The following quote is one that sits permanently on the walls of the MoNA Gallery. Barbara Straker James joined MoNA as Curator in 1995, and built the MoNA collection (now numbering approximately 4,000 pieces) until her retirement in 2002. Barbara was married to artist Clayton James, painter and sculptor. James's painting, Yellow Night , is included in this exhibition, being paired with work by Aaron Haba. Seattle poet Michelle Penaloza will work from Barbara's quote, as well as take a more global view of the exhibition and the history of Northwest Art through her work.
The Museum of Northwest Art is
The Museum of Northwest Art is
dedicated to the art of this region.
The idea of a “special Northwest
vision” and the museum that
emerged from it owes its genesis
to the artists who came of age in
the cultural isolation of the late
30’s and 40’s. Never a school,
neither wholly consistent, nor
totally inclusive it nevertheless
succeeded in creating a fresh
language and new imagery which
established a regional identity for
the first time. But time and art
move on - - like rivers of the
Northwest which are narrow at
their source and broad as they
sweep down into the valleys; art
defies limitation, ignores
restraints, moves on in an endless
flow, redefining itself, absorbing
new influences, facing new
challenges. The Museum of
Northwest Art reflects this flow.
Barbara Straker James
Curator Emeritus
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