Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia

Roughly 58 years ago, Mark Mothersbaugh made up his mind to become an artist. Diagnosed with myopia and freshly fitted with a pair of glasses, the young Mothersbaugh drew pictures in his Newberry Elementary School classroom, located just six miles north of where his first major museum would be on display throughout summer 2016. Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia, a shared exhibition at the Akron Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, provided Northeast Ohio audiences the opportunity to see the creative output of a hometown hero. Visual artist, musician and composer Mark Mothersbaugh was raised in Cuyahoga Falls, attended Kent State University, lived in Akron and eventually moved to Los Angeles. But the artist maintains close ties to Northeast Ohio. The City of Akron recognized Mothersbaugh’s cultural achievements when Mayor Dan Horrigan awarded the artist the key to the city during the May 28 opening of Myopia.“This is the place where I come from, this is where I’m identified with no matter if I’m in London working on a film or if I’m in South America with a band that is playing,” Mothersbaugh commented when accepting the oversized gold key. The Grey Art Gallery at New York University hosts the exhibition April 18, July 8, 2017. But in the eyes of his hometown audience, his work may carry a different meaning. -Theresa Bembnister, Associate Curator Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. Its presentation at the Akron Art Museum is generously sponsored by The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, John P. Murphy Foundation, Audio-Technica and EarthQuaker Devices. Special thanks go to the Department of Print Media & Photography at Kent State University and TKM. Media sponsorhip is provided by Western Reserve PBS and 91.3 The Summit.