Press Release

Available Now: Ollie Collectible by Jayson Musson

April 18, 2023

Ollie collectible. Jayson Musson, in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum. Produced on the occasion of His History of Art, 2022. Photo credit: Carlos Avendaño.

AVAILABLE NOW: OLLIE COLLECTIBLE BY JAYSON MUSSON
Limited Edition Available at The Fabric Workshop and Museum Store

Philadelphia, PA, April 18, 2023—The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM) is pleased to announce Jayson Musson: Ollie, a 30-inch-tall rabbit sidekick collectible produced on the occasion of Musson’s FWM exhibition, His History of Art. The limited edition of 90 Ollie plushies will retail for $300.00.

Ollie the rabbit (certified emotionally fulfilling!) is the pothead puppet sidekick in Musson’s satirical survey on art history, His History of Art. In the video series, Ollie serves as the roommate and reluctant pupil of Jay (performed by Musson). Through the characters’ search to discover art’s relevance and potential for power and acclaim, Musson reveals the ways in which popular art historical images impact our cultural consciousness. Ollie is now immortalized as a plushie collectible housed in a box rife with references to the props and sets of His History of Art as well as Musson’s creative forebears from Hans Holbein to Mister Rogers. Ollie’s box is hand-signed by the artist and includes statements from both Musson’s character “Jay” and FWM about the process and intention behind the making of this plushie and the video series that inspired it.

Jayson Musson: His History of Art debuted at FWM from July 22 to December 31, 2022. The exhibition is currently on view at Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) until June 17, 2023. His History of Art, which endeavors to educate Musson’s skeptical puppet sidekick Ollie on the relevance of art, is the culmination of Musson’s two-year residency at FWM.

Also created on the occasion of Jayson Musson: His History of Art is Musson’s “GENIUS” baseball cap. The dark gray snapback with bold hot pink embroidery directly references the third episode of His History of Art (in which Ollie endeavors to become a great artist) and subtly alludes to Musson’s 2010–2012 YouTube performance series, ART THOUGHTZ. “GENIUS” baseball cap will retail for $75.00.

Ollie and “GENIUS” caps are both are available in-store and online at The Fabric Workshop and Museum.

About Jayson Musson

Jayson Scott Musson was born in the Bronx, NY. He received a BFA in photography from University of the Arts and an MFA in painting from the University of Pennsylvania, both in Philadelphia, also attending the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, ME in 2011. Musson is represented by Salon 94 in New York and Fleisher/Ollman in Philadelphia. His solo exhibitions include We Sing in A Dead Language, Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg (2019); Demon All Day, Salon 94 Freemans, New York (2017); The Truth in the Song, Fleisher/Ollman Gallery, Philadelphia (2016); The Grand Manner at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia (2011); and Too Black For BET, Dazed & Confused Magazine Gallery, London, England (2008). His work has been included in group exhibitions at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Lisson Gallery, and Postmasters Gallery, New York; Whitechapel Gallery, London; Galerie Perrotin, Paris; Grimmuseum, Berlin; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; David Castillo Gallery, Miami; and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, among others.

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Partners & Funding

Development of Ollie and GENIUS baseball cap has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

Major support for Jayson Musson: His History of Art has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, with additional support from The National Endowment for the Arts, The Wyncote Foundation, and All Ages Productions.

Major support of FWM is provided by the Marion Boulton “Kippy” Stroud Foundation. FWM receives state art funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional support is provided by Agnes Gund and the Board of Directors and Members of The Fabric Workshop and Museum.

About the Fabric Workshop and Museum

The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM) is an internationally acclaimed contemporary art museum devoted to the creation, presentation, and preservation of innovative works of art. Its mission—Collaborating with artists, revealing new possibilities—embodies a 45-year commitment to helping artists experiment with the expressive possibilities of a broad spectrum of new materials and techniques. Through its renowned Artist-in-Residence Program, FWM provides artists at all stages of their careers with the opportunity to collaborate with its studio staff and take their work in fresh and often unexpected directions. FWM presents large-scale exhibitions, installations, and performative work, utilizing innovative fiber and other media including sculpture, installation, video, painting, photography, ceramics, and architecture. Founded in 1977, FWM brings this spirit of creative investigation and discovery to an eager audience, broadening access to art and advancing its role as a catalyst for innovation and social connection.

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