MOA delves deep into popular art of Portugal in the upcoming exhibition entitled Heaven, Hell and Somewhere In Between: Portuguese Popular Art, on view May 12 to October 12, 2015. The North American premiere of this extraordinary exhibition will include 300 Portuguese folk artworks – a distinct and eclectic mix of digital graffiti projections with popular rural creations: puppets, figurines, carnival masks, ceramics and more.

The exhibit will showcase the work of a passing generation of great artists – craftspeople, illustrators and painters. The exhibition presents Portuguese popular art as multi-leveled, theatrical, politically astute and individualistic. These creations provide a theatre of the nation, where art and culture are mediated through the eruption of personal, profound and deeply felt sentiments.

In fall 2015, MOA Director Anthony Shelton will lead a group of enthusiastic participants on a 13-day trip to Portugal as part of MOA Journeys, an initiative launched in November 2014 with an inaugural voyage to Cuba. A unique cultural encounter, those partaking in the expedition will deepen their understanding of Portuguese society through encounters with select artists represented in the exhibition, excursions to artist studios and cultural workshops.

Curator: Anthony Shelton.