The notion that abstraction was a purely formal and American art form, concerned only with timeless themes disconnected from the present, was met with increased skepticism in the midst of the political and cultural upheavals of the 1960s and 70s. Kaleidoscope, UMMA’s third and final edition of this exhibition series, examines the constantly changing practices of local Detroit artists, women artists, and artists of color as they actively embraced abstraction’s possibilities. Their strategies dramatically transformed the practice of abstraction in a shifting American political landscape. Join an UMMA docent on a tour through this eye-opening exhibition. 

Support for this exhibition is provided by the University of Michigan Office of the Provost, the Richard and Rosann Noel Endowment Fund, the Herbert W. and Susan L. Johe Endowment, the Susan and Richard Gutow Endowed Fund, and the Robert and Janet Miller Fund.