Bowers Museum

President Message
In furthering the Bowers’ mission of bringing great art to the people of California, we are very proud to present Art of the Samurai: Selections from the Tokyo National Museum, opening April 19, 2009. This extraordinary exhibition contains some of the finest examples existing today from this well known warrior class. Most notable, perhaps, are the arms and armor dating back many hundreds of years, but, surprisingly, these warriors also had an amazing aesthetic in their daily life as reflected in their art as well as their tea ceremonies.

It’s a thrill to have the opportunity to work with our counterparts at such an important institution, and we all feel a great sense of pride in bringing these important treasures from Japan for the first time. It is also important to recognize the invaluable assistance and encouragement of noted collectors of Japanese art, Joe and Etsuko Price. Without Joe and Etsuko, this collaboration would never have been possible. Due to the very delicate nature of many of the objects in the collection, the exhibition will only be here for a short eight weeks. Please don’t miss it. There is something for everyone, particularly anyone interested in any aspect of the samurai. Our annual Gala takes place on the 18th of April, celebrating the opening of the exhibit the next day. On opening day there is an amazing, day-long program for the public. If you can’t make it then, or want to avoid the crowds, I encourage you to attend our Members Only reception on Thursday, April 23rd.

I want to also take this opportunity to point out that our intimate view of Africa, Passages, will be on view until August 16th. A multifaceted exhibit with spectacular photos by Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher, it’s coupled with rare video and art from our own collections. Along with Art of the Samurai, we also have an impressive collection of Rembrandt etchings coming this summer. We then make way for two important Latin American exhibitions opening in September with the art of well known Colombian artist, Fernando Botero in The Baroque World of Fernando Botero, and an exhibit of important Latin American art entitled Latitudes: Masters of Latin American Art from the FEMSA Collection. I think you’ll agree there is a lot to see this year at the Bowers!