ICA showcases Black Mountain College art in new exhibit

A new art exhibition -- “Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1933-1957” -- opened this week at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Boston. The new collection showcases art from Black Mountain College, a small liberal arts school founded in 1933 in Black Mountain, N.C. The school’s liberal education focused on the arts, with an emphasis on painting, weaving, music and poetry. Black Mountain College’s education philosophy stemmed directly from the progressive education movement in the United States in the late 19th century, and students came from across the globe to partake in its experimental instruction. Although the school closed in 1957 after only 24 years of existence, its influence on postwar American art and the formation of alternative colleges in the United States continues today.

The Black Mountain College approach to education combined the craft principles of Bauhaus with interdisciplinary inquiry, discussion and experimentation and formed the template for American arts schools. Despite the college's rural location, it played host to a diverse range of art and individuals, and the ICA exhibit makes the claim that Black Mountain College exemplified the relationship between art, democracy and globalism.

“Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1933-1957” highlights the global influences of the school’s artists and teachings. The collection also focuses on the school’s goal of facilitating creative expression in a variety of forms. According to the ICA’s website, the exhibit features pieces by more than 90 artists, including student work, musical performances and archival materials.

“Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1933-1957” is open through Jan. 24, 2016.