Opening tomorrow (February 26, 2009) at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Cezanne and Beyond looks at Cezanne’s relationship to modernism. Forty paintings and twenty watercolors and drawings by Cezanne sit beside works by several artists for whom he serves as central inspiration. The exhibition runs until May 17 and is complemented by a comprehensive catalog.

Open now at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Frank O. Gehry: Design Process and the Lewis House explores the architects decade long commission (1985-95) for Peter Lewis’ home in Lyndhurst, OH. This project was critical in allowing Gehry to experiment and ultimately devise the geometric language that has become his calling card. What began as a remodeling job ended up changing the course of Gehry’s design process — and with it the face of some much loved public architecture.

The exhibition includes models, drawings and jewelry — all which help illustrate the Gehry design process. The exhibit runs until April 5, 2009. (VIa The Bee).

A few Gehry bits and bobs to wet the appetite follow.

Felice Fisher is the Luther W. Brady Curator of Japanese Art and Curator of East Asian Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Art of Japanese Craft: 1875 to the Present is her most recent book. Within its pages, Fisher focuses attention on the diversity of media and technique in modern Japanese Craft. The work is exceptional as one of the first surveys of Japanese Craft, particularly contemporary craft, in English. Available now from Yale University Press.

On view until early September, Designing Modern: 1920 to the Present highlights the diverse and exhaustive collection of 20th century design at the Philadelphia Museum of Art . Art Deco, Bauhaus, Post Modern, American, Scandinavian. All the major movements and many of the major figures are represented. In addition to the onsite exhibition, the museums website offers a great primer on the iconic designs ofthe period, certainly worth a few minutes.