'Nothing like seeing art in person': Oberlin museum reopens to public

OBERLIN — A shield painted with images of Hindu warrior goddesses is among the newly acquired works visitors can see now that the doors of the Allen Memorial Art Museum have been opened to visitors once more. The ceremonial leather piece was made in northern India in the mid-1800s. Its symbols were meant to protect the bearer from harm. Both shield and accompanying sword are among the works Director Andria Derstine and her staff have been eager to show while the museum was largely closed throughout the pandemic. In a normal year, the Allen would get 35,000 to 40,000 visitors. But due to COVID-19, access was restricted to just Oberlin College faculty and students. With Ohio's pandemic orders canceled, the Allen opened to the public on June 2 — the first time in 15 months. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and limited weekend hours are set to resume July 10. "It's great to have the general public back in again, because we've always seen ourselves since 1917 when we opened as being for the whole Northeast Ohio region," Derstine said Thursday. It felt good to remove COVID-19 signs posted among the Degases, Warhols and Pollocks, she said. Though partially closed, the Allen was not dormant during the pandemic. Its education department created an augmented-reality tour that allowed virtual visitors to roam the hallways and zoom in on works from its huge collection, which includes important pieces such as Picasso's "Chair and Owl," Monet's "Wisteria" and Cezzane's "Viaduct at L'Estaque." The tour can be accessed at tinyurl.com/AllenVirtual. There were also plenty of tours conducted by video chat, reaching public school and college students alike, as well as community groups and residents at Kendal at Oberlin. But no online experience compares to standing mere feet away from priceless works of art, Derstine said. "That's what we want to foster, is that personal connection with original works of art," she said. "It's clearly not the same on Zoom. That's why we exist as a museum." Over the past year, the staff has been busy revamping exhibits inside the Allen's walls. "One of the things I've been really interested in is being more transparent about the stories we tell with our collection," said Alexandra Letvin, assistant curator of European and American art. Her focus has been primarily on reimagining the panels posted alongside artwork. Determining what descriptions they should bear is a challenge for curators, Letvin said. The Allen is embarking on an experiment, starting with an installation called "How can museum labels be anti-racist?" It's a way for curators to rethink the context in which pieces are displayed. The installation presents two paintings made just after the end of the Civil War, and asks visitors to think about the different perspectives they present and the artists' identities, intentions and values. Letvin's efforts continue in the 17th and 18th Century Mobility and Exchange Gallery, where she has worked to diversify the items on view. Pieces from Sierra Leone, Peru and China are included to make the gallery less Euro-centric and to show how artists were influenced by interactions between continents. The highlight is a tiny watercolor image of Zaga Christ, who claimed to be the rightful king of Ethiopia. It is the earliest known European portrait miniature to depict a Black sitter. The Zaga Christ painting had been on view in Italy early in the pandemic, and is now on loan to the Allen. The museum is in the process of acquiring it, Letvin said. Many other pieces of art have recently been acquired by the Allen and are now on display. Visitors can see woodblock prints by Narita Morikane, Nakayama Shuko and Yoshikawa Kanpo; a drawing from India representing Raja Prithi Singh meeting Zabardast Khan; two 3-D prints titled "Lobster Place (Sushi)" by Canadian artist Ben Schumacher; and many other new items. "This is the collection that belongs to Oberlin, the college and the town. Everyone should feel welcome to come in," Derstine said. Next up: Oberlin College is preparing to replace the entire Allen Memorial Art Museum roof. Derstine said the existing roof is about 20 years old and should be proactively replaced to prevent conditions that could harm the Allen's collection. Most of the museum will remain open during the project, she said. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.