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Su Su;  Darwin , 2018; Oil on canvas; 34 x 50 in.; Courtesy of the artist

Su Su; Darwin, 2018; Oil on canvas; 34 x 50 in.;
Courtesy of the artist

The Momentary and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art announced today that 60 artists have been selected for State of the Art 2020. As part of opening the new contemporary art space, the Momentary, the exhibition will be on view at the Momentary and Crystal Bridges from February 22 through May 24, 2020, free for all visitors.


Larry Walker; Tweet, Tweet...Look Who’s Here...or Aliens, Wall Spirits and Other Manifestations ; 2017; Acrylic and various materials on panels (diptych); 62 x 98 in.; Courtesy of the artist and Mason Fine Art Gallery

Larry Walker;Tweet, Tweet…Look Who’s Here…or Aliens, Wall Spirits and Other Manifestations; 2017; Acrylic and various materials on panels (diptych); 62 x 98 in.; Courtesy of the artist and Mason Fine Art Gallery

More than 100 artworks will be featured in State of the Art 2020. A number of artists are making site specific works in response to the interior architecture of both spaces as well as the histories of this region. At both the Momentary and Crystal Bridges, artwork will include paintings, sculpture, photography, video, performance, and mixed media.

The curatorial team visited studios across the country, resulting in the selection of a diverse group of 60 artists, from varied backgrounds and at different points in their careers. The artists represent a cross-section of artists working today and their artwork will be organized into thematic sections including world-building: creating real and fictional spaces; sense of place: investigating ideas of home, family, immigration, and more; mapping: connections to and relationships with landscapes and power, and temporality: the concept of time and how we perceive it. Click here for the full list of artists.

State of the Art 2020 is the continuation of an exploration into contemporary art that began in 2014, when Crystal Bridges presented State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now. The exhibition sought to showcase art being created across the U.S. and develop the understanding that contemporary art is approachable and relevant to topics of the day. More than 175,000 visitors experienced the exhibition and engaged in meaningful discussions and events surrounding the show. PBS created a documentary released in April 2019 called State of the Art, which follows the journeys of seven artists featured in that exhibition. After its opening at Crystal Bridges, State of the Art then traveled to the Minneapolis Institute of Art; Telfair Museums, Savannah, GA; Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Memphis, TN; The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC; and the Frist Art Museum, formerly known as the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, TN.

The Momentary is scheduled to open on February 22, 2020.

For information about State of the Art 2020, click here.

Pictured at top: Suchitra Mattai; Dialectic, 2019; Vintage saris from India, Sharjah and artist’s Indo-Guyanese family and rope net; 480 x 180 in.; Courtesy of K Contemporary Art and the artist. Photo by Wes Magyar. 

Special thanks to our major investors for their support of the Northwest Arkansas Council and our work in the region: