Universal Collection: A Mark Dion Project

In spring 2016, the Art Center hosts Mark Dion as Vassar artist-in-residence. Dion is a New York and Pennsylvania-based visual artist known for his “cabinets of curiosities” that incorporate found objects into site-specific installations. Dion will co-teach a course with anthropology professor Anne Pike-Tay, culminating in a work comprised of items drawn from the collections of the Art Center, Special Collections, and Vassar College Artifacts Project. This wealth of resources includes materials as diverse as nineteenth-century scientific instruments, Native American objects, Vassariana, examples of taxidermy, sculpture, geological specimens, and antique books. Dion writes, “For me it is always a personal pleasure treasure hunting for projects. Certainly we will uncover things never suspected.” 

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website