New on View: Modern & Contemporary Craft
by Mackenzie Strong, Curatorial Assistant, Decorative Arts & Design
3/10/2026
As we slowly but surely start to transition into a new season outdoors, things are equally as dynamic within the galleries! Recently, the museum’s display of modern and contemporary craft received a refresh, pairing fan favorites from the collection with several works that have never been on view—including some exciting new acquisitions.
Highlighting the current creative and conceptual possibilities of materials like glass, clay, metal, and wood, the examples in this special feature demonstrate how artists have used their work to explore various processes, ideas, and experiences. As you encounter these objects—ranging from angular prisms and conceptual baskets to monumental sculptures and intricate vessels—consider the ways in which they might be incorporating experimental techniques; developing contemporary applications of traditional methods; investigating interactions between materials, people, and less tangible qualities (like light, space, memory, and emotion); challenging established societal norms; or breathing life into inanimate materials.
Swipe through the photos below for a preview of this display and be sure to visit these works and more in Galleries 222–223 on your next trip to the museum!
Black and Blue BS Theory, 2020, Xia Zhang (Chinese American, b. 1989), ceramic, metal, gym rope, thread, and concrete, Museum Purchase: Phyllis H. Thayer Purchase Fund, 2024.94, © Xia Zhang 2020, Photography by Xia Zhang
Multidisciplinary artist and University of Cincinnati professor Xia Zhang examines the notion of “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps,” a phrase often used in American political speeches, social criticism, and pep talks to suggest someone can better their circumstances without outside help. This privileged and romanticized view of individual labor overlooks the essential knowledge and resources needed to navigate America’s systems and structures for “success” and sustainability. For this piece, Zhang crafted hundreds of clay forms inspired by moon drop grapes, a black-and-blue, genetically modified luxury fruit. Together, these forms climb up a gym rope, symbolizing the laboring bodies that nurtured and harvested the grapes in often-fruitless attempts to access a better life.
Cleft, 1996, Nancy Koenigsberg (American, b. 1927), plied and twisted copper wire, Gift of Nancy Koenigsberg, 2024.127, © Nancy Koenigsberg 1996
Nancy Koenigsberg uses modern industrial materials (like copper, steel, and aluminum wire) in place of traditional fibers (such as cotton, wool, linen, and silk) to create her knotted, woven, and crocheted works. Cleft, an example of the artist’s sculptural practice, consists of four rectilinear forms nested together. Each object features an open side seam, which, when combined, creates a dramatic gap—or cleft—in the piece. The regularity and repetition of Koenigsberg’s wire designs often reference the gridded buildings and streets of New York City, a place integral to the artist’s identity.
Related Blog Posts
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Toll Free: 1 (877) 472-4226
Museum Hours
Museum Shop
Terrace Café
Library
Cincinnati Art Museum is supported by the tens of thousands of people who give generously to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region's primary source for arts funding.
Free general admission to the Cincinnati Art Museum is made possible by a gift from the Rosenthal Family Foundation. Exhibition pricing may vary. Parking at the Cincinnati Art Museum is free.
Generous support for our extended Thursday hours is provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
General operating support provided by:
