The Toledo Museum of Art

The Toledo Museum of Art is less than an hour’s drive from our house, and it’s quite an excellent museum. We visited there last Wednesday after spending the morning at the lotus ponds at Lake Erie Metropark, which is around half way from Ann Arbor to Toledo (photos here).

The museum has a magnificent facade and front entrance. The useful entrance is at the back
on the parking-lot side. A lovely mural is at the end of the hall by the stairs to the main floor.
This tile mural is titled “Apollo” and is by Henri Matisse.

The large and imposing entrance hall on the main floor was busy: the workers were installing a large sculpture
by Jeff Koons titled “Balloon Monkey.”

A special exhibit poster was very exciting to see! 

“Black Orpheus: Jacob Lawrence and the Mbari Club” documented the visits of American painter
Jacob Lawrence to Nigeria in the 1960s, as well as displaying works from a collective of African artists from that time.

“Beached” from the War Series by Jacob Lawrence.

Jacob Lawrence (1917 – 2000) was an American painter. His portrayal of African-American historical subjects and contemporary life is very interesting. His two trips to Nigeria gave him added inspiration, as well as personal contact with a group of dynamic modern African painters. 

A Nigerian market scene by Jacob Lawrence.

Cutout murals explained the art and artists in each section of the exhibit.

These cutouts were based on the mural on the art studio space used by the collective that Lawrence visited.

The exhibit invited visitors to sit and look through some examples of the journal published by these artists.

“The Lazy Hunters, and the Poisonous Wrestlers, Lizard Ghost, and the Cobra” by the Nigerian artist
known as Twins Seven-Seven (1944-2011).

“People in Other Rooms” by Jacob Lawrence.

“Slavery” by Jacob Afolabia (b. 1940)

An activity space for visitors to the exhibit.

Blog post and photos © 2023 mae sander.