Palm Springs Museum gets bonanza of contemporary art

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The Palm Springs Art Museum’s contemporary art collection will rise to a new level with a major gift of works assembled by Donna and Cargill MacMillan. Composed of 116 pieces by 66 artists, the international trove is particularly strong in sculpture, including pieces by Anish Kapoor, Louise Bourgeois, Donald Judd, Mona Hatoum and Gary Hume.

The MacMillans, who divide their time between Minnesota and the California desert community, have built their collection over the last 20 years with an eye for works that connect with viewers through humor, emotional expression and provocative subject matter. Eclectic in style and attitude, their selections embrace Expressionism, Minimalism and Pop in a variety of media. There are pieces by historical giants such as Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, along with works by artists who have garnered international recognition in the last couple of decades, including Jennifer Steinkamp, Pae White and Julie Mehretu.

A public introduction to the collection is coming soon in a four-part exhibition, ‘The Passionate Pursuit: Gifts and Promised Works From Donna and Cargill MacMillan.’ Starting Sept. 5, more than 75 sculptures, paintings and design objects will fill the museum’s entire upper floor. Several large sculptures will be strategically located in other parts of the building, including Yoshitomo Nara’s ‘Your Dog,’ which will greet visitors near the entrance. Glass works by Dale Chihuly and other sculptures will be installed in the gardens. The final part of the show, featuring works on paper, will open Nov. 14 on the museum’s lower floor.

-- Suzanne Muchnic