The UBS Art Gallery

	Early 20th century, Ojibwa

The forests of North America from the Canadian Maritimes, along the Atlantic coast and west to the Mississippi River provided an abundance of raw materials for practical needs, including housing, medicine, food, tools and transportation, and also served as spiritual inspiration. A scale model of an early 20th century Penobscot birch bark canoe features etched designs of moose and deer on the bow and stern. The Abenaki tribe believes the Creator made humans from tree trunks, inspired by the beauty and grace of ash trees. The contemporary sculpture First Man and First Woman (2000) by Richard Love and Calvin Francis depicts this story, with figures emerging from the wood to express themes of creation, strength, protection and renewal associated with the great forests.

Native artists prized hardwood burl above all other types of wood for many objects and tools because of its extremely dense and beautifully patterned grain. The curving grain of the wood is the primary decoration on a 19th century effigy bowl; the two handles are abstract representations of effigies—animals or people that represent clans, ancestors or guardian spirits. Although the function of many pieces most often determines the form, Native artists enhanced their designs with carved decorations reflecting cultural values and expressing personal artistic vision. An effigy spoon from the mid-19th century features the curved beak of a bird of prey that appears to grow from the handle. An early 20th-century Ojibwa birch bark hamper is decorated with sepia-toned trees, clovers and grass that are etched into the bark. These basic forms are arranged symmetrically, conveying balance and harmony.

Acrylic on Birchbark, 1999 James Simon, Ojibwa

19th century, Northeastern Woodlands

Native artists also adorn their work with painted designs. The complex sun pattern on the lid of a late 18th or early 19th century bent wood box is embellished with paint rubbed into the engraved lines. The intricate decoration on an Iroquois cradleboard from the mid-19th century expresses the special place of children in Native culture. Ornately carved with stylized flowers and brightly painted, the cradleboard was a highly prized family heirloom handed down from generation to generation. The contemporary painting Timberline by James Simon uses birch bark as a canvas for an evocative scene in which a lone figure stands against a brightly colored landscape. The grain shows through the paint, making the bark an integral part of the composition.

Early 20th century,Northern New England

The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center is a tribally owned and operated nonprofit institution whose mission is to further knowledge and understanding of the richness and diversity of Eastern Woodland and North America’s indigenous cultures and societies. Opened in 1998, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum has hosted nearly two million visitors, including more than 40,000 school children and teachers annually.

The multi-media permanent exhibits trace the Native and natural history of southern New England from the time of the Ice Age to the present, imparting the story of the Pequot people and other Eastern Woodland tribal nations. Exhibit highlights include a walk-through, 16th century Pequot Village that features the sights, sounds and activities of daily life more than 400 years ago, as well as an extensive collection of ethnographic and contemporary Eastern Woodlands cultural material. A research department conducts archaeological and historical inquiries, and two research libraries as well as archives and special collections house more than 40,000 volumes, including documents, maps, rare books and other materials on all Native peoples of the United States and Canada. For more information about the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center visit www.pequotmuseum.org.

UBS has a longstanding and ongoing commitment to the support of the arts and culture. UBS sponsors four exhibitions each year in The UBS Art Gallery, located in the lobby of its building at 1285 Avenue of the Americas, New York City. Through its exhibition program, the Gallery offers non-profit arts and cultural organizations a midtown Manhattan exhibition space and the opportunity to introduce their programs to a new audience. The UBS Art Gallery enables many institutions to organize and mount exhibitions that might not otherwise be seen. These exhibitions encourage interest in the arts among the hundreds of employees, clients and members of the general public who pass through the UBS building each day.

UBS also has its own art collection. Recognized internationally as one of the most important corporate collections of contemporary art, The UBS Art Collection comprises more than 900 paintings, photographs, drawings and sculptures by many of the world’s leading artists from 1950 to the present. UBS is proud of this heritage of collecting and embraces the Collection as a treasure to be shared with our employees, clients, shareholders and other individuals passionate about art through international loans and tours of selected works. To further share our Collection with the public, UBS provides permanent online access to works in the Collection, information on the artists and online exhibitions via an interactive web museum at www.ubs.com/artcollection.

UBS is one of the world's leading financial firms, serving a discerning global client base. As an organization, it combines financial strength with an international culture that embraces change. As an integrated firm, UBS creates added value for clients by drawing on the combined resources and expertise of all its businesses. UBS is the world's largest wealth manager, a top tier investment banking and securities firm, and one of the largest global asset managers. In Switzerland, UBS is the market leader in retail and commercial banking.

UBS is present in all major financial centers worldwide. It has offices in 50 countries, with about 39% of its employees working in the Americas, 37% in Switzerland, 16% in the rest of Europe and 8% in Asia Pacific. UBS's financial businesses employ around 72,000 people around the world. Its shares are listed on the SWX Swiss Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE).

Exhibitions at The UBS Art Gallery

Mexican Cultural Institute: Mariana Yampolsky Photographs
May 10 – August 3, 2007

Art in General: 25 Years
August 16 – November 9, 2007

Studio in a School: Children’s Art
November 22, 2007 – January 11, 2008

Hours and Admission

The UBS Art Gallery is located in the UBS Building at 1285 Avenue of the Americas (between 51st and 52nd Streets) in New York City. The Gallery is on the ground floor of the building and exhibition hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Admission is free.


**For recorded exhibition information: (212) 713-2885**