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Selected Past Exhibitions
Since opening its doors in 1979, the Southern Ohio Museum has welcomed visitors with a dynamic schedule of rotating exhibitions. Some of the final exhibitions presented in our Galleries prior to the 2025 renovations and new construction are:
Women to Watch
On display:
July 11 - September 7, 2024
Artists:
Calista Lyon, Cathrine Whited, Erykah Townsend, Kara Gut, Kat Burdine, Kristina Paabus, Migiwa Orimo, Mychaelyn Michalec, Sharon Koelblinger, Thu Tran, Xia Zhang.
[In alphabetic order]
Organized by the Ohio Arts Council Riffe Gallery, this thought-provoking exhibition showcases female artists from across the state. Work includes video installation, two dimensional and three-dimensional pieces. Many of the entries are experimental in nature and reflect the varied voices and perspectives of those artists working today.
The Power of Objects
On display:
February 23 - March 27, 2024
Collector:
Maureen Cadogan
African beliefs include the concept that objects have power, a power to affect change, change in the lives of those who come in contact with the objects. Local collector Maureen Cadogan has preserved the history of the journey of the African American people through objects and images, archiving objects that reflect the experiences of people from African, though slavery, the Jim Crow era, and into contemporary times. These objects are powerful, and have the power to change viewpoints, perspectives, outlooks, and hence, also change lives. With storied quilts, shackles, disparaging toys and pop-culture icons from segregation to success stories.
Material Pulses: Seven View Points
On display:
June 24 - August 19, 2023
Artists:
Denise L. Roberts, Claire Benn, Jayne Willoughby, Mary Lou Alexander, Christine Mauersberger,
Barb Wills, Elizabeth Brandt.
Curator: Nancy Crow
This exhibition is focused on the art of quilt-making and presents seventeen works by seven fiber artists representing the US, Canada, and the UK. Curated by internationally renowned artist and teacher Nancy Crow, “Material Pulses” contributes to the dialogue of contemporary texts arts.
Soprano: The Work of Alison Weld
On display:
May 1 - June 30, 2022
Artist:
Alison Weld
Large, gestural, textured canvases and works on paper, these abstract works reflect a life devoted to painting, mark-making, and the expression of self-reflection. Alison Weld, a New York abstract expressionist, creates work that speaks to the full range of emotions. This exhibition is a gift to the Museum’s permanent collection.
Southern Threads
On display:
September 14 - November 23, 2019
Artists:
Anita Cooke, Nonney Oddlokken, Ruth Miller
Three southern artists take traditional fiber techniques to new heights, expanding their methods of working –piecing, applique, and embroidery- creating personal vocabularies of materials, narratives, and surfaces.
In Touch with the Spirit
On display:
February 1 - April 15, 2015
Artist:
Selections from the Southern University at New Orleans Collection of African Art
The Southern Ohio Museum in collaboration with the Southern University of New Orleans presents the SUNO collection of African art and artifacts. The exhibition includes ceremonial masks, jewelry and personal adornments, ceramic vessels, wooden bowls, baskets, tools, and weapons. These objects were made for everyday use and for use in ceremonies and initiations into secret societies. They intend to connect and assuage the forces of nature, or spirits, to ensure their benevolence toward the people employing their use. Societies represented include the Bamana, Mende, Dogon, Chokwe, Tsongo, Kuba, Songye, and Lega, among others.