Crocker Art Museum :: Press Releases

Grandma Moses Exhibition
makes only West Coast stop in Sacramento
On View September 8, 2007 – January 6, 2008

June 25, 2007 – Sacramento, Calif. – Distinguished by nostalgic scenes of rural and family life, the works of Anna Mary Robertson (Grandma) Moses (1860-1961) have captured the hearts and imaginations of Americans for decades. A career-spanning exhibition of her art will make its one and only stop on the West Coast at the Crocker Art Museum in Grandma Moses: Grandmother to the Nation, opening September 8.

Featuring 40 of her instantly-recognizable paintings, this exhibition examines Moses’ rise from a little-known painter to a world-renowned artist during a period of significant change for the nation. Having painted throughout the years of America’s transition from the Great Depression to post-World War II prosperity, Moses’ works incarnate the ideals and dreams that kept the nation going during those difficult times. Offering a new perspective on the artist, the show includes some of her personal objects in addition to the consumer products Moses’ celebrity spawned.

“Grandma Moses’ paintings reflect our society’s desire for the life of simpler times,” said Museum Director Lial Jones. “Her ability to capture the nation’s dreams has made her an icon.”

Picking up painting at the late age of 76, Moses dedicated herself to the craft creating more than 1,500 paintings by the age of 101. Her paintings might have remained only locally known were it not for a vacationing New York gallery owner who happened across her work and paved the way for her to become a national celebrity.

Moses’ immense emotional appeal, both for her art and personality, reveals much about the profound change in identity Americans experienced at mid-century. Her unlikely rise to fame and dedication to her artistic creation encapsulates a part of the American dream that resonates in us all.

This exhibition is made possible by a generous grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York Council for the Humanities. Grandma Moses: Grandmother to the Nation was curated by Lee Kogan, Curator of Special Exhibitions and Public Programs at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, and Karal Ann Marling, Professor of History at the University of Minnesota. We also acknowledge the ongoing scholarship of Jane Kallir, Director of the Galerie St. Etienne in New York.

EXHIBITION-RELATED PROGRAMMING

Thursdays, September, 13 & 27, 6:30 PM
Saturdays, September 8, 15, 22 & 29, 12 &1 PM
Sundays, September, 9, 16, 23 &30, 12 &1 PM
Highlight Tours: Grandma Moses: Grandmother to the Nation
Get a closer look at this special exhibition with a docent-led tour. Free with admission.

Saturday, September 8, 1 PM
Lecture: Grandma Moses & the American Folk Art Tradition
Examine the enduring appeal of Moses’ works, from quilts to weathervanes, in the context of American folk art through a lecture by acclaimed speaker and Fulbright Scholar, Rebecca Albiani. $10 members, $12 nonmembers.

Sunday, September 9, 10 AM-5 PM
Grandparent’s Day
In celebration of Grandparent’s Day and the Grandma Moses exhibition, grandparents receive free admission to the Museum all day.

Thursday, September 27, 6 PM
Gallery Walk-through with Diana Daniels
Learn more about one of America’s most celebrated folk artists during a special walk-through tour of the Grandma Moses exhibit, led by Diana Daniels, Assistant Curator at the Crocker. 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 California, European and Asian artworks. The Crocker is located at 216 O Street in downtown Sacramento. Museum hours are 10 AM–5 PM, Tuesday–Sunday; Thursday until 9 PM. For more information on exhibits and events call (916) 264-5423 or visit crockerartmuseum.org.