February 6 - September 20, 2026
Bellingham, Washington
Featuring Mary Dill Henry (1913-2009)
Hard Edge/Soft Ground delves into the range of abstract works within the Whatcom Museum’s permanent collection. From Op Art prints to color field paintings, they explore structural precision, energetic gestures, and playful visual sensation of color and form. The paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, and collages, dating from 1950–2017, are by regional and internationally recognized artists whose contributions reveal a striking spectrum of open-ended expression. Abstract art is often described as being non-representational, meaning that it doesn’t depict a recognizable person, object, or scene. Some artists, such as Mary Henry, Bridget Riley, and Francis Celentano, used precise line work and saturated color combinations to create illusion and question perception. By contrast, artists associated with the Northwest School, like Mark Tobey, Leo Kenney, and Paul Horiuchi, responded to the world around them through the use of elemental forms, soft tones, and earthy palettes to symbolize and expand upon ideas of human connection and a oneness with nature.
