Jane L. Stern Gallery
Donald D. Powell, a Fargo native, was a prolific, award-winning architect and a keen art collector. Powell amassed a sizeable collection of European and American modern art in an array of media. He donated much of his impressive collection to the Plains Art Museum in several installments in 1999, 2000, 2002-3, 2005-9, 2013, and 2022.
Together with his long-time partner Robert D. Kleinschmidt, Powell focused on “interior architecture,” an approach that privileged the function of a space by designing from the inside out. Powell and Kleinschmidt’s architectural vision was minimalistic, harmonious, and gracefully utilitarian. Grids, screens, and monochromatic pallets recur throughout their work and are emulated in this exhibit’s design. The integration of art was carefully planned to animate their ordered spaces and to create intimacy between the viewer and the artwork.
A Little Grey For Color celebrates Powell’s legacy as an architect and art connoisseur by featuring a selection of his collection, including pieces by Helen Frankenthaler, Robert Motherwell, Victor Vasarely, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, Claes Oldenburg, Henry Moore, and others.
Plains Art Museum thanks our generous PlainsArt4All members and donors, and our Organizational Partners for their support. Additional support provided by The McKnight Foundation, FM Area Foundation, The Arts Partnership, The FUNd at Plains Art Museum, and the North Dakota Council on the Arts, which receives funds from the North Dakota Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Artside Chat: A Dialogue on A Little Grey for Color
Thursday, October 24, 6-7 pm, Free
Join us on Thursday, October 24th, from 6 – 7 pm for our first Artside Chat with Dr. Danielle Gravon, Chief Curator and Director of Exhibitions and Collections, and Dr. Kelvin Monroe, Exhibition Programming Manager, as they discuss A Little Grey for Color, one of the featured exhibitions at Plains Art Museum. In this cozy yet engaging dialogue, they explore the processes behind designing the exhibition, the conceptual framework of the show, and how exhibition design intersects with “interior architecture.” The discussion touches upon the significance of the Donald D. Powell Collection at the Museum and how these elements come together to create a cohesive experience for viewers. Free with registration.
