A is for Animal:
Selections from the Minnesota Museum of American Art

January 12 – March 4, 2017

White Bear Center for the Arts
4971 Long Avenue, White Bear, MN

…B is for Bear, C is for Caribou, and D is for Dove. The artworks in this exhibition address how animals are an enduring inspiration for American artists and highlight some of the complicated connections between humankind and the animal kingdom. We love cats and dogs and treat them like family; deer are hunted and cattle are slaughtered; and birds of prey have a strong symbolic presence in cultural and spiritual narratives. These paintings, sculptures, and photographs coincide with contemporary and historical concerns about the environment, sustainable food sources, and our own animal instincts.

The works in A is for Animal were selected from the Minnesota Museum of American Art’s permanent collection. Represented are local, regional, and national artists such as Emily Arthur, Miranda Brandon, Melissa Cooke, Wanda Gag, Charles Nelson Beck, Ben Shahn, and Paul Shambroom.

Exhibition-related programs:

Gallery Talk with Curator Christopher Atkins
February 23, 7 – 8:30 p.m.
White Bear Center for the Arts (Ford Family Gallery)
Exhibition curator Christopher Atkins will discuss some of the artists and artwork in the show, as well as the museum’s transformation of the MMAA to “the M.” For more information, visit the WCBA website. This event is free and open to the public.

A is for Animal is curated by Christopher Atkins, Curator of Exhibitions and Public Programs at the M.