CRYSTAL BRIDGES Member Magazine
December 2019
VOL VIII ISSUE III
We Thank You For Your Support FOU N D I N G EN DOWM ENTS FOR COLLECTIONS, OPERATION, AND BUILDING
N E X T G E N E R AT I O N F U N D SCHOOL VISIT ENDOWMENT
SPONSORED ADMISSION ENDOWMENT
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE T HROUGH THE ARTS
TYSON SCHOLARS OF AMERICAN ART ENDOWMENT
Windgate Charitable Foundation DON TYSON PRIZE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF AMERICAN ART
CLASSROOM LEARNING ENDOWMENT
Tyson Family Foundation
Doug and Shelley McMillon
PROGRAM ENDOWMENT
EDUCATION STUDIOS ENDOWMENT
Jack and Melba Shewmaker Family
A D D I T I O N A L C O N T R I B U TO R S TO THE NEXT GENERATION FUND
EDUCATION AND PROGRAMMING
Neff and Scarlett Basore Pamela and Wayne Garrison
Reed and Mary Ann Greenwood The J.M. Smucker Company
TRAILS & GROUNDS
Paul and June Carter Family
VA N C LI B U R N S E R I E S E N D OW M E N T Kelly and Marti Sudduth
Reed and Mary Ann Greenwood
Kay and Ellis Melton
Chip and Susan Chambers
2019 SUPPORTERS Constance Caplan
James Dyke & Helen Porter David and Cathy Evans Family
Thomas Lon Smith
Neff and Scarlett Basore
Alturas Foundation Ann Ames Paul M. Angell Family Foundation Robert and Nancy Brooks Colgate-Palmolive Company ConAgra Brands Bracken Darrell
The Christy and John Mack Foundation Trott Family Foundation
The Bogle Family
Disney Institute Terri and Chuck Erwin Gelmart International George’s Galen, Debi, and Alice Havner HOWSE KFSM TV-CBS
Ken and Liz Allen Cindy Flynt Walters and Betty Flynt AMP Sign and Banner Harrison and Rhonda French Family Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield Sara Friedlander and Matthew Siegel Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. The William M. Fuller Foundation Arvest Bank General Mills Avis Bailey The Gilman and Gonzalez-Falla Arts Foundation Frank and Pat Bailey Greenwood Gearhart Inc. Bass Pro Shops Government of Canada Lance and Sharon Beshore The Hershey Company BISSELL Homecare Highland Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry Hola! Media Group Blue Rhino Charles and Shannon Holley James and Emily Bost Rebecca Hurst and Jim Smith, Juan, Marcy and Joaquin Camacho Smith Hurst PLC Paul and June Carter Family inVeritas Chip and Susan Chambers J.P. Morgan Rick and Beverly Chapman Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. The Clorox Company Wade and Kelly Jones Harry and Erin Cornell Just-Us Printers Rhianon DeLeeuw and Joshua Mahony Randy and Valorie Lawson Flintco Lawco Energy Group James Freeman and Barbara Yates Leisurlist
Kimberly-Clark Mattel Phillips Procter & Gamble Harriet and Warren Stephens, Stephens Inc.
Stella Boyle Smith Trust
Christie’s
Terra Foundation for American Art Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee Univision Arkansas
Kate and Greg Schaffer Logitech Lee and Linda Scott Marybeth and Micky Mayfield The Segal Family Foundation Mack and Donna McLarty Family Ken and Celia Shireman MillerCoors Esther Silver-Parker Moon Distributors, Inc. Mark and Diane Simmons Morris Foundation, Inc. Starling Family Charitable Fund Nice-Pak Products, Inc. Lamar and Shari Steiger Nickelodeon Stephen and Claudia Strange Northwest Arkansas Naturals Adam D. Stolpen Onyx Coffee Lab Kyle, Maury and Finn Peterson Tartaglino Richards Family Foundation Demara Titzer Pinnacle Car Services Visit Bentonville Premier Dermatology & Skin Renewal Center Jim and Susan von Gremp Rational USA Tony Waller Roblee Orthodontics Walmart AAOC Lisenne Rockefeller William Reese Company Frank and Ludmila Robson Wright Lindsey Jennings Stephan and Catherine Roche Deborah Wright JT and Imelda Rose Felix and Margaret Wright The Russell Berrie Foundation Saatchi & Saatchi X
MEMBER MAGAZINE
Imagine for a moment that we were alive at the time of the Italian Renaissance, a time of cultural innovation, scientific exploration, and artistic genius. Imagine being able to walk through the Sistine Chapel while Michelangelo was on his back painting, or being able to visit with artists we now learn about in art history classes.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CHIEF DIVERSITY + INCLUSION OFFICER
Rod Bigelow
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Sandy Edwards
CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER
Jill Wagar
What if we could witness that kind of innovation in our daily lives today and capture history in the moment?
