Driving Forces

On view at Columbus Museum of Art November 1, 2019–February 2, 2020
On view at Pizzuti Collection of the Columbus Museum of Art October 26, 2019–March 8, 2020

As artists respond to the world around them, their creations become social and cultural forces in their own right. With work by over 50 artists from more than 20 different countries, the exhibition Driving Forces: Contemporary Art from the Collection of Ann and Ron Pizzuti features a wide-range of work that not only responds to, but helps shape contemporary culture.

Driving Forces brings together work by artists who influenced the direction of 20th-century art, such as Frank Stella and Susan Rothenberg, with others who are helping to define what art means in the 21st century, including Nick Cave, Deana Lawson, Zanele Muholi, and Zhang Huan, among many others. The exhibition includes more than 125 works by over 75 artists. With this array of inter-generational and international artists, the exhibition opens up a range of conversations around contemporary artistic and cultural issues.

Ann and Ron Pizzuti acquired their first work of art, Circus People by Karel Appel, in 1972. This marked the start of their journey as collectors, and the beginning of a renowned collection of global contemporary art. In 2013, the Pizzuti Collection, opened its doors to share the collection with the Columbus community. Five years later, Ann and Ron Pizzuti announced the gift of the Pizzuti Collection building, as well as over 40 works of art, to the Columbus Museum of Art. Driving Forces is the first exhibition to span across the Columbus Museum of Art’s downtown location and the Pizzuti Collection of the Columbus Museum of Art in the city’s Short North district. The exhibition is curated by Rebecca Ibel and Tyler Cann.