Meet the Masters

Boasting upward of 17,500 objects spanning 5,000 years, the Lowe Art Museum (1301 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables) is the rare South Florida institution capable of producing informative shows simply by dipping into its vast holdings. So for those who remain bewildered about the art that’s made our hemisphere a creative hotbed during much of the 20th Century, the Lowe’s summer primer aims to school you in a single visit. “Pan-American Modernism: Avant-Garde Art in Latin America and the United States” delivers more than 75 weighty works by 50 Latin American and 21 U.S. artists. With the works, all culled from its expansive collection, the Lowe explores the links among creative types who shifted the art world’s attention from Europe to the Americas at a time of unparalleled experimentation. The sprawling display includes paintings, sculptures, works on paper, photography, and mixed-media pieces, many of which have never been publicly exhibited at the museum. Featuring works executed between 1919 and 1979 by artists from 13 countries, the show also addresses how these historic talents influenced one another while contributing to the rise of modernism. On view is everything from the legacy of the Mexican muralists to the development of the Cuban avant-garde and abstract expressionism. Other sectors cover later, more experimental movements such as op art and minimalism. Lowe’s A-listers range from Wifredo Lam to Man Ray, Amelia Peláez to Adolph Gottlieb, and Gordon Matta-Clark to Roberto Matta. The show runs trough October 13. Admission costs $10. Call 305-284-35-35 or visit lowemuseum.org.
June 22-Oct. 13, 2013