New Chapter

On view Sep. 7 through Nov. 19, 2023

New Chapter includes recent acquisitions from the past two years – most on view for the first time.

This exhibition showcases the curatorial vision of the Museum's Executive Director and Chief Curator JoAnne Northrup, who took the helm in 2021 and is leading the Museum into a new phase of development with a schedule of exciting exhibitions and inspired acquisitions.

Northrup's selections bring attention to the incredible diversity of the Nerman Museum's permanent collection and carry forth the priorities pioneered by the founding executive director; for example, a commitment to collecting and displaying the work of artists of color and Queer artists. They also demonstrate a commitment to emerging artists whose work speaks to issues and ideas that resonate today and into the future. Additionally, New Chapter provides an opportunity to celebrate the gift of major artworks to the Nerman Museum collection by patrons in the United States and beyond who desired to share their artworks with communities at the College, in Johnson County, and the greater Kansas City region.

Image credit: Dana Claxton, HIP HOP NDN, 2022, Inkjet print, 54 x 72", Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Gift of the Jedel Family Foundation

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    A long, brightly colored, vertical painting that depicts a man and a basketball hoop. Starting at the bottom of the work, a view of half the man's face and moving up the painting, his hair forms a column that ascends through a basketball hoop. A basketball rests on the top of his hair at the top of the painting. View of the New Chapter exhibition at the Nerman showing three large paintings hanging in the gallery. One work is an energetic painting of lines and tubes. One is a rounded abstract work of a green field with a blue line through it surrounded by a red border. The third work is a portrait of a seated man holding a rose. Works of art hanging on a gallery wall for the New Chapter exhibit at the Nerman. Four works are displayed: one a painting of hands in front of a person wearing a blue button down shirt; one an abstract work of a blue figure in a black jacket in front of a multi-striped background; the third and fourth works are in extreme perspective - both are abstract paintings. A view of the gallery installation of the New Chapter exhibition
    A view of the gallery installation of the New Chapter exhibition showing three distinct works: one a painting of a group of four people standing in patterned dresses; one a work of an abstracted figure wearing orange on a light background- the figure is mirrored right and left; the third work is a closeup of hands in front of a button down shirt. Works of art on display at the New Chapter exhibition at the Nerman. One sculpture appears in the foreground and three works are hanging on various gallery walls. Three works on display at the Nerman. To the left is a brightly colored abstract painting of a figure. In the center is a white sculpture that appears to be tubes or forms folded and stacked on each other. To the right is another brightly colored painting depicting two figures sitting on a building stoop. Wide view of works on display at the Nerman's New Chapter exhibit.
    Works of art on display at the Nerman Museum's New Chapter Exhibition. A view of two abstract paintings on display for the New Chapter exhibition at the Nerman. A woman sits on a bench and watches a large projection taking up the entire wall in front of her. The projection is an overhead view of two women wearing blue garments surrounded by blue fabric. A view of two abstract paintings on display for the New Chapter exhibition at the Nerman Museum.
    Closeup of three women wearing blue garments who are embracing and holding hands with their eyes closed. A woman peers at an art installation at the Nerman. The work is a black garment hanging on the wall. The sleeves of the garment form a continuous line; they reach to the floor and form a circle on the floor.