The Art of the Brick: LEGO® Sculptures by Nathan Sawaya

February 5 through May 2, 2010

The Art of the Brick focused on the wonderful creations by New York-based artist Nathan Sawaya using the popular LEGO® building block as an art medium. The exhibit featured 29 works created solely from standard LEGO bricks over the period 2002-2007 with several new ones created specifically for this exhibit. Nearly one million colorful LEGO® pieces were used to create his whimsical and awe-inspiring sculptures. Sawaya’s ability to transform this common toy into something meaningful to capture action and movement enables him to elevate child’s play into fine art. Nathan Sawaya has been featured on “The Today Show,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” and “The Colbert Report.” His works are on display in major museums across the country. Financial assistance for this exhibit was provided by Gertrude Hawk Chocolates, Inc., Penn Security Bank & Trust Co., and The Oppenheim Family.

Ancient Bronzes of the Asian Grasslands from the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation

May 21 through September 6, 2010

Ancient Bronzes of the Asian Grasslands revealed how the ancient, horse-riding nomadic cultures of Mongolia and Central Asia during the late second and first millennia BCE used the animal world as a source of symbols to indicate tribe, social rank and connection to the spirit world. Ancient Bronzes illuminated their influence both on and by the culture of dynastic China, as well as how the steppe peoples facilitated trade and travel along the Silk Road across Asia. Organized and on loan from the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation (NYC), this traveling exhibition featured more than 80 masterpieces of Eurasian steppe art, including bronze belt buckles, plaques, pendants, ornaments and weapons. Animal motifs such as antlered stags, wild boars and birds of prey are a primary theme and visitors will be enchanted by the artistic expression found in a functional form. These objects were made to be practical and conform to a nomadic lifestyle yet they were created with an artistic sensibility that transcends centuries of time. Financial assistance for this exhibit was provided by Gertrude Hawk Chocolates, Inc.

For Every Season: Folk Art in Daily Life and Celebration

September 24 through December 31, 2010

For Every Season presented a new interpretation of the Museum’s premiere folk art collection. In this exclusive exhibit, the universal stages of life were examined by looking at the rich assortment of hand-crafted objects representing America’s cultural heritage. European ethnic traditions flourished in colonial and 19th-century America, particularly in Pennsylvania. Today, Northeast Pennsylvania is home to dozens of diverse groups of European, African and Asian immigrants who celebrate important rites of passage with their distinctive traditions and folk art objects. For Every Season provided a unique opportunity to interface with contemporary immigrant communities found throughout our region, interpreting their folk art and life traditions. Lenders to the exhibit include the Bhutanese-Nepali Community of Scranton, Golden Generation Retreat Center, the Lackawanna Historical Society, and Temple Hesed, as well as individuals and private collectors. Financial assistance for this exhibit was provided by Gertrude Hawk Chocolates, Inc., the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority, and PNC Bank.