Leslie Anne Anderson Explained

Leslie Anne Anderson is an American museum curator and art historian[1] notable for her scholarship and exhibitions of nineteenth-century European, American, and regional art.

Education

Anderson received her Bachelor of Arts cum laude in history and an MA in art history from the University of Florida. She earned an MPhil from the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City.[2] Her areas of research and expertise include nineteenth and twentieth-century art from Scandinavia, as well as other European and American regional paintings, drawings, and sculpture.[3] In 2023, the University of Florida Alumni Association named her one of  "40 Gators Under 40."[4]

Career

Anderson served as Samuel H. Kress Interpretive Fellow and then curatorial assistant of European and American painting, sculpture, and works on paper at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (Newfields) from 2011 until 2012 and 2014 through 2015. In June 2015, she became the curator of European, American, and regional art at the Utah Museum of Fine Art.

At the Utah Museum of Fine Art, Anderson was involved with putting together several nationally renowned exhibitions. The first exhibition, titled American and Regional Art: Mythmaking and Truth-Telling, is a major re-envisioning of the museum’s large collection of American regional art from Utah and other Western states. The exhibition earned Anderson a prestigious National Award for Excellence from the Association of Art Museum Curators.[5] [6] Anderson scrutinized the collection and included several renowned American and Indigenous artists such as Thomas Moran (1837–1926),[7] Awa Tsireh (1898 – 1955), and Maria Martinez (1887–1980). The exhibition depicts the migration of people and the advancement of ideas and cultural discourse during the nineteenth century westward expansion. Anderson was also very conscious about including artists such as Edmonia Lewis (1844–1907) and Harriet Richards Harwood (1870–1922), who have been previously overlooked in the canon of American art history.[8] Anderson acquired a pair of sculptural busts by Lewis for the Museum’s American art collection.[9]

The second exhibition, Power Couples: The Pendant Format in Art, which was on view from July 11 through December 8, 2019, was selected by The Utah Review as one of the state’s top ten cultural moments of 2019 and won the Utah Museums Association Award for Excellence.[10] The exhibition presented artworks from the sixteenth century to the twenty-first century that were created in pendant format, which are singular works like diptychs, which are presented in pairs. The selected works of art by artists such as Kerry James Marshall, Nina Katchadourian, Lorna Simpson, Gilbert Stuart, Konishi Hirosada, and Dirck Hals, reflected scenes from daily life, social structures, and spirituality throughout a myriad of cultures and societies.[11] [12] [13]

In September 2019, Anderson was appointed as the director of collections, exhibitions, and programs at the National Nordic Museum.[14] There, she has curated the exhibitions La Vaughn Belle: A History of Unruly Returns,[15] which examines the legacy of Danish colonialism through Belle’s Chaney series,[16] and the intergenerational exhibition M(other) Tongues: Bodhild and Las Hermanas Iglesias.[17] She served as co-organizer for Among Forests and Lakes: Landscape Masterpieces from the Finnish National Gallery.[18]

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Anderson was instrumental in adapting the museum’s programing to support public health policies.[19] She initiated the National Nordic Museum’s COVID-19 Oral History Project to record the experiences of individuals impacted by COVID-19 in Nordic countries and the American Pacific Northwest. Anderson also spearheaded the virtualization of educational content, delivering programs that teach the Museum’s core values of social justice and sustainability to an international audience.[20] [21]

In November 2021, Anderson oversaw the planning of the Nordic Innovation Summit, an industry-leading symposium that convened speakers in seven countries to discuss the impact of climate change on Arctic museums. She partnered with the American Alliance of Museums, the International Council of Museums, and the National Museum Directors’ Council to coincide with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).[22] In an Op-Ed published in the Seattle Times, Anderson notes how her work at the Nordic Museum is centered around four core values that reflect millennia of Nordic history: social justice, openness, innovation and respect for nature.[23] She encourages more museums to take part in global climate initiatives, stating that, "Hosting an innovation and technology conference may seem an unusual role for an art, history and culture museum. Yet exhibitions like FLÓÐ and programs like the Nordic Innovation Summit have shown that museums can live their mission and values while addressing the most critical issues of our time."