DIRECTOR OF CURATORIAL AFFAIRS + STRATEGIC ART INITIATIVES
It turns out, we can.
CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS + MARKETING OFFICER
History is created every day, and art is constantly being created all around us. Contemporary art, or art of our time, is a reflection of this moment in history. It pushes boundaries, responds to political and social issues, questions cultural norms, and encourages us to expand our perspectives.
Margi Conrads
Diane Carroll EDITOR
Erica Harmon CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Anna Vernon
SENIOR DESIGNER
Olivia Walton
CONTRIBUTORS
Alejo Benedetti Allison Glenn Jayson Overby Jen Padgett Lauren Haynes Tyra Seals
MARKETING MANAGER
In 2020, at the start of a new decade, Crystal Bridges is plunging deeper into the realm of contemporary art, giving today’s seasoned and emerging artists a platform for telling their stories and inspiring change.
Alison Nation
As you’ll read in this issue, the Momentary will bring these artists’ conversations to the forefront, as will special exhibitions focusing on the work and themes of today’s artists such as Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal…, Equal…, featured at Crystal Bridges this spring, and State of the Art 2020, 2020, presented at both Crystal Bridges and the Momentary.
MEMBERSHIP + DEVELOPMENT
Why does contemporary art matter, and how does it change? Those are the central themes this issue explores as an introduction to the offerings Crystal Bridges and the Momentary will bring in the coming year. We invite you to join in the conversation and witness history.
Erica Harmon Editor
PHOTOGRAPHY
Stephen Ironside Daniel Moody Dero Sanford Ana Aguayo Robyn Alley Brandi Cline Iliana Gutierrez Emily Ironside Amanda Magoffin Megan Martin Laura McArthur Leah Miles Loria Oliver Kerri Thompson Ashley Wardlow Will Watson Christy Witt
Lead sponsor of C Rainforest AllianceTM and Ancient Forest FriendlyTM certified. Printed with vegetable oil based ink. 100% Recycled (post-consumer waste) Environmentally friendly
Total chlorine free Made with renewable energy Acid Free
CRYSTAL BRIDGES Member Magazine DECEMBER 2019 VOL VIII ISSUE III
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Museum News
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Member Travel
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Coming Soon
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New Acquisition
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Member Moments
Karen Seapker, Tent Mama, Mama, 2019
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The Momentary
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Philanthropy
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State of the Art 2020
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An Interview with Hank Willis Thomas
C magazine is the membership publication for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
Member Priority Line: 479.418.5728 MON • TUE • 8 am to 5 pm WED • THU • FRI 8 am to 9 pm SAT • SUN 10 am to 4 pm Purchase gift memberships with a 10% discount at CrystalBridges.org/Membership.
Don’t miss a thing. Get special announcements, event reminders, and the Member eNewsletters by sending your email address to membership@crystalbridges.org.
Hank Willis Thomas, All Things Being Equal..., Equal..., 2010
NEWS
Coca-Cola Wins Outstanding Philanthropy Award
An Update on Traveling Exhibitions In the past two years, three original exhibitions were developed at Crystal Bridges. After their viewing at the museum, they traveled to other museums across the country in 2019.
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Coca-Cola, a longstanding and dedicated partner of Crystal Bridges and founding funder of the Momentary, recently won an Outstanding Corporation Award from the Northwest Arkansas chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, a professional association founded in 1960 with over 31,000 members globally. The museum nominated Coca-Cola for this award due to its exceptional
dedication to sustainability and education at the museum, partnering on projects such as the Hydration Station, the Forest Concert Stage, and the expansion of recycling bins across the museum campus. Representatives from Coca-Cola’s Bentonville office attended a luncheon last November to receive the award and recognition for their accomplishment.
Men of Steel, Women of Wonder, developed by Crystal
Art for a New Understanding: Native Voices, 1950s to Now,
Bridges assistant curator Alejo Benedetti, examined art-world responses to two of America’s most beloved superheroes: Superman and Wonder Woman. The exhibition was on view at Crystal Bridges from February to April 2019. Afterward, it traveled to the San Antonio Museum of Art from June to September 2019, and is now currently on view at the Addison Gallery of American Art in Andover, Massachusetts through January 5, 2020.
developed by Crystal Bridges curator Mindy Besaw with curators Candice Hopkins and Manuela Well-Off Man, brought contemporary Indigenous art front and center. The exhibition was on view at Crystal Bridges from October 2018 to January 2019. Afterward, it traveled to IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe, and is now on view at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University through January 12, 2020.
