The Newport Art Museum has opened "Play/Pretend," an exhibition running through January that blends contemporary artworks with 19th- and early 20th-century automatons from the private collection of Shelley Schorsch. The show features pieces by Entang Wiharso, Libby Schoettle, Gerry Perrino, and others, exploring themes of childhood, nostalgia, and the human compulsion to pretend. Highlights include Wiharso's buffalo-hide drawings, Schoettle's recurring womanchild figure, and vintage mechanical curiosities that evoke a longing for simpler times.
This exhibition matters because it draws a direct line between historical craft and contemporary practice, revealing how playfulness has long been a serious artistic impulse. By juxtaposing antique automatons with modern works, the museum invites visitors to reflect on how adults use art to reconnect with childhood and escape the pressures of technology-driven life. The show also underscores the Newport Art Museum's role in presenting unconventional, cross-generational programming that appeals to both seasoned art lovers and families.