One of the most important legacies of the Friends of Kresge Art Museum is their support of the art museum's collecting initiatives and conservation projects. For the first time, this exhibition will gather together 35 years of Friends' acquisitions, purchased after annual presentations to the Friends Board by the museum curatorial staff. The vast range of objects date from the 3rd century B.C. to 2008, span cultures from three continents, and represent a wide variety of media from painting, photography and sculpture, to architectural elements, books, vessels and multi-media presentations. Thanks to the Friends whose generosity allowed the art museum to acquire significant objects for its collection.

An 80-page full-color book with highlights from the 35-year history of the Friends of Kresge is available for purchase. Forty images from this exhibition of 70 works of art are included in the book.

GALLERY WALKS WITH MUSEUM STAFF
Sunday, January 16, 1 pm
Sunday, February 6, 1 pm
Sunday, March 6, 1 pm

LECTURE
Tours of Heaven and Hell in Early Christianity
Presenter: Chris Frilingos, Associate Professor, Religious Studies
Thursday, January 27, 6:30 pm
Paradise Lost by John Martin (British, 1789-1854), a series of 24 mezzotints included in the exhibition, provides the lecture foundation. Professor Frilingos will discuss examples long before Milton and Dante of early Christian authors who wrote about the landscapes and inhabitants of heaven and hell.

RECOMMENDED READING
Seven Days in the Art World
by Sarah Thornton
With the art market boom as a backdrop, the fundamental question explored in Seven Days is why art has become so popular. Answers are complicated and access to the art world is rarely easy. Thornton breaks through, offering well researched day-in-the-life accounts of the contemporary art scene. “A smart and savvy guide.” Available for purchase in the art museum shop, along with a list of other suggested art titles.

FILM
The Art of the Steal
(2009, 101 min., documentary, directed by Don Argott)
Presenter: Brian Gilmore, Director, Housing Law Clinic and Associate Clinical Professor, MSU College of Law
Thursday, February 24, 7-9 pm
Room W449, MSU Main Library
The true story of a multi-billion dollar heist and how they got away with it. The film chronicles the long and dramatic struggle for control of the Barnes Foundation, a private collection of art valued at more than $25 billion. “ENGROSSING...A totally absorbing story about the exploitation of art and the thorny entanglement of culture, capitalism, and politics.” – Anthony Kaufman, indieWIRE Co-sponsor: MSU Library Film Series