Future of Sequoias: Sustaining Parklands in the 21st Century
February 7–August 23, 2009

Fall Fog. Photo: Jeff Jones.

The museum goes deep into the forest primeval. Forty panoramic photographs by Jeff Jones and commentary by retired National Park interpretative ranger William C. Tweed celebrate the spectacular beauty of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, while sounding an alarm about the threat of pollution and a call for environmental action.

Squeak Carnwath: Painting Is No Ordinary Object
April 25–August 23, 2009

Squeak Carnwath, In Pursuit of Happiness, 2000. Oil and alkyd on canvas (80” x 80”). Collection of Squeak Carnwath and Gary Knecht. © Squeak Carnwath/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

This survey reflects Carnwath’s groundbreaking artistry and stature as one of California’s leading contemporary artists. Karen Tsujimoto, senior curator of art at the museum, has chosen more than forty works from the past fifteen years—the period since Carnwath’s last major exhibition. As the title indicates, a painting is “no ordinary object” for the artist. Her recurring motifs reflect personal and universal themes; each meticulously applied layer of glaze carries meaning and inquiry.

The 160-page companion book, Painting Is No Ordinary Object, includes essays by Tsujimoto and art critic and poet John Yau, and eighty full-color reproductions of works from 1979 to the present (co-published with Pomegranate, 2009)

Squeak Carnwath: Painting Is No Ordinary Object is made possible by generous support from the Oakland Museum Women’s Board, the Art Guild of the Oakland Museum of California, and by exhibition sponsors and donors.