September 10, 2019 - July 18, 2021

Black & white photograph of the artist Heather Agyepong in a seated kneeling position, she extends her arm as she holds a rose.
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Heather Agyepong (British, born 1990). Too Many Blackamoors #5, 2019. Archival giclée pigment print, 24 x 20 in. Purchase with Richard Templeton (Class of 1931) Photography Fund. © Heather Agyepong, courtesy of James Hyman Gallery, London.

Color photograph of Jonathan Lee Iverson, Ringmaster of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
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Andres Serrano, Ringmaster Jonathan Lee Iverson, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, 2003. Cibachrome. Courtesy of the artist and Nathalie Obadia Gallery.

Mixed media drawing of Sacajawea, who is pictured in an oval frame.
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Matthew Day Jackson, Sacajawea (American Martyr Series), 2005. Scorched wood, woodburned drawing, sculpey, mother of pearl, abalone, yarn. epoxy, tooled leather, and skull bead. 96 x 72 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Etching of a sleeping dog on patterned dog bed on tiled floor.
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David Hockney, Dog Etching No.4, 1998. Edition 1 of 4, Etching 25, 3⁄4 x 22 1⁄4 inches.

Tattered antique chair with only 3 legs and one arm; blue and black circle designs from coil spring rubbings on seat back of chair.
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Analia Saban One-Armed, Three-Legged Chair (with Coil Spring Rubbings), 2014, oil crayon on linen on chair 35 x 28 x 30 1/2 inches; 89 x 71.1 x 77.5 cm Courtesy the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / Los Angeles.

Abstract mixed media work featuring pale gray, blue. red, and white, with thick black lines.
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Carroll Dunham, Particular Aspects (three), 2003. Mixed media on canvas, 71 1/8 x 57 1/4 inches. Copyright Carroll Dunham. Courtesy the artist and Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels.

About this Exhibition

Drawn from museum purchases and an extraordinary recent gift of 172 contemporary artworks from an anonymous donor, this exhibition builds on the Mead’s first and most comprehensive contemporary art exhibition, presented in fall 2019. Spanning four decades, from the 1980s to 2019, the exhibition highlights how artists experiment with media and use historical events, ideas, and images to address politics and the nature of art. Featured artists include Heather Agyepong, Moira Dryer, Mark Fox, Al Hansen, Analia Saban, and Paul Mpagi Sepuya.

We're pleased to offer a virtual tour of this exhibition. Click here to view art up close and read wall labels.