Opening Day

Looking at the Collection: The Elegant Vessel

Sunday, January 31 | 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

View the Museum’s newest exhibition, Looking at the Collection: The Elegant Vessel. Assuming the form of a cup, bowl, pitcher, or vase used for holding liquids or other contents, the vessel as a utilitarian object dates back millennia. The Elegant Vessel explores this essential form in various guises, highlighting its inherent beauty as well as its capability to serve as a metaphor for extended meaning.

The exhibition includes historical and contemporary works from the Museum’s permanent collection in glass, ceramic, metal and wood — all traditional materials used to create functional vessels, but transformed into fine art in the hands of their skilled makers. Featured artists include Shane Fero, Benjamin Moore, Robin Rodgers, Rosanne Somerson, and many more. With this exhibition we salute the enduring vessel in its many refined possibilities, and thank those artists whose creative talents have expanded our appreciation and view of this familiar yet iconic form. Organized by HMA.