The Maslow Collection

"The American Monument: Changing Definitions" is now open to visitors. Feel free to send Ryan Ward a line before you drop in. Here is an excerpt from Dr. Adam Shprintzen's commentary on Lee Friedlander's 1973 photograph "General Andrew Jackson, Lafayette Park, Washington, D.C." ~The monument was originally constructed in 1853, a time of abundant civil strife in America descending towards Civil War. The sculpture was the first in the world to be balanced solely on a horse's h...ind legs and was meant to provide inspiration and unity during the difficult days of the slow dissolution of the Union. Digging deeper, this monument is suffuse with historical irony; meant to convey a sense of American freedom and victory over the cloud of British re-conquest in the War of 1812, the piece was partially constructed by sculptor Clark Mills' enslaved apprentice, Phillip Reid, an individual lacking freedom, liberty, and even basic freedom of movement. As we gaze upon this photograph in 2021, current debates related to what and who should be memorialized dominate our national discourse. Jackson remains equally known for his transformative presidency as his expansive slave holding, and cruel, destructive policies of Native American removal, displacement, and ethnic cleansing. These debates about commemoration came to a head during the summer of 2020 and the nationwide protests for racial justice led by the Black Lives Matter movement. The meaning of the statue changed again. Protestors attempted to pull down the Jackson statue off its pedestal, as similar direct actions occurred throughout the country to monuments of other unworthy figures such as Christopher Columbus and Jefferson Davis. The action in DC led to a response as representatives of the federal government threatened ten years in prison under the previously little known or cared about Veteran’s Memorial Preservation Act. History is forever moving, just like Jackson appears to be in this photograph. How we choose to remember that history should also continue to be a subject of consideration, debate, and intellectual movement that reflect modern realities and a more accurate accounting of the past.~

"The American Monument: Changing Definitions" is on view in the Maslow Study Gallery for Contemporary Art. ~At a time when very little about the words American and monument seems fixed in place, this exhibition aims to use photographs from Lee Friedlander’s 1976 The American Monument series and other select works from The Maslow Collection to expand the definition of what a monument in America is and what it can be.~ Featured artists include: Nicholas Africano, Alic...e Aycock, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Y.J. Cho, Mark Cohen, Ant Farm, Lee Friedlander, Gianfranco Gorgoni, Peter Halley, Ellsworth Kelly, Will Mentor, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Todd Watts, and Peter Wood Curated by Ryan Ward, with written commentary by EJ Murphy and Dr. Adam Shprintzen

Tonight at 8 pm, WVIA will air 'Keystone Edition, Arts' where they will highlight Will Mentor's piece from The Maslow Collection "The Lost Order" as an introduction to the topic of the 'State of the Arts during the Pandemic.' Thank you Erika Funke and WVIA.

Hi there! Here is the tour of Forming The Maslow Collection as promised. I’ll be fielding any questions in the comment section from now until 7 pm. Thanks very much!

Here's a sneak peek of "Forming the Maslow Collection" a virtual gallery talk and tour with curator Ryan Ward of The Maslow Collection. The talk will be posted Saturday, May 30th at 6:00 PM on Facebook. Ryan will be answering questions in the comment section of the post between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM tomorrow evening.

Happy 90th Birthday today to Jasper Johns! He is represented by 8 works in The Maslow Collection, including Target with Four Faces and the series The Seasons #jasperjohns#birthday#legendary#icon#americanart#modernart#contemporaryart#popart#boundrybreaking#influencer#targetwithfourfaces#1979#theseasons#1987#printmaking#etching#intaglio#formingthemaslowcollection#exhibition@everhartmuseum#theeverhartmuseum#scranton#themaslowcollection

#formingthemaslowcollection @everhartmuseum #nycartscene#80sand90s#melissameyer#garylang#katherineporter#anthonysorce#willyheeks#garystephan#willmentor#abstraction#abstractpainting#gestural#geometric#expressive#responsive#statesofbeing#influx#insideandoutside#themaslowcollection#exhibition#everhartmuseum#scrantonpa

We miss seeing knock-outs like these in person at Forming The Maslow Collection but will create the second best viewing experience here @the_maslow_collection @everhartmuseum #formingthemaslowcollection#newyorkartscene#80sand90s#andywarhol#campbellssoupcans#1968#screenprints#iconic#ephemera#leocastelli#roylichtenstein#robertrauschenberg#ellsworthkelly#melissameyer#paintingmediumformula#jasperjohns#collectioncorrespondances#popart#everhartmuseum#exhibition#scranton#themaslowcollection