This year the museum will focus on art and landscape—landscape, in all of its guises: as topography, sustainer of life, site of conservation activism, cultural icon, metaphor, and object of awe and spiritual reverence.

Remington's Bronco Buster: From Art Icon to Pop Icon
February 20–July 25, 2010

This exhibition focuses on Frederic Remington’s bronze sculpture, The Bronco Buster, from the museum’s permanent collection. One of Remington’s most famous works, it solidified his reputation as the quintessential artist of the American West, leaving a lasting impression on subsequent generations of artists who depicted the landscape. Remington’s Bronco Buster traces the image of the bronco buster—from a symbol for the taming of new frontiers to its place in popular culture.

Tristin Lowe: Mocha Dick
March 13–August 8, 2010

Over fifty feet long and ten feet high, Tristin Lowe’s sculpture of a ghostly white sperm whale sprawls across the museum’s largest gallery. Mocha Dick is a life-sized rendition of the infamous leviathan that once harassed sailing ships near Mocha Island in the South Pacific Ocean. Described as having flesh as “white as wool,” the whale Mocha Dick was also the inspiration for Herman Melville’s 1851 novel Moby Dick. Made out of industrial wool felt, this artwork first appeared at Philadelphia’s Fabric Workshop and Museum in May 2009.

Tradition and Transition: Recent Chinese Art from the Collection
April 3–August 1, 2010

This exhibition celebrates a significant gift to the museum of twenty-seven works of recent Chinese art. These paintings and sculptures provide insight into the variety of aesthetic practices and subjects that have informed art at a time of extraordinary cultural transformation. While some of the artists remain deeply rooted in Chinese tradition, others appropriate elements from Western art on a formal or conceptual level to create a hybrid visual language that straddles both cultures. Among the artists featured are: Qiu Deshu, Wei Dong, Ding Yanyong, Zhu Wei, and Chen Zizhuang.

Works as Progress/Works in Progress: Drawing in 18th and 19th Century France
April 24–October 31, 2010

Drawings can be more than finished masterpieces hanging in museums; they are also an integral part of the artistic process. Artists have used drawing as a way to refine their skills, organize compositions, prepare for paintings and sculptures, or sketch for pleasure. This exhibition explores the various ways artists put their drawing abilities to practice in France during the 18th and 19th century and features works from the museum’s collection and on loan from Paul Tucker, Williams College Class of 1972, and Maggie Moss-Tucker.