Artistic wonders from Mexico's oldest civilization

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), August, 1996

The first comprehensive exhibition of Olmec art is providing a panoramic view of the artistic achievements of Mexico's earliest and least-known civilization. The 122 objects in the show at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., were created in Mexico and Central America 3,000 years ago, long before the great Mayan, Teotihuacan, and Aztec civilizations.

The Olmecs evolved from hunting and gathering societies that migrated to North America at least 10,000 years earlier. Olmec cities and agricultural villages flourished throughout southern Mexico and northern Central America from 1200 to 300 B.C. The Olmecs primarily were farmers, governed by an elite class of rulers and priests.

Among the most stunning of the massive stone pieces of art being shown is a 13-ton colossal head from San Lorenzo, which has been allowed to leave Mexico for the first time. The statue is the heaviest object ever installed at the museum.

"Olmec Art of Ancient Mexico" will be on exhibition at the National Gallery of Art through Oct. 20.