A Call to Collect: Whimsy Around the World

Spotlight on Local Residents’ Eclectic International Folk Art Collection
February 28 - July 5, 2020

New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU) is pleased to present A Call to Collect: Whimsy Around the World, an exhibition that celebrates and investigates the pursuit of collecting folk art, featuring prized pieces from the collection of Los Gatos residents Lee and Dr. Paul Quintana.

The Quintanas travel extensively as Paul provides pediatric medical services in underserved communities around the world, including Mexico, South America, Asia and the Pacific as well as West Africa and the Middle East. And after more than 40 years of traveling the globe, the Quintanas have developed a collection of hundreds of pieces, some of which are cleverly repurposed or utilitarian objects and others which represent the material cultures of ancient, traditional and contemporary arts of each locale.                                                                               

Housed and lovingly curated in their home, the objects selected for exhibition at NUMU represent not only the joy and beauty they bring to Lee and Paul but also for the many ways in which they conceptually intersect with each other. These objects have all been produced by hand by individuals, families and communities to fulfill a variety of purposes -- for utility, for display and adornment, for humor, education and connection or to assist in remembering or provisioning loved ones in the afterlife. Within the Quintanas home each item is an ever-present reminder of travels and moments with the people that have made them. Items from this globally relevant, international folk art collection have never been exhibited in public and each have unique stories to tell. 

“Whimsy Around the World will introduce museum visitors to the global traditions of handcrafted art and artisanal skills that provide livelihoods and creative fulfillment in their makers’ communities,” says exhibition curator, Allison Railo.  “By sharing their collection with the public, the Quintanas also share their long history of meeting local artists and celebrating the spontaneous moments of appreciation for the unique and handmade.”

Visitors to the exhibition will also glimpse the colorful world within the Quintana’s home while learning about the role that material culture plays in developing values and creating meaning for diverse communities around the world. 

A Call to Collect is a recurring exhibition program that celebrates the pursuit of collecting. These exhibitions present exceptional private collections of local residents. NUMU introduced the Call to Collect exhibition series in 2017 when it featured prized works of three highly regarded Los Gatos collectors. 

A Call to Collect: Whimsy Around the World is generously supported by Gretchen Bell. Additional support provided by NUMU Curators’ Circle members.