Close Look:

State of the Art 2020 at Crystal Bridges

By June 13, 2020
Ronald Jackson, In a Day, She Became the Master of Her House,and The Legend of Edward King — A Gravedigger. 2019. Courtesy the artist and Crystal Bridges. Photo by Ironside Photography / Stephen Ironside.
Sama Alshaibi, The Cessation, 2019. Courtesy the artist and Crystal Bridges. Photo by Ironside Photography / Stephen Ironside.

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 US 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.  Lauren Haynes, curator of visual arts at the Momentary and curator of contemporary art at Crystal Bridges, along with Alejo Benedetti, associate curator of contemporary art, Crystal Bridges and Allison Glenn, associate curator of contemporary art, Crystal Bridges visited studios across the country, resulting in the selection of a diverse group of 61 artists, from varied backgrounds and at different points in their careers.

from the exhibition text
Scott Hocking, Arkansas Traveler, 2019. Photo courtesy the artist and Crystal Bridges. Photo by Ironside Photography / Stephen Ironside.
Larry Walker, Tweet, Tweet…Look Who’s Here…or Aliens, Wall Spirits and Other Manifestations. 2017. Photo by Ironside Photography / Stephen Ironside.
Letitia Huckaby, Washington Old Homestead, Sugarland, and Mississippi Delta Row, all 2017. Photo courtesy the artist and Crystal Bridges. Photo by Ironside Photography / Stephen Ironside.

Last year, we published a conversation with Crystal Bridges curator Allison Glenn and Greek curator Marina Fokidis, which you can read here.

Related Stories