The Sarasota Art Museum is opening a major exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of Art Deco, one of the most influential design movements in modern history. "Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration" opens tomorrow and will run through March 29, 2026, featuring 100 rare posters from the 1920s and 1930s that showcase the style's impact on commercial culture and design.

This milestone exhibition commemorates the centennial of the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, the landmark 1925 Paris event that gave Art Deco its name. The movement popularized sleek geometric shapes, bold linear designs, and vibrant colors that came to symbolize wealth, luxury, and modernity. The exhibition features posters advertising everything from automobiles, airlines, and ocean liners to drinks and tobacco, offering visitors insight into the international growth of consumer culture during the early 20th century.

Curator Rangsook Yoon explained that the exhibition marks a significant expansion for the six-year-old institution beyond contemporary art into modern art and design. "We are excited to be part of the worldwide centenary celebrations of Art Deco, marking a new chapter for Sarasota Art Museum," Yoon said. "As a six-year-old institution, Sarasota Art Museum remains nimble and responds to the needs and interests of our growing regional audiences."

The majority of works come from the private collection of Sarasota residents William W. and Elaine Crouse, whose Art Deco collection ranks among the finest in private hands. Their collection includes not only posters but also decorative objects ranging from cocktail shakers to sculptural works. Additional furniture pieces are being provided by The Wolfsonian-Florida International University in Miami Beach, creating a comprehensive view of the Art Deco aesthetic.

The exhibition is organized into nine thematic sections with evocative titles such as "Driving Desire: Automobiles and the Rise of Car Culture" and "Wired for Life: Power and Communication in the Modern Era." These sections explore the cultural products that the 100 featured posters were created to promote and advertise. More than 100 extended labels accompany the visual works and three-dimensional objects, highlighting their importance not only as visual masterpieces but also as windows into mass consumer culture in the early 20th century.

Yoon emphasized that the exhibition provides invaluable educational opportunities, particularly for students at Ringling College of Art and Design who are majoring in graphic design and illustration. "We invite them to utilize the exhibition to understand the Art Deco movement and aesthetics and draw creative lessons from these timeless works," she noted. The exhibition is designed for a general audience with art historical and scholarly interests, offering meaningful insights grounded in historical facts.

When asked about Art Deco's enduring popularity, Yoon explained that the style's appeal lies in "its uncanny ability to capture the essence of modernity, however we choose to define it." She noted that while the characteristics of the industrial and machine age have evolved over the past century, we still live within the continuation of its influence, giving the style a sense of timeless relevance. Art Deco successfully translated avant-garde ideas from movements like the Bauhaus, democratizing utopian design ideals and connecting with broader audiences through designs that are "bold, clear and frequently deceptively simple."

Among the exhibition's most significant pieces is Paul Colin's poster "La Revue Black Birds: Moulin Rouge" from 1929, which Yoon identifies as the most important work in terms of form and execution. This rare poster is the only known copy in existence and reflects the cultural fascination of the era with Black American performers during the Jazz Age. The revue was conceived by white impresario Lew Leslie, who had first staged it on Broadway as "Blackbirds of 1928" before bringing it to Paris, where it sold out the Moulin Rouge for three months.

Yoon considers Art Deco "an amalgamation" rather than simply art, decoration, style, or language alone. "It encompasses a movement, a style, an idea and a visual language that melds art with design, pairs commercialism with fine art and integrates them into everyday life," she explained. Building on Bauhaus ideals of accessible, functional design, Art Deco translated these concepts more widely and commercially, reaching broad audiences with its emphasis on practicality and functionality.

Among the exemplars of the Art Deco method, Yoon singles out A. M. Cassandre as the standout figure. His iconic works for French brands like Dubonnet and Leroy, as well as for ocean liners such as the Normandie and various railways, combine "charming visual clarity, unparalleled wit and psychologically compelling visual communication." Yoon noted that Cassandre's work seductively captured viewers' imagination, instilling genuine desire for the products and experiences he advertised, making her feel "like a fully convinced consumer myself, eager to buy and experience everything his images are selling."

The exhibition promises to offer visitors a comprehensive understanding of how Art Deco's visual language became universally compelling, communicating powerfully across cultures and maintaining its distinctive identity despite variations across countries. Its association with the glamour of the Jazz Age continues to contribute to its lasting appeal, making this centennial celebration both timely and relevant for contemporary audiences seeking to understand the roots of modern design and consumer culture.