 1955), Lesley Dill (b. 1950), Barkley Hendricks (1945–2017), Robert Henri (1865–1929), Marisol (1930–2016), Zanele Muholi (b. 1972), Catherine Opie (b. 1961), Nathaniel Mary Quinn (b. 1977), John Singer Sargent (1856–1926), Jenny Saville (b. 1970), Cindy Sherman (b. 1954), Roger Shimomura (b. 1939), Yinka Shonibare CBE (b. 1962), Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (b. 1940), Renée Stout (b. 1958), Kehinde Wiley (b. 1977), and Zhang Huan (b. 1965) are among the artists included.

Person of Interest is on view in the second floor galleries, including the Kathryn and Marc LeBaron Gallery, Sarah Pearson Campbell Gallery, Woods Family Gallery, Henning Family Gallery and Rohman Family Gallery.

Exhibition support is provided by Kristen and Geoff Cline, Dillon Foundation, Karen and Robert Duncan, Melanie and Jon Gross, Roseann and Phil Perry, Union Bank & Trust, Donna Woods and Jon Hinrichs, Nebraska Arts Council and Nebraska Cultural Endowment, and Sheldon Art Association.

Additional support is provided by Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services Community CARES Stabilization Grant, Humanities Nebraska and the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and Nebraska Arts Council CARES grant.