In the spring of 2024, Anderson and African American Studies professor Ethelene Whitmire curated Nordic Utopia? African Americans in the 20th Century, which reveals the history and work of 20th century Black American artists who sought artistic haven and inspiration within Nordic countries. These artists include Josephine Baker, Anne Wiggins Brown, Dexter Gordon, William Henry Johnson, Herbert Gentry, and Walter Williams.[24] Anderson states that “They found a place where they could release their creativity, they could pursue opportunities that they may not have had in the States." She adds that, "We were very deliberate with the question mark (in the title) because there's no such thing as a utopia, but (the artists) for the most part talked about how their experiences–professional and personal–were improved in the Nordic countries.”[25]

Anderson serves as Seattle Arts Commissioner and Chair of Seattle's Public Art Advisory Committee.[26]

In 2024, Anderson's curatorial work at the National Nordic Museum has shifted more towards contemporary art. This includes projects with artists Djurberg & Berg, Fischersund, Anne Karin Furunes, and Nina Katchadourian.[27] [28]

Selected exhibitions

At the National Nordic Museum

At the Utah Museum of Fine Arts

At the Indianapolis Museum of Art (Newfields)

Selected publications

Awards

Anderson has received several awards and honors including a Fulbright scholarship and American-Scandinavian Foundation Fellowship at the University of Copenhagen (2012–2013); a National Award for Excellence from the Association of Art Museum Curators (2018); and the Utah Museums Association Award for Excellence (2020).[39]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Parker. Wayne. 2020-06-01. National Nordic Museum - Part 1 -. 2021-10-23. StoriesHere Podcast. en.
  2. Web site: Leslie Anderson-Perkins hired as curator for Utah Museum of Fine Arts. 2021-10-23. arts.ufl.edu.
  3. Web site: Means. Sean P.. June 16, 2015. Utah Museum of Fine Arts picks new curator of European, American and regional art - The Salt Lake Tribune. 2021-10-23. The Salt Lake Tribune. en-US.
  4. Web site: 2023-03-29 . Under 40 and On Top of Their Game . 2023-05-29 . University of Florida Advancement . en-US.
  5. Web site: 2018-05-08. Utah curator wins national award for excellence. 2021-10-23. Deseret News. en.
  6. Web site: May 7, 2018. Association of Art Museum Curators Announce 2018 Awards for Excellence. 2021-10-23. Artforum. en-US.
  7. Web site: Roka. Les. November 5, 2019. Utah Museum of Fine Arts makes spectacular choices in loans from Smithsonian American Art Museum, Art Bridges. 2021-10-23. The Utah Review. en-US.
  8. Web site: July 10, 2018. Utah Museum of Fine Arts - Leslie Anderson. October 23, 2021. YouTube. Park City Television.
  9. Web site: Anderson. Leslie. August 20, 2018. Against all odds @theU. 2021-10-23. attheu.utah.edu. en-US.
  10. Web site: Roka. Les. December 20, 2019. Fascinating, innovative, collaborative: Top Ten Moments of the Utah Enlightenment for 2019. 2021-10-23. The Utah Review. en-US.
  11. Web site: Mortensen. Parker Scott. 2019-08-01. Two for All – Power Couples: The Pendant Format in Art. 2021-10-23. SLUG Magazine. en-US.
  12. Web site: Hill. Scotti. 2019-07-21. At UMFA's 'Power Couples' exhibit, it takes two to tango. 2021-10-23. Deseret News. en.
  13. Web site: Wecker. Menachem. 2019-09-04. Images in conversation: 'Power Couples' exhibit shows symbolism in pairs. 2021-10-23. National Catholic Reporter. en.
  14. Web site: Kangas. Matthew. Close-Up: Leslie Anderson, New Nordic Museum Curator. 2021-10-23. Preview Magazine. en.
