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State of the Art 2020

February 22 – July 27, 2020

Amy Casey, Highground
Amy Casey, Highground, 2019, acrylic on cradled ampersand clayboard panel, 30 in. × 30 in. Courtesy: Private collection, Dallas, TX and Zg Gallery, Chicago, IL.

February 22 – July 27, with some artworks remaining as portions of the exhibition are deinstalled through November 2.

Crystal Bridges begins the new decade with the opening of the Momentary, a new space for contemporary visual and performing arts, and the debut of State of the Art 2020 at both locations with free admissions. Lauren Haynes, curator of visual arts at the Momentary and curator of contemporary art at Crystal Bridges, is leading State of the Art 2020, along with Alejo Benedetti, associate curator of contemporary art, Crystal Bridges and Allison Glenn, associate curator of contemporary art, Crystal Bridges. The team 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.

Did you miss State of the Art 2020 or want to relive it again? State of the Art 2020 VR is a virtual exploration of the exhibition where you explore the artworks as they appeared in the Crystal Bridges and Momentary galleries. No matter where you are in the world, you can still experience State of the Art 2020.

  • Zoom in and out of artworks to explore details, read wall text, and see artworks in conversation with one another.
  • Listen to audio recorded by the exhibition curators (Lauren Haynes, Allison Glenn, and Alejo Benedetti), providing information on the exhibition, art, and artists.
  • A guided tour option is available that leads a viewer through the highlights of the exhibition.

Exhibition Walk-through with Curator, Alejo Benedetti

State of the Art 2020 Summit

State of the Art 2020 Summit

 

Schedule of events

Speaker bios

Explore the exhibition

Artists Featured in State of the Art 2020

The 61 individuals in State of the Art 2020 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.

Sama Alshaibi | Tucson, AZ
Eddie Aparicio | Los Angeles, CA
Marcela Pardo Ariza | San Francisco, CA
Mae Aur | Memphis, TN
Frances Bagley | Dallas, TX
Paul Stephen Benjamin | Atlanta, GA
Frank Blazquez | Albuquerque, NM
Kate Budd | Akron, OH
Amy Casey | Cleveland, OH
Domingo Castillo | Miami, FL
Alex Chitty | Chicago, IL
JooYoung Choi | Houston, TX
Alex Bradley Cohen | Chicago, IL
Jill Downen | Kansas City, MO
Carla Edwards | Brooklyn, NY
Jenelle Esparza | San Antonio, TX
Peter Everett | Salt Lake City, UT
Joey Fauerso | San Antonio, TX
Elisa Harkins | Tulsa, OK
David R. Harper | Philadelphia, PA
L. Kasimu Harris | New Orleans, LA
Mari Hernandez | San Antonio, TX
Scott Hocking | Detroit, MI
Hong Hong | New Haven, CT
Letitia Huckaby | Benbrook, TX
Cory Imig | Kansas City, MO
Chele Isaac | Madison, WI
Ronald Jackson | Spotsylvania, VA
Matthew Joynt | Chicago, IL
Lori Kella | Cleveland, OH
Jody Kuehner (Cherdonna) | Seattle, WA

Nicolas Lobo | Miami, FL
Joanna Keane Lopez | Albuquerque, NM
Jova Lynne | Detroit, MI
Suchitra Mattai | Denver, CO
Hannah McBroom | Kansas City, MO
Art Miller | Kansas City, MO
Cristina Molina | New Orleans, LA
Jiha Moon | Atlanta, GA
Tabitha Nikolai | Portland, OR
Kris Pierce | Dallas, TX
Timothy Portlock | St. Louis, MO
Enrico Riley | Lebanon, NH
Josh Rios | Chicago, IL
Kellie Romany | Chicago, IL
Anthony Romero | Boston, MA
George Sanchez-Calderon | Miami, FL
Jordan Seaberry | Providence, RI
Karen Seapker | Nashville, TN
Rick Silva | Eugene, OR
Anthony Sonnenberg | Fayetteville, AR
Edra Soto | Chicago, IL
Francisco Souto | Lincoln, NE
Damian Stamer | Hillsborough, NC
Su Su | Pittsburgh, PA
Jena Thomas | Spartanburg, SC
Stacy Lynn Waddell | Durham, NC
Larry Walker | Atlanta, GA
Diego Rodriguez Warner | Denver, CO
Didier William | Philadelphia, PA
Alice Pixley Young | Cincinnati, OH

More than 100 artworks will be featured in State of the Art 2020 — most created in the last three years. 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.

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. 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.

Learn about State of the Art 2020 in our blog

State of the Art 2020 Update: Crystal Bridges Acquires Artworks and a New VR Experience
Gallery view of State of the Art 2020 exhibition

State of the Art 2020 Update: Crystal Bridges Acquires Artworks and a New VR Experience

Art & Collection Exhibitions

In his paintings, video installations, assemblage works, sculptures, and performances, Paul Stephen Benjamin explores the questions, “What is the color black?” and “If the color black had a sound, what…

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#CBfromHome Activity: Heritage Collages
Collection of homemade collages

#CBfromHome Activity: Heritage Collages

Activities & Education
In her paintings, mixed media works, and ceramic sculptures, State of the Art 2020 artist Jiha Moon brings together a variety of cultural references and images to explore the global…
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State of the Art 2020 Spotlight: Rick Silva
Rick Silva, Western Fronts

State of the Art 2020 Spotlight: Rick Silva

Exhibitions
  You can experience this artwork at home by clicking on the image below.   About Rick Silva   Rick Silva’s videos and installations envision near-future ecologies altered by technology…
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State of the Art 2020 Spotlight: Edra Soto
Gallery view of Sate of the Art: 2020

State of the Art 2020 Spotlight: Edra Soto

Exhibitions

Soon to be displayed at the Momentary, over 500 bottles are meticulously arranged on shelves in three vitrines that recast litter as glinting green and clear gems. There is something…

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Assessing the State of the Art in 2020
State of the Art 2020 exhibition

Assessing the State of the Art in 2020

Exhibitions
Lauren Haynes is the curator of contemporary art at Crystal Bridges and curator of visual arts at the Momentary. She, along with her colleagues Allison Glenn, associate curator of contemporary…
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An Interview with Bank of America, Lead Sponsor of State of the Art 2020
Evan Beard

An Interview with Bank of America, Lead Sponsor of State of the Art 2020

Exhibitions
SE: I want to focus now on the business. Are there any new or emerging trends that you’re seeing in the art market that might have a particular impact on…
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Sponsored By

Bank of America logo - lead sponsor

Lead Sponsor

Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation, Inc.

Christie’s

Coca-Cola logo

Stella Boyle Smith Trust

Trott Family Foundation

Alturas Foundation

Bracken Darrell

Fred and Shelby Gans

National tour sponsored by Bank of America