FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Exhibit at the Crocker Brings Life and Art of Mongolia to Sacramento

Mongolian Art: A Living Landscape
On View July 31 – October 17

July 1, 2004 – Sacramento, Calif. – The art of Mongolia from ancient times to today will come alive in the Crocker Art Museum ’s special exhibit Mongolian Art: A Living Landscape, on view July 31 – October 17. Making its national debut, the exhibit’s striking, colorful imagery and inventive sculptural forms reveal a rich cultural heritage with strong connections to the natural environment.

"This exhibit presents a select opportunity to see treasures of a historically closed culture previously unfamiliar to many Americans,” says Diana Daniels, Curatorial Associate at the Crocker. Situated at a crossroads on the Eurasian continent, this vast and arid region shaped a unique culture and a legacy of exchange. In Mongolia, art has also traditionally been an integral part of nomadic life. Everyday objects made with close attention to both durability and beauty took on ritual meaning. From written scripts to snuff bottles or equestrian equipment, these artfully formed works embodied humanity’s place in both the natural and spiritual worlds.

In this exhibit, both sacred and everyday objects are placed within the larger context of the landscapes that influenced their creation. Approximately 100 artifacts from the Paleolithic to the Modern Age are organized thematically into five areas: Past and Future Landscapes (stone tools and monuments); Five Snouts on the Steppe (sheep, goat, yak, camel and horse as the staples of daily life); The Holy (tsam ceremonial masks); Socio-cultural Heritage (Buddhist art); and The Written Word (scripts). Notable highlights include an eight-foot-high 19th-century folk painting depicting a pantheon of Mongolian deities, a 3,000-year-old bronze sculpture of an argali (wild sheep) atop a bronze knife, and a magnificent set of 18th-century tsam religious masks. Large-scale photographs of Mongolia show a country of vast, demanding beauty and provide a visual backdrop to the exhibit as a whole.

This special exhibit was organized by Curatorial Assistance Traveling Exhibitions, a non-profit organization, and is made possible through the support of Wells Fargo and Sacramento Magazine.

EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING

August 3 – 6, 9 AM – NOON
Summer Art Classes for Children: Mongolian Art
Children ages 8-12 will discover the amazing and wondrous art of the Mongolian steppeland during this special weeklong studio art class. Students will try their hand at a variety of art forms using the exhibition Mongolian Art: A Living Landscape as inspiration. A perfect workshop for students who like variety! $60 per student for members; $75 nonmembers. Contact Emma Moore at (916) 264-1961 for more information or a registration form.

August 7, NOON – 3 PM
ArtBlast! Make a Mongolian Chalice
To establish friendly relations in Mongolia , it is customary to eat off a common plate and drink from the same cup. If you are curious about traditions like these, learn more while you create your own chalice (decorated cup) with papier mâché. Appropriate for all ages. Program is free with admission.

August 19, Intermission of Third Thursday Jazz
Spotlight Tour – Mongolian Art: A Living Landscape
Join a docent-guided tour to see and discuss the highlights of this show. Program is free with admission.

August 26, 7 PM
Art of Mongolia
Gain a new understanding of the Mongol people who maintain a diverse spiritual life and have uniquely adapted to an uncompromising land. Orna Uranchimeg Tsultem, a native of Mongolia and a Ph.D. candidate at the UC Berkeley Department of Art History, will talk about Mongolian art and society. Program is free with admission.

# # #

The Crocker Art Museum was founded in 1885 and continues as the leading art institution for the California Capital Region and Central Valley. The Museum offers a diverse spectrum of special exhibitions, events and programs to augment its collections of Californian, European and Asian artworks. The Crocker is located at 216 O Street in downtown Sacramento. Museum hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Tuesday – Sunday; Thursday until 9 p.m. For more information on exhibits and events call (916) 264-5423 or visit crockerartmuseum.org.

# # #

Media Contact: LeAnne R. Ruzzamenti
Media: (916) 264-1963
Mobile : (916) 213-9402
Public: (916) 264-5423
216 O Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
www.crockerartmuseum.org