Currents: Art Since 1875 tells new stories, asks provocative questions, and challenges assumptions about the human experience through works of twentieth and twenty-first century art. Deliberately global in scope, the exhibition draws from the Bowdoin College Museum of Art’s rich collection to explore three broad themes. In “Labor and Bodies,” visitors will encounter works of art that reference how changing notions of work and rest intersect with race, gender, and class. In “Migration and Environment,” the selected artworks demonstrate how the dynamic movement of people, ideas, and goods around the world have simultaneously enriched cross-cultural knowledge, inspired artistic production, and led to ecological degradation and genocide. Finally, “Inspiration and Appropriation” examines the intricate social and intellectual networks through which artists exchanged ideas, prompting visitors to consider the often-blurry distinction between inspiration, appreciation, and appropriation.

Support for the exhibition is provided by the Shapell Family Art Fund, Bowdoin College.

Read the exhibition labels here.