Prairie State Wire

The Illinois State Museum is set to unveil its latest exhibition, "Here, There: New Perspectives on the Collection," at the Lockport Gallery on November 7. This exhibit showcases modern and contemporary works by Illinois artists, curated by guest curators Mariela Acuña, Sheridan Tucker Anderson, and Allison Lacher.

Doug Stapleton, curator of art with the ISM, explained the foundation of this project: "Our groundwork for this project was to review and identify works by Black, Latine, Asian, and LGBTQ+ artists in our collection. This provided the curators a core inventory from which they could ground their research." The selected artworks address themes such as nostalgia, home, belonging, and historical sites in American art.

Interim ISM Director Jenn Edginton emphasized the significance of the museum's vast collection: "The museum has a truly remarkable collection of around 13.5 million objects that tell the whole story of Illinois. We have collections from anthropology, art, botany, geology, history and zoology that we use for exhibitions and research." She added that while only a small portion of these works are displayed in this exhibit, they reflect diverse narratives.

The exhibition is part of several initiatives by ISM aimed at uncovering forgotten or misrepresented stories within their collection. Visitors are encouraged to engage with these new perspectives brought by external curators.

Supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art, this exhibit benefits from an organization dedicated to promoting expansive understandings of American art through grants and initiatives since 1978. The foundation seeks to foster cross-cultural dialogues locally and internationally.

"Here, There: New Perspectives on the Collection" will be available for viewing until February 22 at the Lockport Gallery. Admission is free.

For more details about the exhibition or to visit online resources related to it or other museum activities, interested parties can contact the gallery directly at 815-838-7400.