Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art’s Post

Would you believe us if we told you this intricate design is a painting? In “She Gives (Quiet Strength V)” (2019), artist Dyani White Hawk of Sičangu Lakota ancestry uses acrylic on canvas to honor the continuing practice of Lakota quillwork, a form of embroidery created from the weaving of porcupine quills into beautiful designs. She also references abstract hide painting with the inclusion of copper, black, and white diamonds. The artist utilizes these art forms traditionally practiced by women to combine Indigenous artistry and visual heritage with modernist painting and abstraction. Find this piece in “Space Makers: Indigenous Expression and a New American Art,” a focus exhibition found in our Early American galleries: https://bit.ly/3xiNzIV 🎨 Dyani White Hawk, She Gives (Quiet Strength V), 2019, acrylic on canvas, 60 in. x 48 in. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2020.4. Photography by Edward C. Robison III.

Coming to Crystal Bridges Fall: "Knowing the West" 🌟 The first major traveling exhibition to embrace the American West as more inclusive, complex, and reflective of the diverse peoples who contributed to art and life there. Curated by Mindy Besaw, Crystal Bridges’ curator of American art, and Jami Powell (Osage), associate director for curatorial affairs and curator of Indigenous art at the @Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth, “Knowing the West” features over 120 historic works by Native American and non-Native American artists, including textiles, baskets, paintings, pottery, sculpture, beadwork, saddles, and prints. "Knowing the West" breaks down traditional hierarchies in American art by presenting a variety of media and voices, offering a fresh perspective. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3L0LpRH 🖼️ Dorothy Brett, “Desert Indian”, 1932/1937. Oil on canvas, 40 in. x 40 in. Tia Collection, Santa Fe, NM.

Back on view: “The Dinner Party” (2019) 🍽 In this piece, artist Hannah McBroom illustrates a scene from a recent experience at a family wedding. Highlighting the familiar, uncomfortable tension felt in social settings when her gender identity becomes something needing explanation, the figures in the piece produce a sense of alienation and discomfort. McBroom centers most of her work around the idea of belonging - understanding how her body and those of other transgender people fit into a predominantly gender normative culture. See this piece in “Vantage Points”, a new installation in the Contemporary Art Gallery. 🎨 Hannah McBroom, The Dinner Party, 2019, oil on canvas, 36 in. x 31 1/2 in. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2020.26. Image courtesy of the artist.

We're thrilled to announce that nominations for the prestigious Don Tyson Prize are now open! This biennial prize, established by the Tyson Family in honor of the late Don Tyson and awarded by Crystal Bridges, recognizes those who have changed the way we look at, think about, or experience art and impacted the field through innovation, outside-the-box thinking, and risk taking. Are you, or do you know, an artist or institution who's changing perceptions and breaking down barriers? We are accepting nominations now through Sunday, June 30, 2024. The prize returns after the 2022 award, which was granted to photographer and innovative pioneer, Deborah Willis, Ph.D. Prior awardees also include the Houston-based establishment, Project Row Houses (2020), Vanessa German (2018), an artist contributing to social transformation through her art and advocacy, and the Archives of American Art (2016), the inaugural recipient of the Don Tyson Prize. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4eioaAd

At Crystal Bridges and The Momentary, our hearts go out to our staff, neighbors, and the entire Northwest Arkansas community in this difficult time following the weekend’s severe weather events. For many across the community – which includes Crystal Bridges and the Momentary staff members, volunteers, and their friends and families – the recovery process will continue for some time. Crystal Bridges and the Momentary have received an outpouring of care and concern from the public expressing support during this challenging time, a testament to the strength of the community. Specific updates regarding impacts to the Trails & Grounds, exterior artworks, exhibitions, and scheduled programs and events across both spaces will be shared as more details become available in the coming days.  See current operational updates here: 

"Silver Upper White River" (2015) is a beloved highlight at Crystal Bridges. But do you know the story behind this captivating piece? 🌊 Crafted from recycled silver, this sculpture by Maya Lin represents the upper section of the White River, which spans 722 miles through Arkansas and Missouri. Lin, who developed a deep passion for environmental issues during her time at Yale University, uses silver to symbolize the historic abundance of fish, once so plentiful they created a shimmering effect known as "running silver." 🐟 Commissioned specifically for Crystal Bridges, Lin's artwork features intricate silver prongs that trace the river's meandering path. This design evokes the veins and nerves of the human body, resembling our profound connection to nature and serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of environmental conservation. 🎨Maya Lin, Silver Upper White River, 2015, recycled silver, 131 in. x 20 ft. x 3/8 in. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2015.14. Photography by Edward C. Robison III.

🌟 Art Highlight: Yasuo Kuniyoshi's "Little Joe with Cow" 🌟 Step into the world of Yasuo Kuniyoshi, a disciplined and thoughtful leader of the Modernist movement in America. Despite the challenges of being a Japanese immigrant during World War II, Kuniyoshi's work reveals an intensely personal expression of identity and psychological depth. From the 1920s through the late 1940s, he was a standout figure in New York City's art scene. According to the Japanese calendar, Kuniyoshi was born in the Year of the Cow. He painted numerous scenes of the animal, explaining, "I felt very near to the cow… According to legend, I believed my fate to be guided, more or less, by the bovine kingdom." His distinctive style draws from European Modernism, evident in the distorted, unconventional perspective, and American folk art, seen in the flattened, simplified shapes of the boy’s head and body. Currently on view in the Modern Art Galleries, Kuniyoshi's "Little Joe with Cow" is a masterpiece that demands your attention. 🐄 🎨 Yasuo Kuniyoshi, "Little Joe with Cow", 1923, oil on canvas, 28 × 42 in. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2010.108. Photography by Edward C. Robison III.