Against the Grain: Modernism in the Midwest

Conceived in Europe during the late 19th century, the Modernist art movement made its way to America via the northern East Coast. These avant-garde aesthetic philosophies then found their way to artists living near the Great Lakes. The Museum of Wisconsin Art recognizes these forward-looking individuals in an exhibition organized by Ohio's Massillon Museum, "Against the Grain: Modernism in the Midwest." On display through Oct. 2, the exhibition traces Modernism in the region from the 1893 Chicago World's Fair through the final battles of World War II in 1945. More than 50 artworks collected from museums across the Midwest show that Modernist masters Manet, Gauguin, Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso, Braque and Miro influenced artists in America's vast agricultural plains.