FLINT, Michigan — On Saturday, May 11, Flint Institute of Arts (FIA) introduced its new temporary exhibition 'From Earth to Sky: Ancient Art of the Americas' located in the FIA Hodge and Temporary Exhibition galleries. The exhibit will be open to the public until August 25, 2024.
The exhibit honors the indigenous peoples and culture in west Mexico 2,000 years ago by memorializing artifacts left behind. Ceramic sculptures depict men and women in various roles and activities, representing all ages from infancy to old age.
Additionally, these figures represented daily life things like people eating, drinking, playing music, and playing games. They also depict social status, religious figures, and symbolic objects.
According to Sara Kohn, FIA Director and Curator of Collections and Exhibitions, “Visitors will see 77 artworks from ancient Mexico and Costa Rica. Nearly all of the objects are over 2,000 years old and offer great insight into how the people of these communities lived. While there is no known written record, from these sculptures we can determine a great deal about what was important to them, how they likely dressed, and their activities.”
Although the exhibit is making its official debut this month, the concept of the exhibit was developed several years ago as a part of the collection of Ted Weiner, a collector of ancient and contemporary sculpture, with one of the largest sculpture collections west of the Mississippi.
“After his death, his daughter Gwen wanted the collection, in its entirety, to go to a museum,” said Kohn. “In 2022, 173 pieces of sculpture became part of the FIA's permanent collection, and the exhibition was drawn from that collection. The cultural significance of these pieces is great. They offer insight into the culture and customs of the indigenous people of West Mexico and Costa Rica. Many of these customs, like the ballgame, had a long history in Mexico and were adopted by other civilizations that came later.”
This exhibition, from all walks of life during that period, offers a bit of everything. Because of this, there's something in the exhibit for all museum visitors.
Kohn shares her hope that visitors “take away an appreciation for the skills of these artists and a deeper understanding of how these sculptures give insight into the lives of these ancient peoples. In this exhibition, we see different colors, textures, and forms in the artwork that show a very refined understanding of ceramics. The objects also illustrate how family and lineage were incredibly important to these communities and they honored them by creating artwork like this.”
Kohn shared that there will also be a catalog accompanying the exhibition that highlights these artworks and the collector for sale in the museum shop.
For those interested in visiting the 'From Earth to Sky: Ancient Art of the Americas' exhibit, FIA is open 7 days a week, Monday through Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission into the museum is free daily for Genesee County residents through the Genesee County Arts, Education, and Cultural Enrichment Millage. Admission is also free on Saturdays for everyone, thanks to Huntington Bank.
To learn more about the 'From Earth to Sky: Ancient Art of the Americas' exhibit and more upcoming events, visit flintarts.org
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