Works from the Virginia and Bagley Wright Collection
A new exhibition from the collection of Virginia and Bagley Wright, curated by Chris Bruce, director of the Museum of Art at Washington State University, takes the definition of cool to new heights. Viewers “get into the groove” by moving through three conceptual spaces with a mix of hypnotic African and Oceanic masks, haunting minimalist paintings, and electric abstract acrylics.
Virginia and Bagley Wright, international art collectors who live in Seattle, lived in New York during the 1950s and bought works directly from artists such as Jackson Pollock and Robert Rauschenberg. The Wrights now have one of the most comprehensive postwar collections of major contemporary art in the country. For this show, Bruce sifted through the collection to see which works “had a certain vibe and resonance when put together in the same room.”
“3 Degrees of Cool” will run through February 29 at the Museum of Art, Pullman campus, located in the Fine Arts Center on Wilson Road across from Martin Stadium. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. To schedule a docent-led tour, call the museum at 509-335-1910.