Snapshot: Hood Museum of Art, Hanover, New Hampshire

“Made in Hollywood” and Andy Warhol Special Exhibits Run Through Mid-September

For 15 years, I have been living a 45-minute drive from a terrific, imaginative art museum: the Hood Museum of Art in Hanover, New Hampshire. Somehow, I never quite made it there – in spite of its great reputation. Happily, I finally went this past weekend, at the end of a week’s vacation – and I was completely blown away.

The museum is part of Dartmouth College. It has an impressive collection – one of the oldest (collecting since 1772) and largest college collections (more than 65,000 objects) in the US. Beyond that, however, the Hood Museum hosts an ongoing series of special exhibitions and events, including two great special exhibitions that are running through mid-September:

“Made in Hollywood” – As an old-movie buff, I was enthralled by this collection of black & white publicity portraits taken by photographers for the Hollywood film studios. Portraits of Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, Carole Lombard, Ramon Navarro, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Gloria Swanson, Marlon Brando, and others trace the history of film in the US in the first half of this century. These photos remind us that great visual storytelling doesn’t depend on animation and blow-'em-up special effects, but can be powerfully conveyed through faces, posture, dress and lighting.

The exhibit includes two closed-loop videos.“That’s Entertainment”(1974) is a popular film in which musical comedy stars play homage to 50 years of MGM musicals, such as “Singing in the Rain” and “Showboat.” In “Telephones” (1995), filmmaker Christian Marclay assembled a fast-paced montage of film clips depicting the role of telephones in the movies. Wisely, the Hood chose to play the latter on a large screen in its own room, sending the sound of voices and ringing phones throughout the gallery - and making one feel like one was in a movie or a film studio. This exhibition runs through September 12, 2010.

“Follow the Money: Andy Warhol’s American Dream” – This is a small but engaging collection of Warhol works about commerce and celebrity (what else?), including dozens of Polaroid portraits of famous and unknown people. The collection includes an unusual series of works about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, as well as mixed-media portraits of Geronimo, Mao, Nelson Rockefeller and the late actor/film director Dennis Hopper. Well-presented, and provides more insight into this artist and his singular effect on culture and commerce in the 21st century. This exhibition runs through September 19, 2010.

Admission to the Hood Museum is free, but do leave a donation if you can. The Hood Museum of Art does great work. The facility itself is breathtaking, with soaring ceilings and wonderful lighting; and there’s always something happening at the Hood.

Fussy Diner rating: Two Forks Up.