SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA – You can share these experiences November 2008 through December 2009. Information is subject to change; visit www.bowers.org.

American Quilts: 200 Years of Tradition

On view through March 15, 2009

This exhibition of more than 30 quilts from the Museum’s permanent collection showcases American quilts from the 18–20th centuries. Highlighting various styles and techniques, the quilts displayed reflect the strong visual impact and historical traditions they embody, with many on view for the first time. Some notable examples include a Whole Cloth Quilt made in 1776 depicting a Tree of Life, Crazy Quilts pieced together with elaborate materials, and a Flag Quilt sewn with tobacco flannels. The exhibition is presented in the Anderson-Hsu-Tu Gallery.

Upcoming Exhibitions

Masters of Adornment: The Miao People of China

November 15, 2008–Ongoing

Women’s textiles and silver jewelry from the Miao culture living in southwest China are presented. Featuring approximately 80 objects, mostly drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection, the exhibition includes several distinct examples of Miao women’s festive wear paired with finely crafted jewelry. More than an examination of masterful techniques and styles, these objects reveal hundreds of years of Miao history and tradition, and the required patience and dedication to achieve such beauty. The exhibition is presented in the Susan and Stephen Chandler Gallery.

Passages: Photographs in Africa by Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher

November 15, 2008–April 19, 2009

This is an exhibition of dramatic images that portray time-honored African ceremonial traditions of the passing from one life phase to another by critically acclaimed photographers Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher. Known for their vibrant images of African life, the photographers have spent over 30 years traveling throughout Africa to document customs, rites of passage, and aspects of ceremonial practices. The exhibition features more than 90 large-scale photographs and six documentary videos. Included is a selection of jewelry, masks, sculpture, and artifacts drawn from the Museum’s holdings, as well as the photographers’ personal collections, all representing cultures and themes seen in the images. The exhibition is presented in the Janice Frey Smith and Robert Gumbiner Galleries.

Art of the Samurai: Selections from the Tokyo National Museum

April 18–June 14, 2009

The exhibition features 81 objects from the Tokyo National Museum, representing the art and aesthetics of the Samurai culture of Japan. Included are objects that serve as a testament to the accomplished level of society, education, and skills developed by the Samurai during the 10th and 20th centuries. Beautifully crafted swords, armor, tea-ceremony utensils, screen and scroll paintings, Noh theatre costumes, and other fine works are presented. This collection dates primarily to the Edo period (1603–1868), with many pieces classified as Important Cultural Property and National Treasures of Japan. The exhibition is presented in the Anderson-Hsu-Tu Gallery.

Spirits and Headhunters

May 16–August 16, 2009

Photographer Chris Rainier guest-curates this exhibition of artwork from Papua, New Guinea. The display presents the interconnectedness and inseparability of man, nature, art, and spirit which exist throughout the diverse cultures of the pacific island. By combining Rainier’s personal black and white documentary photographs with objects from the Museum’s permanent collection, the exhibition provides an intimate look at the native people of Papua, New Guinea and explores the daily and ceremonial lives of tribal rituals, customs surrounding mourning and loss, portraits of warriors, hunters, and dancers. Visitors have a rare look within spirit houses where decisions affecting the entire village are made and male initiation rites take place. The exhibition is presented in the Janice Frey Smith and Robert Gumbiner Galleries.

Sordid and Sacred: The Beggars in Rembrandt’s Etchings — Selections from the John Villarino Collection

July 12–August 23, 2009

Featuring 35 rare etchings by Rembrandt Van Rijn (1606–1669) made between 1629 and 1654, this exhibition focuses on a subject the artist frequented in his formative years: the beggar. Rembrandt’s images document and humanize the vagrant population living in a 17th century Dutch society that considered these individuals repulsive and outcasts. Often using biblical subjects and narratives, Rembrandt draws parallels between the plight of the homeless and derelict, in many etchings, and in figures such as Joseph, Mary and Jesus. Each etching on paper is executed in a style closer to drawing than engraving, and portrays individualism, character, and emotion of each figure rendered. The exhibition is presented in the Anderson-Hsu-Tu Gallery.

The Baroque World of Fernando Botero

September–December 6, 2009

Colombian artist Fernando Botero’s unique style is recognized worldwide for the voluminous forms and sensuous figures found within his painting, sculpture, and works on paper. Botero’s observations and portrayals often take on religion, politics, and history as subject with an equally critical and comical approach. This exhibition includes over 100 paintings, sculptures, and drawings dating from the 1950s to present. Compiled from Botero’s personal collection, this is an opportunity to view many never-before-seen works that the artist owns or owned. The exhibition is separated into themes, including faith and contemporary life in Latin America, early works and sculpture, and still-life portraits and subjects that reference European art history. This traveling exhibition, organized by Art Service International, is presented in the Janice Frey Smith and Robert Gumbiner Galleries.

