As the Renaissance dawned in Europe, a passion for the odd and exotic gripped the leisured classes. Those with expendable means nourished their passion by establishing “cabinets of curiosities,” rooms abounding with scientific abnormalia, anthropological curios and natural peculiarities.
Ray Yoshida (1930-2009), erstwhile professor at the Art Institute of Chicago, was a man of discriminating and eclectic aesthetic appetite. His catholic tastes are evident in his own art, which indicates a steady diet of comic books and 20th-century modernism. But perhaps Yoshida’s most striking artistic accomplishment was his apartment. A Renaissance man of sorts, his home collection—including, but not limited to African masks, American naïve art and pop culture ephemera—is right out of the Renaissance cabinet of curiosities tradition.
Yoshida left his collection of more than 2,600 gewgaws, tchotchkes and objets d’art to Sheboygan’s John Michael Kohler Arts Center. “Ray Yoshida’s Museum of Extraordinary Values” presents the first complete exhibition of Yoshida’s collection to individuals who were never his personal houseguests. Visit Yoshida’s home away from home at John Michael Kohler Arts Center, 608 New York Ave., Sheboygan, Sept. 22-Feb. 2.
“Breaking the Stigma”
Dominion Gallery
804 East Wright St.
While the rest of the world is preoccupied with “Breaking Bad,” Dominion Gallery’s upcoming auction is concerned with “Breaking the Stigma” of mental illness. Art meets activism, as a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the local mental illness advocacy organization, the Grand Avenue Club. Many of the artists have benefited from the GAC’s services and their art charts the mountains and valleys of the road to recovery. The auction takes place at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20.
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“Afghan War Rugs: The Modern Art of Central Asia”
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
2220 N. Terrace Ave.
Certain mediums are representative of specific cultures. The ruins of Pompeii evidence that the mosaic peaked with the Romans. The indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest will forever be associated with the totem pole. “Afghan War Rugs: The Modern Art of Central Asia” challenges Persian preeminence in the art of textile floor coverings. Afghani artists have turned to representational rugs to come to terms with their country’s embattled history during the last third of a century. The exhibition begins with a reception on Friday, Sept. 20, from 6-8:30 p.m. and runs until Jan. 6, 2014.
The RePurposed Runway Design Competition
RedLine Milwaukee
1422 North Fourth St.
Join RedLine Milwaukee and the Shepherd Express on Friday, Sept. 20, for the Fourth Annual Fusion Fashion Show and RePurposed Runway Design Competition. Entries include garments and accessories built from post-consumer materials, on the theme of “Environment and Water.” Visit expressmilwaukee.com//redline to check out some of the designs and vote for the People’s Choice Award. This year’s show introduces the Designers’ Showcase featuring new lines by four local designers. Doors opening at 6 p.m. Tickets are $45 for stadium seating or $50 for premium and are available at redline-fusion.eventbrite.com. (Selena Milewski)
