Dale Chihuly, Fiori Boat, 2016
At the world-class Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, you can discover many diverse works of art, including an upcoming temporary exhibition exploring the work of black artists during the tumultuous ‘60s, ’70s and ’80s; a collection on display now that captures the cool rhythms of jazz; and a master glass artist’s exhibition extended by popular demand. Crystal Bridges in Bentonville is an experience you don’t want to miss!
The blockbuster exhibition Chihuly: In the Forest has been extended on the museum’s grounds through Nov. 27. American artist Dale Chihuly’s breathtaking glass and neon sculptures are celebrated around the world, and tickets to this outdoor exhibition are just $10! Once it ends, Chihuly’s colorful Fiori Boat will remain along Crystal Bridges’ nature trails amongst nearly two dozen other outdoor art installations.
Stuart Davis, The Mellow Pad, 1945–51
On view until Jan. 1, 2018, is Stuart Davis: In Full Swing, a major retrospective of 80+ paintings described as “a universe of jazzy patterns and blazing colors” by The New York Times. This collection focuses on specific phases of artist Davis’ work where he applied forms of Cubism to still-life and landscapes, and invented a new abstract language that merged the aesthetics of advertising and jazz with language. Over his career, Davis forged a union of international Modernism and uniquely American imagery that continues to influence art being made today. Tickets for this exhibition are $8 (free for members and under 18).
Jeff Donaldson, Study for Wall of Respect [Miles Davis], c. 1967
Opening Feb. 3, 2018, is the debut of an exhibition highlighting how activism in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s helped shape American art as we know it. Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power features the work of more than 60 black artists, beginning with works by the Spiral Group, a New York-based collective that opened up questions about the role of artists in the Civil Rights movement. From there, the exhibition traces the impact of the growing Black Power movement and explores the many ways artists worked to protest discrimination, rally people to their cause and celebrate black culture.
Artists featured include Romare Bearden, Melvin Edwards, Betye Saar, Faith Ringgold, Charles White, Alvin Loving, Alma Thomas and Lorraine O’Grady. Crystal Bridges is one of only two American venues to host this important and eye-opening exhibition. Following its debut in Northwest Arkansas, it travels to the Brooklyn Museum in New York.
Other exhibitions coming to Crystal Bridges in 2018 include Georgia O’Keeffe and Contemporary Artists from May 26 thru Sept. 2, 2018, and Native North America from Oct. 6 thru Jan. 7, 2019.
For more information, visit crystalbridges.org.