ivek Vilasini’s large-scale photo “Between our shore and several others … Study after ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’ by Caravaggio” is one of 63 Indian artworks on display in Clarinda. Photo: Clarinda Carnegie Art Museum
Writer: Michael Morain
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
“Art of India” offers exactly what its title promises: a mix of new artwork from across the vast country of 1.4 billion people.
But the exhibition’s location in Clarinda, a town of about 5,500, is a bit more surprising—at least for folks who’ve never set foot in the Clarinda Carnegie Art Museum. It opened seven years ago in a beautiful 1909 library building and presents all sorts of worth-the-drive shows and events.
The Indian exhibition, on display through February (and online in a slick interactive tour), draws from the private art collection of the museum’s founders, Karen and Robert Duncan.
The artwork from across the Indian subcontinent shows that with globalization, “doors opened for artists to compete for international fellowships, art fairs and gallery exhibitions,” according to a curator’s note. “Those enriching experiences have led to greater understanding of the world’s cultures, histories and contemporary art.”
Doors opened for art fans, too, even in small-town Iowa.
