On Thursday, Jan. 30, a reception at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Gallery of Art was held to commemorate the gallery’s most recent exhibition, “Networks of Modernism: 1898–1968”. This exhibition is among one of the many collaborations by the UNH Gallery of Art this past year. It is made possible by the generosity of the Ogunquit Museum of American Art (OMAA). Most of the work featured is from the OMAA’s permanent collection, with three pieces from UNH’s collection. Curator Devon Zimmerman, preparator Andy Ritzo, and several UNH student interns were responsible for the installation of the exhibition.
“Networks of Modernism: 1898–1968” focuses on telling the story and history of American modernism through various artists and their work during this period. The artists featured in the exhibition either lived in or visited the Ogunquit area during their time. All of the artists are from different walks of life and represent different art styles, methods, and mediums—yet they are interconnected, and this is displayed through a graphic at the entrance of the Gallery. “So many artists marked the modern era with different styles, problems, concerns, and observations,” said Amanda Lahikainen, executive director of OMAA.
Associate Professor and Chair of the Art History Department Dr. Ben Cariens was among several speakers at the reception. During his speech, Cariens noted that this particular exhibition is important to the Gallery of Art because it marks roughly one year since the announcement of the closure of the UNH Museum of Art in late January 2024. Despite the anniversary of the closure, it seems that the UNH Gallery of Art is finding new direction in the broader art community, with the OMAA exhibition being the recent of several community collaborations. “It is our hope to find continued collaboration between the Gallery of Art and the OMAA,” says Cariens.
Lahikainen, also among the several speakers at the reception, emphasized the museum’s mission of spreading knowledge and collaboration. “We educate, acquire, preserve, exhibit and interpret American Art. A big part of this is sharing our permanent collection with the public and with new communities. UNH is one of those new communities!” said Lahikainen.
In addition to the exhibit, students from art history and studio art programs are working with OMAA education and outreach fellow Sophie Cordery, creating content for OMAA’s Bloomberg Connects app profile. Bloomberg Connects is an app that has profiles from hundreds of museums, creating an easy guide for users. “Although their current work is specific to this exhibition, the hope is that there continues to be such opportunities for our students,” said Cariens.
“Networks of Modernism: 1898-1968” is located in the Paul Creative Arts Center and is open from 10-5 Tuesday through Sunday. The exhibition is available until March 16th. It is free, accessible, and open to all.
