“From the Vault: Hard Edge/Soft Ground” is one of three new exhibitions on view at the Whatcom Museum. It brings the museum’s extensive permanent collection to the fore in an exhibition that explores everything from Pop Art and Op Art to bold color field works.
The exhibition includes paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, and collages by regional and internationally acclaimed artists whose works consider different sides of the abstract art movement: hard, structural, elegant precision alongside soft, playful visual sensations.
Weldon Butler, Blue Rondo, 1985, lithograph, 34.5 in. x 27.25 in., Whatcom Museum Collection, 2017.16.7, Gift of the Washington Art Consortium through gift of Safeco Insurance, a member of Liberty Mutual Group.
Despite its popularity in the 20th century for defying convention by focusing on color and form instead of familiar scenes and objects, abstract art continues to give some viewers pause. Whatcom Museum Chief Curator and Director of Exhibitions Amy Chaloupka understands the hesitation.
“For a long time, I felt like abstract works were intimidating and challenging to engage with because they lack the things we usually relate to in art, like landscapes and people. We often take our cues from things we recognize,” Chaloupka recalls. “But I have come to deeply appreciate and enjoy the open-ended nature of abstract art. You can indulge in its pure color or form without the burden of the story your mind tries to tell you about it. Now, I find that refreshing and calming.”
Sonia Delaunay, Abstract Composition with Semicircles, 1970, aquatint etching, 28 in. x 22 in., edition 9/125, Whatcom Museum Collection, 2000.60.8, gift of George and Pearl Yewell.
The exhibition, which Chaloupka curated, pays homage to some of the groundbreaking artists of abstraction and the different ways they approached a movement that would disrupt the art world. Artists like Mary Henry, Bridget Riley, and Francis Celentano used precise line work and saturated color combinations to create illusion and question perception. By contrast, artists associated with the Northwest School, like Mark Tobey, Leo Kenney, and Paul Horiuchi, responded to the world around them through the use of elemental forms, soft tones, and earthy palettes to symbolize and expand upon ideas of human connection and a oneness with nature.
Mary Henry, Linear Series #5, 1966, acrylic on canvas, 50 in. x 72 in., Whatcom Museum Collection, 2010.57.1, Gift of Suzanne and John Rahn.
Also on view in the exhibition is Roy Lichtenstein’s “Brushstrokes.” As a Pop artist, he rejected the seriousness of Abstract Expressionism in favor of imagery from popular culture, particularly comic books and cartoons. His works were often ironic commentaries that used humor to provoke and entertain while challenging the notions of “high” and “low” art.
Chaloupka adds, “Often, abstract art asks us to meet it in the present moment, with no expectations of what a work should mean other than to enjoy that it exists.”
Ann Thornycroft, Untitled 10, 1978, watercolor and gouache on paper, 32 in. x 24 in., Whatcom Museum Collection, 2000.60.27, Gift of George and Pearl Yewell.
“From the Vault” is the first in a series of exhibitions, beginning in 2026, inviting the public to engage with the museum’s extensive art collection. They will explore key artistic movements and shared themes, deepening our understanding and appreciation of the works held in public trust for the City of Bellingham and its community. “Hard Edge/Soft Ground” is on view through Sept. 20, 2026. 250 Flora St. & 121 Prospect St., Bellingham, 360.778.8930, whatcommuseum.org
