ATHENS, GA.- When you hear someone say, “Mind the gap,” you probably think of train stations, not museums. But the Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia will present an exhibition focused on empty spaces September 21 to December 1, 2024. “Mind the Gap: Selections from the Permanent Collection” invites visitors to explore the intentional and thoughtful ways in which art collections are built over time, highlighting the crucial role that donations, acquisitions and patronage play in shaping a museum’s identity.

The exhibition takes its name from the familiar phrase used to remind passengers to be cautious when stepping from a platform onto a train or vice versa. Similarly, this exhibition encourages visitors to be mindful of spaces — both literal and figurative — within the museum’s collection. These gaps, whether in representation, material or technique, are not merely voids but opportunities for growth, reflection and deeper understanding of the evolving nature of a museum’s collection.

The Georgia Museum of Art has enriched its collection with transformative gifts and strategic acquisitions over time, filling significant gaps in its holdings. One recent and noteworthy acquisition is Hasani Sahlehe’s “Trying Green,” a vibrant painting acquired with the help of fashion company Stone Island. Sahlele approaches hard-edge painting through a contemporary lens, drawing on his formal teachings of color and color theory in university courses to reconsider how color oppositions can create space and depth.

Another significant work of art now part of the museum’s collection is Edmund de Waal’s “Letters to Amherst, II.” The Georgia Museum of Art is the first museum in the United States to acquire a work by this distinguished artist. De Waal, who first used a potter’s wheel at the age of five, has spent more than five decades honing his craft. His work is characterized by its meditative and thoughtful exploration of subtle shades of black and white. “Letters to Amherst, II” is part of “Mind the Gap,” offering visitors a glimpse into his introspective approach to ceramics.

The inclusion of these works underscores the museum’s commitment to broadening its collection, not only in terms of the artists represented but also in media and techniques. Each addition to the collection is a carefully considered decision, weighing factors such as the educational potential of an artwork. Nelda Damiano, who serves as the museum’s Pierre Daura Curator of European Art and is one of four curators involved with this exhibition, notes, “All of this is driven by a desire to create a more inclusive and comprehensive history of art.” While no museum can collect everything, “Mind the Gap” highlights the intentionality behind each acquisition and the compromises involved in building a collection.

The show also emphasizes the dynamic nature of museum collections, which are constantly evolving as new pieces are added and the mission shifts in response to these changes. The Georgia Museum of Art remains committed to its role as a university museum, using its collection to educate and inspire while acknowledging that some gaps will always exist.

“Mind the Gap” invites visitors to reflect on these spaces within the museum’s collection — places where history meets the present, where absence invites curiosity, and where each new acquisition brings us closer to a more complete narrative. The exhibition serves as a reminder that every piece of art, every donation and every thoughtful acquisition plays a crucial role in bridging these gaps, creating a richer and more inclusive tapestry of art history.