WEBINAR - ONLINE PROGRAM THROUGH ZOOM

Cultural Exchange in Times of Crisis: A Historical Perspective from Mexico of the 1930s and ‘40s and the Lessons it Holds for Today

Ellen Hoobler, William B. Ziff, Jr. associate curator of the Art of the Americas, Walters Art Museum

During the late 1930s and early 40s, as the winds of fascism and war began to blow in Europe, the United States promoted exhibitions in and about Latin America, an attempt to promote cultural diplomacy with its hemispheric neighbors. One of the most important such display was the unprecedented exhibition “Twenty Centuries of Mexican Art / Veinte Siglos de Arte Mexicano,” which took over the newly completed building of the Museum of Modern Art in New York from May to November 1940. The show was mounted during a moment of great tension between the two nations, as Mexico had just expropriated its oil resources, and many in the US business community would have preferred invasion – or at least sanctions – rather than a venue for Mexico to show its art. However, the show was the talk of the town in New York, and portions of the exhibits were sent on to other cities as well. This talk will explore the idea of cultural diplomacy and the important role art can play between nations.

$15 door fee for guests and subscribers (no fee for members)