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EXHIBITION OPENING: Holding Time: The Works of Elyse Pignolet and MyungJin Kim; Why Paint a Landscape? Selections from the Permanent Collection, March 20, 2026.
Gail Factor, Salmon Stripe, ca. 1980s, Oil on linen canvas, Gift of the Estate of Gail Factor 2015.53
March 20, 2026—June 7, 2026

Why Paint a Landscape?

Selections from the Permanent Collection

More about Why Paint a Landscape?

In his book To See Is to Think: Looking at American Art, Joshua Taylor asks, “Why paint a landscape?” At first, the answer appears simple. However, throughout the long history of art, painting a landscape for its own sake—rather than just as a background for another subject—is relatively recent. Among the landscape paintings in the Museum’s permanent collection, several responses to Taylor’s question emerge, indicating motivations that go far beyond just pleasant wall decoration.

Featured Artists:

Pat Berger 
Maurice Braun 
Darlene Campbell
Michiel Daniel 
Gail Factor 
Clara G. Force 
Robyn Horn 
William Hunter 
Jacqueline Kamin 
Ann Lofquist 
Agnes Pelton 
Astrid Preston 
Bret Price 
Carol Shaw-Sutton

 

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