The resulting piece, a sequence of fourteen 20-foot square panels that occupy an entire gallery space, is called Threnody, its title derived from a form of musical composition that is a lament for the dead. Gray's belief that one of the purposes of art is to heal is embodied in all of his work, from Threnody, to the Zen Garden paintings, to the In Prague and Holocaust series, inspired by his experience as a member of the occupying forces in Europe at the war's end and a visit to the Jewish cemeteries in 1984-85. Gray has also written extensively about art and artists, as a contributing editor of Art in America and as editor of several art books, including John Marin by John Marin. A critical retrospective of Cleve Gray's career, written by Nicholas Fox Weber and published in December, will be available for purchase at the museum shop during the exhibition. The Colby College Museum of Art is on the college's 700-acre campus in Waterville.
Admission is free, and the museum is accessible to persons with disabilities.
Opening in the fall of 1999, the museum's new Lunder Wing, designed by Los Angeles architect Frederick Fisher, will add 11 galleries and 8,000 square feet, allowing for the exhibition of approximately 150 more works from the permanent collection. The Lunder Wing galleries will trace the development of art in America from the middle of the 18th century into the early 20th century.