Carnegie Museum’s 2022 exhibitions explore American industry themes

In 2022, Carnegie Museum of Art will examine themes of American industry through local and national lenses, with exhibitions culminating in the 58th Carnegie International.

“This will be a very big year for us,” said Eric Crosby, the Henry J. Heinz II Director of the facility in Pittsburgh’s Oakland section. “We will have three very dynamic spring exhibitions in the run-up to the International.”

Works in this year’s International, in turn, will explore the geopolitical footprint of the United States.

“When I moved to Pittsburgh in 2015, I was struck by how the history of industry is so present in this region,” Crosby said. “It’s a very rich theme to explore in contemporary art, and perhaps an under-explored theme in our collection.

“I like to think that each of these exhibitions frames local concerns in the broader context of the world,” he said.

The 2022 exhibitions include:

“Working Thought,” March 5-June 26

Comprising works from the museum’s collection, new commissions and loans, “Working Thought” examines how 37 contemporary artists have engaged with the history of labor and conditions that structure inequality in contemporary American life.

Among featured artists are Fred Lonidier, Margarita Cabrera, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Theaster Gates, Cameron Rowland, Rodney McMillian, Jessica Vaughn, Mierle Laderman Ukeles and Jaune Quick-to-See Smith. Crosby is the curator.

Public programming for “Working Thought” will further connect art and labor with May Day (International Workers Day). An April 21 celebration of the exhibition will include contemporary interpretations of work songs by regional musicians. On April 23, artists in the exhibition will partner with community organizations for collaborative art-making in preparation for May Day and for tours of the exhibition.

“Zoe Zenghelis,” March 26-July 24

The solo exhibition by the Greek-born artist will be the first survey of paintings to be staged in the Heinz Architectural Center. It will feature aspects not only of Zenghelis’ independent painting practice, but also collaborative projects of the international architectural firm, Office of Metropolitan Architecture, which she co-founded, and teaching methods she developed as an art educator. Her paintings offer a critique of the built environment through “(s)eductive metropolitan formations blended into dystopian landscapes, floating buildings captured in disturbing stillness, and idle fields merged with urban grids.”

Curators are Theodossis Issaias, associate curator of the Heinz Architectural Center, and Hamed Khosravi, architect and educator at the Architectural Association School of Architecture.

Zenghelis will take part in an April 30 round-table discussion exploring the topic of spatial imagination and painting. Prior to and after the round-table, the curatorial team will lead exhibition tours for event attendees. Registration for this event will begin in early 2022.

Courtesy of Carnegie Museum of Art

Greek-born artist Zoe Zenghelis will have a 2022 solo exhibition in the Carnegie Museum of Art. Shown is the artist’s “Shapes in Space,” 1992, oil on canvas.

“Gordon Parks in Pittsburgh,” 1944/1946, April 30-Aug. 7

In March 1944 and September 1946, the pioneering African American photojournalist Gordon Parks traveled to Pittsburgh for the Standard Oil Co. public relations department to photograph the Penola Grease Plant, its workers and their range of activities in making lubricants for U.S. military efforts during World War II.

While the photos are among Parks’s lesser-known works, Crosby said, “It is an incredibly detailed document of the war effort, the facility and the humanity of the workers. I’m sure it will resonate with locals both culturally and artistically.

“It’s likely that some people will stumble across someone they know in these photos,” he said.

The exhibition and its accompanying publication are made possible by a partnership of the museum and the Gordon Parks Foundation. Associated special programming and community events will be announced in early 2022.

“58th Carnegie International,” Sept. 24-April 2, 2023

Taking place every three to four years, the International is North America’s longest-running survey of contemporary art and the museum’s signature exhibition since 1896. Through collaboration with international curators, artists and partners, it underscores Carnegie Museum of Art as both an international museum and a vital resource for local concerns through its exhibitions, collecting activity and education and public programs.

Curated by Sohrab Mohebbi alongside a Pittsburgh-based curatorial team and an international curatorial council, the exhibition will explore what it means to be “international” at the present time while also engaging with audiences on a local level. Commissions, special projects and participating artists will be announced on a rolling schedule starting in the spring.

“It’s an exciting time for Carnegie Museum of Art. Each exhibition explores key themes that allow us to mine the past in order to imagine the future,” Crosby said. “The Carnegie International will position our collection like never before — juxtaposed against some of the most exciting contemporary art and new commissions from around the globe.”

For more information, visit cmoa.org.