February 20, 2026
Join The Trout Gallery for a reception to celebrate the Measure of Value exhibition.
This exhibition considers how art and artifacts intersect with economic principles of markets, both as physical embodiments of currency and as commentary on monetary systems. Many works of art function as media of exchange, units of credit, stores of wealth, and measures of value. From ancient coins to contemporary prints, the diverse selection of objects on display offers visitors an opportunity to consider the dynamic relationship between artistic and economic notions of value.
The artworks and artifacts on view in this exhibition offer insights into the cultural and political systems of specific economies. For example, when the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, known as Caracalla (198-217), created a new coin, the antoninianus, which featured himself as sovereign wearing a radiating crown, he was both attempting to replenish an empty treasury and broaden his political support by offering a new vision for Imperial rule.
Other works examine how artists have long critiqued economic systems, offering compelling social commentary on embedded inequalities. In 1985, the Guerrilla Girls, a feminist art activist group, created a poster titled Women in America Earn Only 2/3 of What Men Do, drawing attention to disparities in wages for women workers and women artists. Faith Ringgold’s print Dear Selma (2010) pays tribute to Black American sculptor Selma Burke with this statement: “Dear Selma, Every time I see a dime, I think of you. In 1944 when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt posed for your portrait plaque of him, little did you know this masterful relief profile would show up without attribution, on the dime in 1945 – for all the world to see.”
Additional artists in the exhibition include Sue Coe and Andy Warhol, among others, as well as a selection of Tuareg, Jonga, and Akan currency objects.
Image: Guerrilla Girls (New York City, formed 1985 - ), Women in America Earn Only 2/3 of What Men Do. Women Artists Earn only 1/3 of What Men Artists Do. 1985, offset print on paper, 17 x 22 in. (43.18 x 55.88 dm), The Trout Gallery, Purchase of the Friends of The Trout Gallery, 2025.18.1
Further information
- Location: Weiss Lobby, The Trout Gallery
- Time: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
- Cost: Free