New exhibit coming to Warren museum traces Rockefeller legacy

John D. Rockefeller

 The Rockefeller family, known for its deep roots in American industry, philanthropy, and the arts, will be the subject of a new exhibition opening July 11, 2025, at the Medici Museum of Art. The exhibition will focus on the family's history, with an emphasis on John D. Rockefeller's early life in Ohio and New York.

Titled "From Oil to Art: A Rockefeller Legacy Rooted in Industry, Innovation, and Imagination," the exhibit traces the family's influence from its 19th-century Ohio origins. Steven C. Rockefeller Jr., a great-great-grandson of John D. Rockefeller and an artist, is contributing to the exhibition.

The display includes family artifacts, original oil paintings of locations significant to the family's history and archival materials. Sections of wood from Rockefeller’s birth home will be part of a reconstructed structure within the exhibit. The exhibition also marks the 155th anniversary of the 1870 founding of Standard Oil in Cleveland, Ohio.

Steven C. Rockefeller Jr. stated that he has intended to share these collections and research with Ohio communities where John D. Rockefeller attended high school, began his career and lived.

Katelyn Amendolara-Russo, executive director of the Medici Museum of Art, said that the collaboration with Steven C. Rockefeller Jr. has shaped the exhibition. She noted that the exhibition links industrial legacy with artistic vision, tracing an American story that began in Ohio and extended globally.

The exhibition features three distinct sections:

"From Oil to Art: JDR's Legacy Rooted in Industry, Innovation, and Imagination": This section details John D. Rockefeller's early life in New York and Ohio, with insights from an ancestor into the Industrial Revolution.

"Romance & Resilience of Anne-Marie Rasmussen Rockefeller: Beauty, Struggle and Artistry": This part of the exhibition presents the story of Anne-Marie Rasmussen Rockefeller, a Norwegian-born artist who married into the Rockefeller family. It includes collages reflecting her life and artistic expression.

"Master Fo Tao, Photography and the Art of Chinese Calligraphy": This segment introduces the teachings of Fo Tao, a Chinese master whose calligraphy and spiritual guidance influenced Steven C. Rockefeller Jr.’s artistic development. It also includes Steven C. Rockefeller Jr.’s minimalist fixed-frame videos and photography of Nelson Rockefeller’s estate, Kykuit, in New York.
Additional artworks, Chinese ceramics and items from Steven C. Rockefeller Jr.'s collection will be on display.

The Medici Museum of Art, established in 1993, focuses on international contemporary art.