JACKSONVILLE, FLA.- The Cummer Museum of Arts & Gardens invites visitors to enjoy the reinstallation of its Permanent Collection within its newly-renovated south wing. The Permanent Collection is the cornerstone of the Museum, and the reinstallation includes both recent acquisitions and hidden gems. Two new works have been acquired thanks to the generosity of Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobson: Copper Bowl, White Vase, Cloth, and Onions (c. 1890) by Soren Emil Carlson and Man and Machinery #36 (1934) by Paul Kelpe.

Carlsen (1853-1932) was born in Copenhagen and studied architecture before emigrating to the United States in 1872. He became most famous for his painted depictions fish, game, bottles, and related “kitchen” still life scenes. Carlsen’s work is known for its subdued color palette and realist manner, which lend a modernist quality to his paintings. This new acquisition provides a bridge between still life scenes in the Museum’s Permanent Collection, as well as a link to the rich tradition of European still life paintings of the Baroque and Rococo periods. Its unique composition and assortment of objects stands apart from other works in the Museum’s Collection.

Kelpe (1902-1985) was an American painter of German birth. He pioneered a cerebral approach to abstract art based on rigid geometry. His style is characterized by carefully controlled brushwork, crisp lines, and architectural forms. Man and Machinery #36 is representative of Kelpe’s work in the 1930s and, unlike paintings with similar subject matter, features a human component. This abstracted industrial scene expands the Museum’s early 20th-century American collection by providing a unique counterpoint to Edmund William Greacen’s Brooklyn Bridge, East River (1916) and Saul Berman’s Out of Work (c. 1932).

The renovated and reconfigured Galleries provide visitors with a more intimate viewing experience. The upgrades include new interpretive materials, such as wall texts, which help audiences form richer connections between objects on display. The updated Galleries and additions to the Permanent Collection continue the Museum’s mission to engage and inspire through the arts, gardens, and education.