Events

Mar 23

For over 600 years, stringed keyboard instruments have served as repositories for human imagination, science, technology, craft, artistry, and music. They are admired for their stature – and oftentimes stunning beauty – alongside their ability to play both melody and harmony. Keyboard innovation has continuously expanded throughout the world, throughout time.



Opening in March 2024, the special exhibition “High Strung: Five Centuries of Stringed Keyboard Instruments” will explore the form, function and development of keyboard instruments from early harpsichords to the modern piano. The special exhibition brings together nearly 20 keyboard instruments from the NMM’s collections - some of which have never before been on exhibit.



Instruments that will be on display include:


• An octave virginal (NMM 4660), from the same workshop as the NMM’s Neapolitan harpsichord, c.1530 (NMM 14408)

• A highly decorated harpsichord by Andreas Ruckers, 1643 (NMM 10000)

• Harpsichord by Nicolas Dufour, 1683 (NMM 5943, pictured below), made in Paris in a native style that fell from popularity by the first decade of the 18th century

• French grand piano, Clavecin à marteaux, (harpsichord with hammers) by Louis Bas (NMM 4653) from 1781. This instrument, the earliest surviving French grand piano, is exceptional, retaining much of its original action parts

• Downward-striking piano by Nanette Streicher und Sohn (NMM 10298), and a small trapezoid hammer instrument by Gottfried Maucher (NMM 4570) – an example of a lesser-known instrument type, similar to the tangentenflugel by Späth and Schmahl, built c.1784 (NMM 4145), which was once a favorite instrument type of Mozart

• Grand piano by Erard (NMM 5984) and Chickering & Sons (NMM 5413), built at a time in which America led the way in piano technology, not only with grand pianos, but also with the large ”square” pianos by makers such as William Knabe & Company (NMM 14447)



“High Strung: Five Centuries of Stringed Keyboard Instruments” will open to the public on March 23, 2024 in the NMM’s Jason & Betsy Groves Special Exhibition Gallery. It will remain open through the calendar year. Support for the exhibition is provided by generous grants from the Clayton and Odessa Lang Ofstad Foundation and the City of Vermillion, SD.

Fee: $Included with Museum Admission

May 03

Opening Reception: First Friday, May 3rd from 5pm-8pm
Exhibit Runs: Friday, May 3rd through Sunday, May 26th

Join us as we celebrate Sue Kaihoi and Reconstructed: An Alternative Perspective, her latest body of work.

As a fabric artist, Sue Kaihoi’s creative journey began in childhood, peddling handwoven potholders in her Minnesota neighborhood. Influenced by her grandmother's love for embroidery and watercolors, and surrounded by the textures of nature, Sue’s work embodies a tapestry of memories and experiences.

Specializing in simple modern textile designs, repurposed and vintage natural textiles are transformed into collages and wall tapestries. Inspired by the simplicity of Ellsworth Kelly and the quilters of Gee’s Bend, Sue’s works, predominantly in neutral tones with strategic pops of color, invite viewers to discover their interpretations. Each creation reflects Kaihoi’s passion for storytelling through fabric, a celebration of the past, and an ongoing exploration of the limitless possibilities within textiles.

May 13

Stop by the museum for some crafting and take it home with you.

The cost is $1 per craft.

visit agmuseum.com for more information