Exhibitions at the Julia and Larry Pollock Gallery

Flora: In the ancient world, herbals—books containing intricate drawings of plants that also described their attributes and uses—served not only as scientific references but also as artistic endeavors, reflecting the beauty and diversity of the botanical world. This exhibition showcases a selection of artworks from the Cleveland Clinic Art Collection, including many new acquisitions, that reference historical methods of capturing the essence of flora. 

As knowledge expanded during the Renaissance, herbals evolved into herbariums, which took a more systematic approach to documenting plant specimens. Plants were dried, pressed, attached to paper and labeled with essential information including scientific names, date of collection, and location. This method is still used by botanists today.

During the 19th century, as photography emerged, botanist Anna Atkins pioneered the use of cyanotypes—contact prints on light-sensitive paper—to meticulously document algae specimens. Her work culminated in the first commercially published book with photographic images, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, in 1843.

The historic methods used to document and present plants continue to influence both scientific research and artistic expression. The artists in this exhibition draw on those traditions, reinterpreting the techniques to create contemporary works of art. Flora not only bridges the gap between past and present but also highlights the enduring relationship between science and art.

Elemental

July 11, 2024 – October 22, 2024

Elemental: Art and science are often seen as distinct and even opposing fields, but they share common goals of exploring the nature of reality, expressing creativity and advancing knowledge. Both involve experimentation, observation and discovery, and when they intersect, our understanding of the world expands.

The inspiration for this exhibition is the periodic table of elements—a concise representation of the building blocks of matter and one of the most iconic and influential achievements of science. This exhibition highlights work from the Cleveland Clinic Art Collection that features one or more of the periodic table’s 118 elements in their creation. Artists utilize silver and gold leaf, neon, copper and carbon to address a variety of issues, including our relationship with technology or simply for their physical properties.

Elemental invites viewers to explore the connections between art and science and to appreciate the diversity of materials and artistic techniques on view. Just as chemical reactions can transform matter, art can bring about new experiences. It has the power to make us feel and make us heal. In the presence of art, we experience inspiration, wonder and hope—a nice reminder that art can often yield something much more precious than silver or gold.

Celebrating Black History Month: Selections from the Cleveland Clinic Art Collection

Celebrating Black History Month: Selections from the Cleveland Clinic Collection: To honor and celebrate Black History Month, this exhibition features a small fraction of African and African diaspora artists in the Cleveland Clinic Art Collection. This selection includes new acquisitions and old favorites in a variety of mediums and genres. Portraiture has been a longstanding tradition in African and African diasporic art. 

Kehinde Wiley, Zanele Muholi, Samuel Fosso, Otto Neals, Andrea Chung and Dexter Davis use the human figure to explore nuances of their personal experiences. Prints by Mary Lee Bendolph and Odili Donald Odita reveal how abstraction can be linked to cultural heritage. Ebony Patterson, Alison Saar, Kahlil Robert Irving, Samuel Levi Jones and Althea Murphy-Price utilize non-art materials to underscore the cultural weight that everyday objects can carry.

The artwork on view speaks to the sustained commitment of Cleveland Clinic's Art Collection to represent and reflect its patients and caregivers. Following this exhibition, these works will go on view in locations throughout Cleveland Clinic, where they will continue to provide inspiration and foster a sense of belonging year-round.

Varied Visions/Varied Voices: Hispanic Artists at Cleveland Clinic

Varied Visions/Varied Voices: Hispanic Artists at Cleveland Clinic: Coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), this exhibition of art from Cleveland Clinic’s Art Collection puts the richness of Hispanic and Latino culture on vivid display. Hispanic and Latino are pan-ethnic terms that are generally used to describe people with links to Latin American cultures found in the Caribbean, North, Central, and South America—an area with 34 countries and more than 448 spoken languages.

The artists in this exhibition — a small sampling of Hispanic artists in the collection — use a variety of mediums and genres to explore social and aesthetic concerns. Themes like mapping, architecture, portraiture and abstraction are used to examine colonialism, migration and identity and to celebrate the richness of Hispanic heritage.

Located between the first floors of Glickman Tower (Q Building) and G Building, Julia and Larry Pollock Gallery is free and always open to the public. To find directions to the gallery, please use our main campus map.