NEWSLETTER
Glens Falls, NY – The Hyde Collection will open a new exhibition of modern art on Saturday, April 11, bringing together the ceramics of Toshiko Takaezu (American, 1922–2011) and several postwar abstract painters from the Museum’s permanent collection. The exhibition, Voices of Abstraction, presents a visual conversation between Takaezu's work and abstract painters such as Sam Gilliam, Grace Hartigan, and Adolph Gottlieb. Takaezu’s vessels operate as three-dimensional canvases animated by gesture and color.
Visitors can expect to see oblong and spherical sculptures ranging from six inches to fifty-eight inches tall, dripping with colors such as vibrant turquoise and deep violet, and brushed with earth tones like burnt sienna and onyx. Each is unique, bringing to the imagination a series of celestial objects from another galaxy in orbit. Challenging long-standing boundaries between craft and fine art, this dialogue asserts that ceramic art is a powerful vehicle for abstraction and spiritual expression—one that fully participates in the language of modern art.
The exhibition is curated by Jill Fishon-Kovachick, founder of the Saratoga Clay Arts Center and a former instructor at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York while Takaezu was in residence there. “Toshiko Takaezu’s groundbreaking ceramics, celebrated for their spherical forms and rich glazes, are a perfect complement to The Hyde’s collection of abstract paintings,” says Fishon-Kovachick. “By showcasing Takaezu's work, we honor her legacy around the world and cement her importance as a Skidmore summer workshop artist who taught so many people in upstate New York.”
Takaezu’s long association with this region is an essential part of her artistic history. She emphasized material awareness and expressive freedom—principles that defined both her teaching and her studio practice. “I’ve learned so much from Jill’s personal friendship with Toshiko Takaezu,” says Derin Tanyol, The Hyde’s Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. “Seeing Takaezu’s work alongside some of the most important works of modern art in our collection has really enriched my thinking about Sam Gilliam, Lee Krasner, and Adolph Gottlieb.”
While regionally significant, Toshiko Takaezu also holds international prominence, with exhibitions dedicated to her career at major institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and retrospectives at the Noguchi Museum in New York and the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto, Japan. The Hyde Collection is proud to reintroduce Takaezu’s work to the expanding cultural hub of the lower Adirondack region, encouraging fresh dialogue and perspectives across modern artistic mediums.
Support for this exhibition is generously provided by the Hoopes Family Foundation, Charles R. Wood Foundation, India & Benjamin Adams, Ellen-Deane Cummins, Leslie Fraser Gold & Irene Kamau, Grasshopper Gardens, KEENA, and Gary Siepser & Laurie Siegel
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RELATED MUSEUM EVENTS
Art After Hours & Member Mixer | Documentary Film Time and Other Materials
April 16, 5-8 pm, film begins at 6 pm
Join The Hyde for a special screening of Time and Other Materials, a new documentary film that features five contemporary women artists, each with a unique perspective and medium, be it animation, ceramics, installation art, or large-scale sculpture. These artists unveil their inner worlds through a series of intimate studio sessions. Explore their collective desire to create and connect, not only with each other but with a broader world. Learn more and save your seat today.
Panel Discussion: Toshiko Takaezu Painting in the Round
May 21, 6 pm
Hear from a panel of individuals inspired by the work of ceramic artist Toshiko Takaezu, including Tim Jones, Ben Eberle, Darren Prodger, and exhibition curator Jill Fishon-Kovachick. Moderated by Hyde curator of modern and contemporary art Derin Tanyol, this discussion will examine Takaezu’s life and work, focusing on the artworks on display in the exhibition Toshiko Takaezu: Voices of Abstraction on view at The Hyde Collection. Save your spot for this discussion today.
Youth Workshop: Clay Play
Jun 19, 10 am-4 pm
Connect with the earth and emotions through hands on clay play! Participants will manipulate clay to make unique forms inspired by artworks at the Museum. Scholarships available.
Exhibition Guided Tours
Every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, 2:30 pm
Learn fascinating details about the Hyde House and current exhibitions from a trained tour guide (included in Museum admission). Visit hydecollection.org and plan your visit today.
ABOUT THE HYDE COLLECTION
The Hyde is one of the Northeast's exceptional fine art museums with distinguished European and American art collections. The core collection, acquired by Museum founders Charlotte and Louis Hyde, includes works by such artists as Sandro Botticelli, Tintoretto, El Greco, Rembrandt, Peter Paul Rubens, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Georges Seurat, and Pablo Picasso and American artists Thomas Eakins, Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, James McNeill Whistler, and Anna Hyatt Huntington. Throughout the years, the Museum has expanded considerably to include a modern museum complex featuring an auditorium, classroom, five galleries, and a state-of-the-art storage facility in addition to the historic home once inhabited by the Hydes. The Museum's Modern and Contemporary art collection features work by artists including Josef Albers, Dorothy Dehner, Sam Gilliam, Adolph Gottlieb, Grace Hartigan, Ellsworth Kelly, Sol LeWitt, Robert Motherwell, Ben Nicholson, Robert Rauschenberg, and Bridget Riley. Today, The Hyde offers significant national and international exhibitions and a packed schedule of events that help visitors experience art in new ways. Learn more at www.hydecollection.org
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