Louise Nevelson: Dawn to Dusk
Columbus Museum of Art
Located in Lower Level Walter Wing
On view March 7–August 24, 2025
Admission Information
Louise Nevelson: Dawn to Dusk is included with the cost of general admission.
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Exhibition Description
Opening on March 7, 2025, Columbus Museum of Art will present Louise Nevelson: Dawn to Dusk, one of the most comprehensive exhibitions of the artist’s work in the United States. Featuring more than fifty works, the exhibition traces Nevelson’s artistic evolution, from her early figurative paintings to her iconic abstract wood constructions, collages, and unique handcrafted jewelry. Originally organized by the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine, Dawn to Dusk reflects the full arc of Nevelson’s career and her enduring legacy as a pioneering sculptor of international renown.
Born Louise Berliawsky near Kiev, Ukraine, in 1899, Nevelson immigrated with her family to Rockland, Maine, in 1905. After marrying Charles Nevelson in her twenties, she moved to New York City, where she pursued her passion for art, studying with Hans Hofmann in Germany and working as an assistant to Diego Rivera. By the 1940s, her practice shifted from painting to sculpture, transforming discarded wood objects into innovative, abstract assemblages that would define her artistic legacy. Establishing a close relationship with the Glimcher family at Pace Gallery in 1961, helped elevate her work to international prominence. Following a major exhibition at the Farnsworth in 1985, Nevelson donated over 80 works to the museum, more than 40 of which form the foundation of Dawn to Dusk.
CMA’s presentation will highlight Nevelson’s deep connection to Columbus, where she frequently exhibited at Pace/Columbus, a satellite of the New York-based Pace Gallery run by Eva Glimcher, from 1965 to 1982. CMA’s collection includes several works acquired from these exhibitions, such as Nevelson’s signature painted wood assemblages and works on paper, all of which will be featured in the show. This expanded presentation underscores her longstanding relationship with Columbus and the city’s role in supporting her artistic journey.
Louise Nevelson, The Endless Column, 1969 and 1985. Wood and found wooden objects painted black. Left: 110 x 22 x 9 1/8 inches, Center: 128 1/8 x 59 x 11 1/8 inches, Right: 115 x 21 1/2 x 5 1/4 inches. Collection of the Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine. Bequest of Nathan Berliawsky, 1980.35.30.
