Speaking Parts Intro

Speaking Parts: Conversations between Works in the Collection How do museums decide what artworks to collect? The process is complex, but at its most basic, the works in the collection need to relate to each other in a variety of ways. Those connections can be obvious, subtle, or unexpected. Perhaps objects were created by the same person and demonstrate an evolution of that artist’s career or during the same time period and illustrate key developments in an art historical movement. Others may offer contrasting uses of a particular artistic technique or different ways of depicting the same subject. Since a central part of Tacoma Art Museum’s mission is to collect and interpret Northwest art, another important factor in choosing work is to insure that the collection includes national and international art so that Northwest art can be understood within a broader art historical context. Speaking Parts explores this concept of how the museum collection is developed through a selection of works from the permanent collection. The exhibition is organized around a mixed-media construction by Northwest artist Dennis Evans at the center of this gallery. All other artworks in the gallery—whether paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, or jewelry—relate to the Evans in at least one way. Objects are grouped under three broad topics: What is a Painting? Materials and Process, and Texts and Symbols. These groups illustrate one line of conversation between each particular work of art and the Evans. Visitors are encouraged to look for other connections within and between the groups, exploring how artworks can play different roles in a collection depending on the context in which they are placed.