Edie McKee Harper: Modernist at Play
October 17, 2026 – January 24, 2027
Taft Museum of Art
Price Varies
See Edie McKee Harper: Modernist at Play at the Taft Museum of Art from October 17 through January 24.
The Taft Museum of Art, in partnership with the Charley and Edie Harper Art Studio, presents Edie McKee Harper: Modernist at Play. This landmark exhibition marks the first solo museum presentation devoted to the work of Edie McKee Harper (1922–2010), a Cincinnati-based artist whose prolific career spanned more than six decades and a remarkable range of media.
Modernist at Play brings together more than 100 works and traces Harper’s creative journey through themes she returned to throughout her career: the American landscape, abstraction, storytelling, and the animal world—especially domestic cats. Resisting easy categorization, her work reflects a sustained artistic inquiry across paintings, photographs, prints, enamels, weavings, and illustrations. While her husband and lifelong creative partner, the artist and illustrator Charley Harper, has long been celebrated, Edie Harper’s work has remained underexamined. This exhibition seeks to correct that imbalance, highlighting the playful yet sophisticated imagery that defined her practice and establishing her rightful place within the canon of American modernism.
Admission to Edie McKee Harper: Modernist at Play
| Wednesday – Saturday Admission | Sunday – Monday Admission |
| Member | Free | Member | Free |
| Adult | $15 | Adult | Free |
| Senior | $12 | Senior | Free |
| Youth (17 and under) | Free | Youth (17 and under) | Free |
| Military (with ID) | Free | Military (with ID) | Free |
Edie McKee Harper (American, 1922 – 2010), Untitled, 1945-1950s, gelatin silver print, 7 1/4 x 9 1/2 in. Collection of Brett Harper, Edie Harper 
Edie McKee Harper (American, 1922 – 2010), Sandpeeper, 1981, acrylic on canvas, 8 x 16 in. Collection of Brett Harper, Edie Harper 
Edie McKee Harper (American, 1922 – 2010), Dish with Feathered Friends, 1950s, enamel on copper, 5/8 x 5 7/8 in. diam. Collection of Brett Harper, Edie Harper 
Edie McKee Harper (American, 1922 – 2010), Cat Carson – Western Scout, 1983, acrylic on canvas, 12 x 12 in. Collection of Brett Harper, Edie Harper
Taft Museum of Art Venue Details
Hours
Wednesday – Monday | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Parking
The Taft offers limited, free on-site parking for guests visiting the museum, the Museum Shop, and the Taft Café during regular museum hours in the Taft’s on-site garage. The front gates and garage open 15 minutes before the museum.
Accessibility
The museum is accessible to visitors with limited mobility by providing wheelchairs, elevators and lifts, restrooms, parking, and ramps. The Taft also offers sensory accommodations, including a quiet room, noise-reducing headphones, and braille and large-print materials to explore the museum collection and exhibitions. Questions? Contact accessibility@taftmuseum.org.
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Edie McKee Harper (American, 1922 – 2010), Crazy Cat on Crazy Quilt (Patches), about 1990, acrylic on canvas, 11 1/8 x 17 3/4 in. Collection of Brett Harper, Edie Harper
