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Neuberger Museum of Art

backstory50: In the public eye

Do you remember these hammocks? I do. Laura Anderson Barbata’s Nuestra historia no se encuentra en un libro [Our history Is Not Found in a Book] was one of the first outdoor sculpture projects I saw when I arrived on the Purchase College campus many years ago. I didn’t realize immediately that it was a sculpture project... which is one of the most interesting things to me about public art in general.

 

The Neuberger has always had outdoor sculpture on campus, the Henry Moore, which I wrote about a few weeks ago, being a hallmark of the program from the very beginning. In the 1990s, the Neuberger began a series of outdoor sculpture biennials that featured contemporary projects by artists working on the grounds of Purchase College to create extraordinary works of the art, some of which are still on view. You can learn more about Laura Anderson Barbata and the 2001 Biennial where it was featured in the photos in this backstory and these pages from the exhibition catalogue.

Laura Anderson Barbata

  • Laura Anderson Barbata’s Nuestra historia no se encuentra en un libro [Our history Is Not Found in a Book] 002

    Laura Anderson Barbata’s Nuestra historia no se encuentra en un libro [Our history Is Not Found in a Book]

  • Laura Anderson Barbata’s Nuestra historia no se encuentra en un libro [Our history Is Not Found in a Book] 001

    Laura Anderson Barbata’s Nuestra historia no se encuentra en un libro [Our history Is Not Found in a Book]

  • Laura Anderson Barbata’s Nuestra historia no se encuentra en un libro [Our history Is Not Found in a Book] 003

    Laura Anderson Barbata’s Nuestra historia no se encuentra en un libro [Our history Is Not Found in a Book]

Special thanks go to the many people whose work made possible those biennials over the years as nominators and jurors. Grateful thanks also to those who provided significant support for the program over the years, including David Durst, the Klein Family, Neuberger Berman, ArtsWestchester (then called the Westchester Arts Council), the Corrine H. Buck Charitable Trust, and the Friends of the Neuberger Museum of Art.

Additional thanks goes to Jacqueline Shilkoff, our Curator of New Media and Director of Digital Initiatives. Jacqueline was lucky enough to have worked on the biennials in years past, and she has an incredibly deep historical knowledge of the organization, which helps us to do our work day to day.

Tracy Fitzpatrick Director, Neuberger Museum of Art

P.S. Check out our new new webpage featuring the public art that is currently on view across the Purchase College campus. 

Orange square with a white border and large numbers 50 with small letters neu overlapping the top of the 5 and the word Years beneath

Watch for a new backstory every Wednesday and follow us on social media as we share stories about the Museum’s history, our evolution to the present day, and look ahead to our exciting future. Stay up-to-date with the latest news and “NEU 50 Years” updates on our anniversary webpage.