The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University is celebrating its 20th anniversary with an exhibition that stands the test of time. “Coming into Focus: A Snapshot of Photography at the Nasher,” highlights over 200 distinct photos captured by over 100 photographers. The exhibition, which is housed in the Brenda LaGrange Johnson & Heather Johnson Sargent Pavilion, covers nearly two decades of work and includes pieces dating back to the mid 19th century.
In 1972, the Duke University Museum of Art, the Nasher’s predecessor, started its photography collection by purchasing a portrait of Barbara Thompson shot by John Menapace. The piece resides at the forefront of the gallery and is an ode to how the photo collection began. It would take over two more decades for them add their second piece, “Untitled #140” by Cindy Sherman.
The Duke University Museum of Art was officially renamed the Nasher Museum of Art in 2005 in honor of Raymond Nasher, Trinity ‘43. The gallery’s permanent collection was at first limited to paintings, drawings and sculptures. Since then, collecting photographs became an overarching goal of the Nasher, driven by a desire to broaden their representation of both artists and mediums. The museum has gathered over 2,000 pieces by notable photographers like Andy Warhol and Mike Disfarmer…