Unspoken Bonds

Open through July 29, 2023

The American Library Association’s 2023 summer reading slogan, “All Together Now,” serves as the inspiration for this exhibition, which examines some of the reasons people build relationships. Groupings of art from the museum’s collection address romantic love, family and friendship. Additional bonds explored in the works include common causes, adversity, teamwork and fellowship.

Two works in the “family” section of the exhibition are new to the collection. The first is Candida Alvarez’s drawing Un Recuerdo De Puerto Rico (A Greeting from Puerto Rico), an
image about childhood memories. The Matthew W. Johnson Family, a print by Jackson Lee Nesbitt depicts a more traditional family grouping.

“Common Causes” shows people uniting during pivotal moments in history. Käthe Kollwitz’s Strum depicts the 1844 food riots of Central European Silesian weavers. Riding Together in the Sixties by Margaret Goss Taylor Burroughs alludes to the Freedom Riders’ protests against segregation on buses during the Civil Rights movement. Luke Townsend’s 2020 Protesting Police Brutality shows contemporary Kansans working together for change.

Unspoken Bonds will serve as the basis for the museum’s summer ARTSmart classes and tours in conjunction with the Manhattan Public Library’s summer reading program.

Platinum Major Sponsor: Greater Manhattan Community Foundation’s Lincoln & Dorothy I. Deihl Community Grants Program
Bronze Sponsors: Steven L. Bernasek, Chuck and Sandy Bussing and Kathleen and Roger Lanksbury