  15. Web site: Ellis. Susan. 2020-10-04. St. Croix Artist Exhibits Her Work in New York. 2021-10-23. St. Thomas Source. en-US.
  16. Web site: Vansynghel. Margo. February 17, 2021. Five art shows to see as Seattle-area museums reopen. 2021-10-23. Crosscut. en.
  17. Web site: Burbank. Megan. 2021-09-15. Exciting new art exhibitions are coming to the Seattle area in fall 2021. Here's what to see. 2021-10-23. The Seattle Times. en-US.
  18. Web site: National Nordic Museum History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places. 2021-10-23. Smithsonian Magazine.
  19. Web site: Burbank. Megan. 2020-11-18. How the second COVID-19 shutdown affects Seattle-area museums and galleries. 2021-10-23. The Seattle Times. en-US.
  20. Web site: Walker. Meghan. April 14, 2020. National Nordic Museum launches oral history project to record pandemic stories. 2021-10-23. My Ballard.
  21. Anderson. Leslie Anne. DeRiemer. Alison C.. 2021-06-01. Preserving a Pandemic with Zoom: The National Nordic Museum's COVID-19 Oral History Project. Collections. en. 17. 2. 159–166. 10.1177/1550190620980837. 1550-1906. free.
  22. Web site: 2021-11-02 . On the Front Line: Arctic Museums and Climate Change . 2023-05-29 . www.icomus.org.
  23. Web site: Anderson . Leslie . 2023-07-23 . Look to museums to bring people together to tackle big ideas on climate crisis Op-Ed . 2024-06-19 . The Seattle Times . en-US.
  24. Web site: 2024-05-30 . How a First-of-Its-Kind Exhibition About African American Artists in the Nordic Countries Came to Be . 2024-06-19 . Observer . en-US.
  25. Web site: Scott . Chadd . 2024-05-16 . National Nordic Museum Reveals A Nordic Utopia For 20th-Century African American Artists . 2024-06-19 . Forbes . en.
  26. Web site: Seattle Arts Commission - Arts seattle.gov . 2023-05-29 . www.seattle.gov.
  27. Web site: Djurberg & Berg: A Place of Opportunity and Transformation . 2024-06-19 . National Nordic Museum . en.
  28. Web site: Fischersund: Faux Flora . 2024-06-19 . National Nordic Museum . en.
  29. Web site: Keimig . Jas . 2023-03-16 . Jónsi's Multisensory 'FLÓÐ (Flood)' Will Hit You Like a Wave . 2023-05-29 . The Stranger . en.
  30. Web site: 2022 . From Dawn to Dusk: Nordic Art from Sweden's Nationalmuseum . 2023-05-29 . National Nordic Museum . en.
  31. Web site: 'Dines Carlsen: In His Own Manner' opens at the National Nordic Museum. 2021-10-23. artdaily.com.
  32. Web site: Banse. Tom. 2021-04-22. Pacific NW was once a ski jumping hotbed, as told in new book and museum exhibit. 2021-10-23. Northwest News Network. en.
  33. Web site: Means. Sean P.. October 25, 2019. Paintings from the Smithsonian are hanging at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. An expert explains why they matter.. 2021-10-23. The Salt Lake Tribune. en-US.
  34. Web site: Tyson. Janet. 2016-08-01. Recognizing the Contributions of Regionalism at the Turn of the 20th Century. 2021-10-23. Hyperallergic. en-US.
  35. Anderson. Leslie Anne. 2019. Review of Pictures of Longing: Photography and the Norwegian-American Migration. Norwegian-American Studies. 37. 61–63. 10.5749/norwamerstud.37.0061 . 0078-1983.
  36. Anne Anderson. Leslie. Fall 2018. Dating Miss Maude Adams, as "L'Aiglon. Panorama: Journal of the Association of Historians of American Art. 4. 2.
  37. Anderson-Perkins. Leslie Anne. 2014. The Forgotten Pendant of Christian August Lorentzen's Model School at the Academy. Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide. en-gb. 13. 1.
  38. Anderson-Perkins. Leslie. 2012. Picturing Artistic Practice at the Royal Danish Academy, 1826-1848. Rutgers Art Review. 2–16.
  39. Web site: Award Recipients. Utah Museums Association.

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