Sheldon Museum of Art Main Content

Exhibition

Small Abstractions: Highlights from Sheldon’s Permanent Collection

January 31, 2020 through December 23, 2020
  • Alma W. Thomas, Winter Pool.
  • Perle Fine, Spinning Figure.
  • Josef Albers, Study for Homage to the Square, Early Diary.
  • Hadieh Shafie, Cadmium Yellow, Naphthol Red and Ultramarine Blue 1/1.
  • Al Held, Composition.
  • Nicolas Carone, Untitled (Rome 1950).
  • Lorser Feitelson, Black Lines on Red Field.
  • Alice Trumbull Mason, Trinity #10.
  • Ad Reinhardt, No. 2.
  • Burgoyne Diller, Untitled (Second Theme).
  • Thomas Nozkowski, Untitled (7-89).
  • Morgan Russell, Synchromy No. 2, To Light (from Synchromy in Blue-Violet Quartet).
  • Esphyr Slobodkina, Untitled #34.

Underscoring the distinction of Sheldon’s collection of twentieth-century abstract paintings, this exhibition features small-scale works that give insight to a wide range of abstraction’s visual vocabulary. These works offer close encounters with the materials and marks employed by various artists to create nonfigurative art.

Josef Albers (1888–1976), Polly Apfelbaum (born 1955), Burgoyne Diller (1906–1965), Morgan Russell (1886–1953), and Esphyr Slobodkina (1908–2002) are among the artists featured.

Small Abstractions is on view in the first floor north galleries, including the Charlotte and Charles Rain 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.