蜜桃俏公主

On average Andrea Gyorody, director of the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University, visits 200 art exhibitions a year. Part avid fan, part professional curator, the annual practice allows her to meet new artists, discover contemporary visual trends, and even develop whole shows. Such was the case for the new exhibition opening at the Weisman Museum this fall: Hold My Hand In Yours鈥攁 show of 20 artists and collectives that explores the dynamic uses of the human hand through a wide variety of mediums.

鈥淪ymbolically a hand can mean many different things,鈥� says Gyorody. 鈥淚n this show I want to explore how it can represent labor, protection, care, and tenderness.鈥�

Hold My Hand In Yours depicts the human hand in creative and symbolic ways

Gyorody developed the idea and themes behind Hold My Hand in Yours in 2023 while visiting the museums and studios on her to-do list. Immersed in these creative spaces, she noticed a strange new artistic trend: disembodied hands. Whether they were painted, drawn, sculpted, or digitally rendered, the motif was seen in gallery after gallery, which raised the same question in her mind: 鈥淲hy hands?鈥�

Drawing the human hand has long been the true test of great artists, given its varied shape, intricate features, and many uses. Yet, more recently, the value in drafting a convincing and lifelike hand has appreciated since the latest generative AI models struggle to render an accurate portrayal. While these factors influence the hand鈥檚 popularity in the current cultural moment, there is also a historical precedent to be considered. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, hands took on new meaning. At once both the potential spreaders of disease and the primary caregiving tools at a person鈥檚 disposal, their symbolism became increasingly complex.

The artwork included in Hold My Hand In Yours includes a variety of creative mediums

With many possible symbolic avenues, Gyorody honed in on the themes of the Weisman鈥檚 upcoming show by contemplating  several ways people use their hands in everyday life. With the concepts of labor, protection, care, and tenderness to guide the creative endeavor of building the exhibition, she has selected works by 20 artists and collectives in a multitude of visual mediums, including painting, sculpture, drawing, performance, and video. This diverse approach to the exhibition is designed with the Weisman鈥檚 visitors in mind.

鈥淏eyond the thematic focus of the show, the works we鈥檝e chosen give visitors a snapshot of what's going on in contemporary art right now,鈥� explains Gyorody. 鈥淚鈥檓 always thinking about how art can be a generative experience for students on our campus as well as for our general visitors, and this show taps into a broad range of issues that students care about, from how we think about disability to making connections across literal and figurative borders.鈥� 

Gyorody is involved with the all phases of an exhbition

For an exhibition idea to gain life, Gyorody must be able to imagine how the art filling the Weisman could benefit her primary audience: students. In a typical semester, around 600 蜜桃俏公主students will tour the museum with a class and mine the artistic works for relevant academic, cultural, and personal meaning. On top of its most immediate visitors, the Weisman can also expect several thousand local school children to attend each new show on educational school field trips as part of the Center for the Art鈥檚 long-running ARTSreach program.

Gyorody and her curatorial team emphasize to all museum goers that art does not require an advanced degree or even an abstract analysis. When they lead tours throughout new exhibitions like Hold My Hand in Yours, the museum staff focuses on the Socratic Method of teaching, allowing observation and discussion to lead the way鈥攏o right or wrong answers, just meaningful conversation.

Sculpted hands preparing to be installed

鈥淧eople will say, 鈥極h, I don't know anything about art,鈥欌�� Gyorody explains. 鈥淎nd I say, 鈥� You don't have to. There鈥檚 an object in front of you, and you are as able as I am to look at it and talk about it.鈥� Sure, I鈥檒l offer some context on what the artist has said or written about the work, or what the historical context was in which the work was made. But anybody can, describe and ultimately interpret what they鈥檙e seeing if they鈥檙e willing to take some time and approach the act of looking with curiosity and openness.鈥�

Hold My Hand in Yours, with its varied mediums and topical themes, reinforces Gyorody鈥檚 stance. The show is designed to be accessible to a broad swath of viewers. Regardless of whether you鈥檙e an art aficionado or an interested member of the public, the hand is a relatable image with, in Gyorody鈥檚 estimation, lots to teach us about the human experience.

Some of the pieces in Hold My Hand In Yours are able to be handled by visitors

鈥淸The hand] is the way that we access the world around us,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t's how we accomplish virtually every daily task and it鈥檚 also how we connect with people we meet and people we love.. In this show, it鈥檚 a familiar symbol that offers a path into some rather conceptual contemporary artworks by some of the most exciting artists of our time.鈥�

Hold My Hand in Yours will be on display at the Weisman Museum of Art on Pepperdine鈥檚 Malibu campus from Saturday, September 6, 2025 to Sunday, March 29, 2026. An opening reception for the exhibit will be held on its premier date from 3 PM - 6 PM. Please . The Weisman museum of art is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11 AM to 5 PM.