“Sometimes joyous, sometimes heartbreaking, these works demonstrate the power of art to question, teach, urge us to take risks, and ultimately help us grow.”
— Joy Armstrong, FAC Assistant Curator
This exhibition features an outstanding selection of works from the Progressive Corporation’s contemporary art collection, encompassing media from painting and sculpture to digital photography and video, all embracing the theme of family.
The diversity of objects eloquently reflects the countless associations with the idea of family and what it means to each of us. While some works address the trauma of dysfunctional relationships, illness, or regret, such as TR Ericsson’s Everyday is Like Sunday, others offer ruminations on childhood memories, as in Emilia Faro’s works.
Artists Margot Quan Knight, Mitch Epstein, and Stuart O’Sullivan deal with the passage of time and its profound impact on our relationships with our parents, our memories, and ourselves. Alix Smith’s elegant States of Union photographs refer to the conventional representations of families by artists such as Norman Rockwell while addressing the present controversy surrounding same-sex couples.
“The viewer will undoubtedly relate on a personal level to some works and be challenged by others, but ultimately come to a place of deeper understanding after approaching unfamiliar concepts with an open mind.” said FAC Assistant Curator Joy Armstrong.
The Fine Arts Center is pleased to partner with the Progressive Corporation for this exhibition. In 1974, Progressive started collecting contemporary art as a way to advance their unique workplace culture. Today, their collection includes more than 7,800 artworks displayed in Progressive offices countrywide. For over 30 years, art at Progressive has continued to provoke and foster passionate discussion among their employees. The collection seeks out emerging as well as internationally established artists in a variety of media with the goal of promoting diversity, inspiring creativity, challenging viewpoints, and encouraging discourse in the workplace and beyond.