BYU Museum of Art features a new collection of artwork representing centuries of Spanish history.
On January 26, 2024, the Museum of Art (MOA) kicked off Spain and the Hispanic World—a new exhibition that Director Janalee Emmer described as a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for BYU campus. Spain and the Hispanic World is the culmination of a four-year collaboration between the MOA and the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, and it showcases over 150 pieces of art from Spain and Latin America, including some pieces from famous artists like Velázquez, El Greco, and Sorolla.
At the exhibition’s opening night, Dr. Margaret Connors McQuade, deputy director and curator of decorative arts at the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, said, “We organized traveling exhibitions with the idea of making the collection better known and more accessible to new and broader audiences, which makes this exhibition here at BYU all the more important.” Boasting the largest collection of Spanish artwork outside of Spain, The Hispanic Society Museum & Library has loaned pieces to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and now the MOA, among others. The partnership reflects both BYU’s prestigious work in the humanities and the MOA’s commitment to providing a space where visitors can engage with art from around the world.
Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Emmer explained, “This exhibition includes objects spanning thousands of years of art, arranged chronologically throughout the galleries . . . [It] shows an extraordinary combination of Spanish and indigenous styles and techniques.” MOA patrons can view all kinds of artwork in the exhibition: ornate lusterware created in the south of Spain, beautiful oil paintings by Sorolla (known as the “painter of light”), an intricate world map produced during the Age of Exploration, and much more.
McQuade emphasized the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual impact of the displayed works of art, referencing their ability to reveal truths about the “rich and complicated history in which they were made.” Similarly, Emmer said, “Many of these pieces are deeply moving. You, like me, might find yourself moved to tears in the galleries.”
The MOA will host a series of events related to its run of Spain and the Hispanic World, including guest lectures, programs for children and educators, a concert featuring music by Spanish composers, and a student symposium. The exhibition offers accessibility for both native English speakers and native Spanish speakers by providing titles and descriptions of the artwork in both languages.
Spain and the Hispanic World will run until June 15, 2024.
Check out the MOA’s list of upcoming events.