Speaking Parts:

Conversations between Works in the Collection

How do museums decide what artworks to collect? The process is

complex, but at its most basic, the works in the collection need to
relate to each other in a variety of ways. Those connections can be
obvious, subtle, or unexpected. Perhaps objects were created by the
same person and demonstrate an evolution of that artist’s career or
during the same time period and illustrate key developments in an art
historical movement. Others may offer contrasting uses of a particular
artistic technique or different ways of depicting the same subject.
Since a central part of Tacoma Art Museum’s mission is to collect and
interpret Northwest art, another important factor in choosing work is to
insure that the collection includes national and international art so that
Northwest art can be understood within a broader art historical
context.

Speaking Parts explores this concept of how the museum collection is

developed through a selection of works from the permanent collection.
The exhibition is organized around a mixed-media construction by
Northwest artist Dennis Evans at the center of this gallery. All other
artworks in the gallery—whether paintings, sculptures, prints,
photographs, or jewelry—relate to the Evans in at least one way.
Objects are grouped under three broad topics: What is a Painting?
Materials and Process, and Texts and Symbols. These groups illustrate
one line of conversation between each particular work of art and the
Evans. Visitors are encouraged to look for other connections within and
between the groups, exploring how artworks can play different roles in
a collection depending on the context in which they are placed.