Starting in 1978, the Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum (RCCAM) began fostering dialogue with the visual arts, both local and global. This is achieved through our collections, exhibitions, educational programs, and our relationships with various museums facilitated by our accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums. As we approach our 50th year of operation (in 2028), we continue to facilitate a deeper understanding of the importance of the arts, including supporting efforts made by outside organizations.

Museums frequently borrow works from each other. However, artwork being exchanged between various accredited museums is not something easily attained. As a museum, RCCAM represents the gold standard, signifying our dedication to excellence. While being held to the same standard as other significant museums, such as the MET and the Smithsonian, is honorable, we acquired this status through meticulous efforts to be stewards of the arts.

We are excited to share news that we currently have several artworks out on loan, allowing our collection to expand its reach. Most notably, Ekpe Idem Nkanda Masquerade Costume, 2022; Rodogon, 1963; The Royal Family, 1967; and Conservatory (Portrait of Frida Kahlo), 1988. Collaboration with other museums not only allows us the opportunity to bring attention to our collection but also amplifies the impact of significant artists featured in our holdings. This also fosters relationships with other institutions from whom we might want to borrow in the future.

Ekpe Idem Nkanda Masquerade Costume, 2022, commissioned through the Orpha Webster Art Fund, was created by Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa in Calabar, Nigeria. This adornment has allowed people in the Midwest to peek into mediums of cultural importance across the globe. As an educational institution, introducing this perspective to our students is of high importance, and we are honored to house such a piece. We acknowledge the importance of exposing audiences to this kind of artwork, so we have agreed to lend it out. The masquerade costume was featured in the New Orleans Museum of Art’s New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations exhibition, with curated efforts contributed by Miami’s Dr. Jordan Fenton. As part of a traveling exhibition, it went to the Frist Art Museum in Nashville, TN, and will next be exhibited at the San Antonio Museum of Art in Texas.

Rodogon, 1963, created by the influential Tom Lloyd and gifted by Walter A. and Dawn Clark Netsch, takes us back even before our time as a museum. While our collection spans thousands of years, this kinetic light sculpture represents a significant time in postmodern art where technological advancement allowed for greater forms of expression. Not only was this a turning point in the arts, but it was also an important time in advocating for Black acceptance in the United States. Currently, this work is being overseen by the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, as part of a retrospective exhibition of Lloyd’s work.

The Royal Family, 1967, by Marisol Escobar and gifted by Paul and Mona Doepper, also points to the rise in kitsch and Pop Art that resulted from the postmodernist movement. This massive sculptural work was commissioned by The Telegraph in London. Marisol, being born in Paris to a Venezuelan family, drew inspiration from American artists, such as Andy Warhol. Creating this artwork for a popular news outlet in London emphasizes how international experience can uplift innovative and impactful artwork for diverse communities. With notes of Pop Art, South American folk art, and American consumerism, Marisol utilizes wood sculpture to convey digestible concepts, even with her unique experiences. This international impact is supported by the interest in exhibiting Marisol’s work by the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark, where The Royal Family is currently being shown before moving to museums in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and finally, Austria, as part of a traveling exhibition.

Conservatory (Portrait of Frida Kahlo), 1988, by Miriam Schapiro, was purchased by the Art Museum through the Helen Kingseed Art Acquisition Fund and the Commemorative Acquisition Fund. This larger-than-life triptych highlights the impact of women in the arts, a topic of significance in many of Schapiro's works. In the Frida: The Making of an Icon exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, various works by Frida and those she inspired will be presented. This work, not only significant in size, expresses the importance of women in the arts and explores notions of equality through paint and collage.

The Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum is more than excited to share these notable pieces from our collection with such esteemed organizations. We continue to make the arts accessible to our patrons and beyond, and hope that these pieces can impact new communities as much as they have impacted ours. As we march toward the future, we are grateful to keep exploring how we can expand our reach to all parts of the globe through collaboration in the arts.

About RCCAM

RCCAM boasts over 17,500 works in our collection, proudly showcased in our five galleries. The museum is FREE & OPEN to all, located at the edge of Miami University’s campus in Oxford, Ohio. Outside the museum, nine notable sculptures are part of our sculpture park, which may be viewed at any time across the hilly landscape around the museum. Visitors may also enjoy disc golf and Pokémon Go with multiple caches on site. RCCAM is rich with supportive donors, members, docents, and a student organization. To learn more about the museum and the many ways you can enjoy, support, and engage with us, visit our website and follow us on social media.

About the Author

Anderson Knapp is a Senior in Emerging Technology in Business & Design with a co-major in Arts Management and Minors in Museums & Society and Leading Digital Innovation. He is currently a Student Assistant at the museum, Event Planner for the Art Museum Student Organization, and the Co-Chair for Sparkfest.