LATITUDES: Latin American Masters from the FEMSA Collection

September 13–December 27, 2009

The collelction features selected paintings from leading Latin American beverage company FEMSA’s prestigious collection of more than 1,000 modern and contemporary works of Mexican and Latin American artists. This thematic exhibition explores the 20th century art movements and styles of Cubism, Portraiture and Landscapes, Identity, Mexican Muralism, Surrealism and Abstraction, and includes works by many noted artists, including Leonora Carrington, Frida Kahlo, Wilfredo Lam, Roberto Matta, Jośe Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Jesús Soto, and Rufino Tamayo. The exhibition is presented in the Anderson-Hsu-Tu Gallery.

Permanent Exhibitions

Ancient Arts of China: A 5,000 Year Legacy

Nearly 75 sets of objects from the Neolithic period (c. 3,000 B.C.) to the Qing dynasty (1644–1911 A.D.) are featured. This has been on view as a permanent exhibition at the Museum since September 4, 2007. Selections from the Bowers Museum’s permanent holdings are included with a small number of loans from private collections. The works portray the evolution of Chinese technology, art, and culture. Showcased are rare examples of bronze vessels, mirrors, polychrome potteries, sculptures, porcelains, paintings, ivory carvings, and robes. This display is curated by authorities of Chinese history and culture from the Shanghai Museum. The exhibition is presented in the East West Bank Gallery

California Legacies: Missions and Ranchos

Personal possessions of prominent pioneers are used to portray romantic and tumultuous times of rancheros who ruled over vast estates, and faithful friars who established beautiful missions in early California. It begins with the colonizing of California during the Spanish Mission period (1768–1822) and continues through the Mexican Rancho period (1832–1848). The exhibition illustrates the rich, colorful, and diverse history of those who settled in the West Coast and Orange County. The exhibition is presented in the Ruth Segerstrom Gallery.

California: The Golden Years

This exhibition made its debut in fall 1994 and highlights the Museum’s extensive collection of Plein Air paintings, many recognized as masterpieces of the style. The term Plein Air is French for “open air” and describes landscapes painted outdoors in natural light. This extraordinary exhibition features landscapes and figure paintings. Visitors will find familiar scenes of Laguna Beach and Orange County, and views of Southern and Northern California painted by such noted artists as William Wendt and Joseph Kleitsch. Figure paintings in the Impressionist style include Guy Rose’s beautiful portrait, Marguerite (c. 1900–1910) and Fannie Duvall’s Confirmation Class, San Juan Capistrano (1897), one of the earliest works in the exhibition. The exhibition is presented in the Gallery of Inscriptions and Fluor Gallery.

The First Californians

This extensive collection of Native Californian art and artifacts demonstrates the culture and history of the California Indian. Visitors can explore the ways Indians of the region used materials found in their natural environment to survive, make a living, create art, and shape their various cultural identities. The exhibition is presented in the Richard P. Ettinger Gallery.

Vision of the Shaman, Song of the Priest

Pre-Columbian art from Mexico and Central and South America has been at the heart of the Museum’s collection for many years. A series of galleries communicates the power and sophistication of the mysterious cultures that rose and fell in ancient America. The exhibition is presented in the Mary Muth Wing.

The Bowers Museum

The Bowers Museum is an internationally celebrated institution of art and culture dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of fine arts from around the world. To achieve its mission to “enrich lives through the world’s finest arts and cultures,” the Bowers offers exhibitions, lectures, art classes, travel programs, children’s art and music education, and other community programs. Its philosophy is to help people learn about other cultures through their arts and offer a greater understanding of ourselves and appreciation of the world in which we live.

The Bowers Museum’s permanent collection is particularly strong in the areas of African, South Pacific, Asian, Native American, Pre-Columbian art, and California plein-air painting. The Bowers has organized some of the most culturally significant exhibitions in history, including “Secret World of the Forbidden City,” “The Dead Sea Scrolls,” “Egyptian Treasures of The British Museum,” and “Tibet: Treasures from the Roof of the World.“

The Bowers Museum is located at 2002 North Main Street in Santa Ana, California. Hours are Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 am–4:00 pm and the fourth Thursday of every month, 10:00 am–8:00 pm. For more information, call (714) 567-3600 or log on to www.bowers.org. Find information on Bowers Kidseum, dedicated to providing children a fun environment where imagination and creativity are both encouraged and nurtured.