Kresge brings vintage flare

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Packed with prohibition era attired ladies and gentlemen, the Kresge Art Museum opened its doors for the American Modernism exhibition Saturday night looking more like a speakeasy than a traditional art show.

The exhibit, which will remain open through March 14, features a wide variety of works representing the 1920s, which saw many different art forms and ways of composition. The exhibition includes an automatic drawing by Jackson Pollock, a sculpture done by a former MSU student and a leg splint made for World War II veterans. All of the art either has been purchased by the museum or donated.

“It covers primarily American art from the 1920s to the 1940s, which is a huge topic and very complex period,” museum director Susan Bandes said. “In the art, it’s a period when American artists were very influenced by what was going on in Europe.”

Influences include the development of machines, telephones and televisions, which were items considered most revolutionary at the time. Such objects are shown in the exhibit along with the art in an attempt to explain the inspiration artists received from the modern world, Bandes said.

“The focus is our collection with the paintings, prints and photographs,” Bandes said. “(But) we also wanted to give a better sense of the whole picture, so we added the decorative pieces.”

Although the public could not see the showcase until the museum opened today, The Friends of Kresge Art Museum, which is a group that helps to raise money and support the museum, hosted a preview party on Saturday night. Bandes said that an exhibition of art from an era that saw flappers and the prohibition of alcohol required a not-so-traditional opening.

“We started talking and thought it might be fun to do something related to the period and make it a sneak peek,” Bandes said. “We wanted to use the idea of a speakeasy.”

After a group from the museum and Friends of Kresge Art Museum started brainstorming, they suggested that guests come to the opening wearing clothes that were typical of a party attendee during that time.

Along with the regular appetizers and drinks, partygoers could enjoy the sounds of jazz music, learn how to do popular swing dances and watch silent films starring the likes of Charlie Chaplin.

“We thought it was a wonderful idea to get into the spirit of it,” East Lansing resident Bob Floden said.

He and his wife Gloria are involved with Friends of Kresge Art Museum, but came to the event strictly as guests.

Despite the detail it took to put the party together, a group effort made it possible to do so in a short amount of time.

“We actually did not start working on this until early December,” event coordinator and Friends of Kresge Art Museum board member Jacqie Babcock said. “Once we had the ideas, everyone just took a piece of it.”

Bandes said after a month of planning and preparation, the party accomplished all she originally had hoped it would.

“We don’t usually do this,” she said. “But this is great — especially since people came in costume and got into it.”

Even though the sneak peek had an entertaining party atmosphere, guests also knew the focus was on the art.

“It was a lot of fun and informative, and I hope more people come see it,” East Lansing resident Betty Moore said. “We have so many treasures in this community, and Kresge Art Museum is definitely one of them.”

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