Helen Molesworth, director of the university's gallery, says theme shows can be productive.

"Open House" includes a fair amount of political art, too, easily enough to make a separate theme show.

And the final product is neither a full-fledged survey nor a focused theme show.

Shadows in paintings by 14 artists are more incidental than significant, making a weak theme show.

What's been delivered is a theme show with almost one-third fewer artists.

"This was a very intelligent theme show," he said.

The big theme show is something of a museum formula these days.

It wasn't until the 1990s, however, that the art form was packaged as a complete theme show.

This noisy, invigorating exhibition is supposed to be about things to come, but it does not really make much sense as a theme show.

The telling, unexpected theme show is something the big New York museums almost never do.