In 1913 the Armory Show in New York City shocked Americans with the radical abstractions of the European modernists. Later that year the Memorial Art Gallery opened its doors in Rochester, a city of predominantly conservative tastes.

Becoming Modern proudly highlights some of the Gallery's most significant acquisitions by American and European artists who participated in the Armory Show. Included are 32 paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures by such masters as Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, Stuart Davis and John Marin.