An artist of unparalleled vision, Detroit-based artist Beverly Fishman was selected by the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum to produce a major new work as part of the museum’s 10th anniversary celebrations in 2022. The two new murals that resulted from this commission are at the heart of the artist’s solo presentation Beverly Fishman: Recovery. This major commission will inhabit one of the museum’s largest and most iconic spaces, the Julie and Edward Minskoff Gallery. Taking into consideration the unique qualities of the Zaha Hadid–designed architecture of the museum, Fishman produced two new, signature works that dialogue with the geometries, lines, and volumes of the gallery, creating a truly unique artistic encounter for visitors.
The notion of recovery is central to the experience of the exhibition. In the face of a global pandemic, along with the ever-pressing need for wider social, racial, and environmental reckonings in the United States and abroad, it is all the more important for people to seek out moments of solace. For decades Fishman has adopted the language of abstraction to explore the human body, issues of identity, and contemporary culture. Her career-long investigation draws upon medical imaging, pharmaceutical designs, and the history of modernist painting. Awash in color and light, the new commissions bathe visitors in an uplifting and awe-inspiring experience.
Fishman was selected for this opportunity for several important reasons. She is an alumna of the MSU Broad Art Museum’s exhibition program, having mounted a solo exhibition in 2013, not long after the museum’s inauguration. The commissioned artworks join two significant paintings by the artist already in the permanent collection of the museum; these works will also be on view. With Fishman’s return to the MSU Broad Art Museum, her celebration of light, form, color, and space will punctuate the anniversary year, while also highlighting the incredible work and career of one of Michigan’s own.
Beverly Fishman: Recovery is organized by the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University and curated by Steven L. Bridges, senior curator and director of curatorial affairs. Support for this exhibition is provided by the Eli and Edythe Broad Endowed Exhibitions Fund and Emma Grace Holmes Endowment.
