Image: Whatcom Museum of History and Art, Bellingham
The Whatcom Museum in Bellingham, Washington, is presenting ‘From the Vault: Hard Edge/Soft Ground’, an exhibition of abstract works from its permanent collection. On view from February 6 through September 20, 2026, the exhibition brings together paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures and collages that examine the visual possibilities of line, colour, form and perception.
The presentation spans works made between 1950 and 2017, combining regional artists with internationally recognised figures. Artists represented include Bridget Riley, Mary Henry, Francis Celentano, Mark Tobey, Paul Horiuchi, Roy Lichtenstein and Sonia Delaunay. The museum describes the selection as a survey of the range of abstraction held in its collection, from Op Art prints and colour field paintings to works shaped by gesture, material and collage.
A central contrast in the exhibition is between formal precision and more atmospheric approaches to abstraction. Riley, Henry and Celentano are identified with precise line work and saturated colour combinations that create optical effects and challenge perception. The exhibition also includes artists associated with the Northwest School, including Tobey, Leo Kenney and Horiuchi, whose use of elemental forms, soft tones and earthy palettes responds to the surrounding world and to ideas of human connection and oneness with nature.
The collection display includes Roy Lichtenstein’s ‘Brushstroke’ (1967), a screenprint measuring 23 by 31 inches and listed as edition 57/300. The work entered the Whatcom Museum Collection in 2000 as a gift from George and Pearl Yewell. Another featured work is Sonia Delaunay’s ‘Abstract Composition with Semicircles’ (1970), an aquatint etching from an edition of 125. The museum’s published collection information also identifies works by Weldon Butler and Ann Thornycroft, including Butler’s lithograph ‘Blue Rondo’ (1985) and Thornycroft’s ‘Untitled 10’ (1978), a watercolour and gouache on paper.
‘From the Vault: Hard Edge/Soft Ground’ is the first in a series of exhibitions the museum plans to begin presenting in 2026 around its extensive art collection. According to the institution, the series will explore artistic movements and shared themes while making works held in public trust for the City of Bellingham and its community more accessible to visitors. The Whatcom Museum, which has provided educational programmes and experiences since 1941, describes itself as a regional destination rooted in art, nature and Northwest history.
The exhibition is accompanied by museum programming that includes family-focused activities. On August 20, the museum’s ‘Exhibition Explorers’ session is scheduled to use ‘Hard Edge/Soft Ground’ as the basis for hands-on activities, games and explorer bags, with a project titled ‘Squishy Soft Ground Paintings’. A related ‘Sweet Art Tour of Hard Edge/Soft Ground’, designed for children aged one to five with a caregiver, is scheduled for September 4 during the museum’s monthly Free First Friday. The exhibition continues at the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham through September 20, 2026.
