Magazines - Tribal Art Spring 2009

By Molly Hennen Huber

Introduction
A wave of new additions and installations has been occurring at museums all over the world, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) is no exception. In 2004, the existing gallery dedicated to the art of the Pacific closed in preparation for a large new space in the planned addition designed by world-renowned architect Michael Graves. The newly installed gallery opened in June 2006 and has been well received by the public at large as well as by individuals with a specific interest in Oceania. Prominently placed on the second floor of the new wing, the space is arranged in a loosely geographical manner, with artworks from neighboring areas in relative proximity. This approach allows for flexibility as the collection grows and also makes it possible to demonstrate similarities in motifs and ideas, both visual and conceptual, that flow across cultural boundaries and large expanses of water. Objects that have been in the MIA collection for decades are now being seen with entirely new eyes and are receiving a fresh prominence.
Despite modest beginnings, Oceanic art has had a small but growing presence at the MIA for many decades. The museum was founded in 1883 with the intention of highlighting the best artworks from all over the world. It opened its doors in 1915 in a McKim, Mead, and White building that still forms the core of the present facility. The first art object from the Pacific, an Austral Islands paddle, was purchased in 1947. Exceptional Oceanic pieces began to be obtained selectively by the MIA from that point on, despite the fact that the museum did not have a department dedicated to tribal art until the 1970s.