Rockford Art Museum (RAM) opens new art exhibition Bold Abstractions: Paintings from the Thoma Collection on Friday, October 11, with a gallery walk 5:15–6 p.m., members preview 6–7 p.m., and free public opening 7–8:30 p.m. at RAM, located inside the Riverfront Museum Park at 711 North Main Street in downtown Rockford, Illinois. The exhibition remains on view through January 26, 2020. Support for Bold Abstractions—including free daily admission to all museum visitors—is provided by the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation. Bold Abstractions at Rockford Art Museum marks the first time the Thoma’s significant post-war painting collection has been shown at a public institution.
This major exhibition explores new forms of abstract painting from the 1960s, following the heyday of Abstract Expressionism. Highlighting color-based, geometric, and perceptual experiments, this selection of works from the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation Collection includes an international group of 33 artists associated with some of the key painting movements of the mid-20th century: Color Field, Post-Painterly Abstraction, Hard-Edge, and Op Art. Bold Abstractions at Rockford Art Museum marks the first time the Thoma’s significant post-war painting collection has been shown at a public institution.
Bold Abstractions includes work by Josef Albers, Peter Alexander, Richard Anuszkiewicz, Antonio Asis, Karl Benjamin, Judy Chicago, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Gene Davis, Ronald Davis, Thomas Downing, Friedel Dzubas, Wojciech Fangor, Lorser Feitelson, Helen Frankenthaler, Sam Gilliam, Frederick Hammersley, June Harwood, Charles Hinman, Paul Jenkins, Julio Le Parc, Morris Louis, Alvin Loving, Helen Lundeberg, John McLaughlin, Ed Mieczkowski, Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski, Matilde Perez, Paul Reed, Julian Stanczak, Tadasky, Anne Truitt, and Victor Vasarely.
This exhibition is organized by Carrie Johnson. Support for Bold Abstractions: Paintings from the Thoma Collection and its related programming—including free daily admission to all visitors for the duration of the exhibition—is provided by the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, and partially supported by a Partners in Excellence grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Founded in 2014 and based in Chicago and Santa Fe, the Thoma Foundation recognizes the power of the arts to challenge and shift perceptions, spark creativity and connect people across cultures.
About Rockford Art Museum:
Founded in 1913, Rockford Art Museum exists to help make life in Rockford better for people of all ages through a permanent art collection, frequent art exhibitions, and lifelong art education. RAM is located inside the Riverfront Museum Park at 711 North Main Street in downtown Rockford, Illinois. Learn more at rockfordartmuseum.org.
