Spring Exhibitions at the Addison Gallery

This spring, the Addison Gallery presents a survey of Parasol Press’s remarkable print publications from 1970–2014 as well as an exhibition exploring the groundbreaking work of Carmen Herrera and Leon Polk Smith—neighbors, friends, and pioneers of geometric abstraction.

Also on view are four exhibitions highlighting different aspects the Addison’s own collection. Comprised of works of various time periods, artists, and subject matter, these exhibitions explore the American experience—past, present, and future.

Save the date for the Spring Opening Reception: Saturday, March 7, 4:00–6:00 pm! Free and open to the public.

Parasol Press: Breaking New Ground (through July 31)
The first retrospective of prints published by Parasol Press, this exhibition presents works that pushed the boundaries of printmaking and secured Parasol’s place as one of the most important print publishers of the 20th century. Featuring prints by 40 artists including Chuck Close, Sol LeWitt, Agnes Martin, Dorothea Rockburne, Donald Sultan, and Wayne Thiebaud, Parasol Press reveals how artists took inspiration from printmaking’s unique qualities, materials, and operations to reimagine the possibilities of the medium.

Both Side of the Line: Carmen Herrera & Leon Polk Smith (February 21–July 31)
Organized by the University of Michigan Museum of Art, this exhibition brings together 45 works, including paintings, works on paper, and three-dimensional objects, showcasing the groundbreaking work of Carmen Herrera and Leon Polk Smith—neighbors, friends, and pioneers of geometric abstraction. Despite forging a creative dialogue that spanned decades, their work has never been presented side-by-side at this scale, until now.

Little Boxes (through July 31)
Featuring works from the Addison’s collection, Little Boxes invites viewers into a nuanced exploration of the square and the rectangle, two essential geometric forms that have served as powerful tools in artistic expression. Including paintings, prints, works on paper, and mixed media works, the exhibition explores how the simple “box” serves both as a practical strategy for pictorial composition and as a symbolic container for complex narratives.

Playing to Our Strengths: Highlights from the Permanent Collection (through July 31)
The third iteration of this series explores how American artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries grappled with the contradictory nature of modern life, laying bare the tensions between appearance and reality as well as the orderly and the chaotic. The exhibition includes paintings, photographs, and prints that reveal the complex and often disordered lived realities of interwar New Yorkers navigating a rapidly modernizing city.

Focused installations:
Martin Puryear: In Print and In Focus: Winslow Homer: Watching, Waiting (through July 31)
These small exhibitions highlight a theme or an artist from the Addison's collection.

An exciting array of public programs related to these exhibitions and the museum’s collection are planned for the season—please visit the Addison’s Calendar of Events for details.

The Addison Gallery is free and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 am– 5:00 pm, and Sunday, 1:00–5:00 pm (closed on Mondays and national holidays). addisongallery.org