Where is Rosie? Rosie the Riveter by Norman Rockwell is currently traveling with Men of Steel, Women of Wonder. It will return to Crystal Bridges this January, leaving again later in the year to be featured at the Norman Rockwell Museum.
Alexander Hamilton Returning from the Met this Year Portrait of Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull is scheduled to return to Crystal Bridges in summer 2020. The painting is jointly owned by Crystal Bridges and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and every three years, the painting travels between the locations. Stay tuned for exact dates for reinstallation.
The Beyond: Georgia O’Keeffe and Contemporary Art, developed by Crystal Bridges
curator of contemporary art, Lauren Haynes, and curator Chad Alligood, displayed O’Keeffe’s work alongside contemporary artists exploring similar themes. The exhibition was on view at Crystal Bridges from June to September 2018. Afterward, it traveled to North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC from October 2018 to January 2019, and completed its tour at the New Britain Museum of American Art (New Britain, CT) in June 2019.
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MEMBERSHIP
2020 Member Travel Dear Museum Patron and Friend, It’s been a wonderful year for our travel program at Crystal Bridges! We’ve watched the sun set in the desert and explored midcentury architecture, visited artists and architects around the Ozarks, had excursions to museums in our region, discovered history and art in Venice and Florence, Italy, and finally wrapped up our year in the Hudson River Valley exploring historic and modern art, just as the leaves began to show their glorious colors. As the donor relations manager, I get to help plan these exciting experiences with our curatorial team and hear first-hand feedback from our patrons on their feelings, thoughts, and takeaways from each trip. This year evoked feelings of inspiration, awe, deep lifelong learning and exposure to art, nature and architecture.
If you weren’t able to join us in 2019, I hope you consider one of our trips in 2020. We are looking ahead to explore Santa Fe, Brussels, the New York City fall art auctions, and another day trip in our own backyard. As I learned to say during my time in Venice, “grazie millie!” Thanks a million for traveling and engaging with us in the museum and beyond. Safe travels and many adventures, Loria W. Oliver Donor Relations Manager
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Crystal Bridges Members SANTA FE, NM August 17-20, 2020 Sustaining Circle and Kindred Spirits Take in the unique visual themes of the Southwest, connect with artists, view private collections, and discover what makes Santa Fe an absolute must-see arts and cultural destination with Curator Mindy Besaw.
FALL IN THE OZARKS September 12, 2020 All Member Trip Explore Crystal Bridges’ backyard as we discover some of the hidden gems of art, architecture, and nature in the Ozarks on this fun-filled day trip!
BELGIUM: BRUSSELS AND ANTWERP September 30–October 4, 2020 Kindred Spirits
Momentary Members Also a Momentary member? Join us for these trips as well!
CONTEMPORARY ART IN THE MOTOR CITY, DETROIT Spring/Summer 2020 MO Insiders and MO Travel Members
Don't miss a single moment! Visit Crystal Bridges.org/member-travel or theMomentary.org/membership to sign up.
Dates and schedule are subject to change.
From world-class museums to underground galleries, join Momentary curators to explore what’s putting Detroit on the cultural map of innovation.
MOMENTS IN EUROPE: LONDON FRIEZE October 2020 MO Insiders Join us in London for a visit to London Frieze, a renowned contemporary art fair!
Curious about the European performing and visual art institutions that inspired the Momentary? Join us in Belgium for a tour of the Brussels art scene led by Momentary Director, Lieven Bertels and Contemporary Arts Curator Lauren Haynes.
AUTUMN IN NEW YORK CITY November 2020 (Exact dates TBD) Kindred Spirits Take part in the fall auction season in New York City, which offers an array of Impressionist, Modern, Postwar, and Contemporary art to enjoy, guided by Chief Curator Austen Barron Bailly. Join us for exclusive sale previews, followed by the exciting evening sales, private collection tours, artist studio visits, and much more!
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COMING SOON
After the Last Supper MARCH 28, 2020–JANUARY 2021
Jen Padgett Assistant Curator
Sperber based the work on The Last Supper, Supper, an iconic painting by the Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. She created a lifesize version of the original painting in thread spools, resulting in what looks like a pixelated, abstracted version of Leonardo’s work. Sperber also rotated the image, so that it appears upside down and backwards to the viewer. When the image is seen through a clear viewing sphere, however, it rotates to the correct orientation and becomes more easily recognizable as the famous original. The work plays with our perception as it shifts from an abstracted grid of spools to a familiar scene. Sperber is interested in the scientific aspects of perception and vision, much as Leonardo was during his lifetime. In our installation,
new interpretive engagements will explore the complex relationship between science, vision, and art, and offer fresh ways to think about this captivating work. After The Last Supper was last on view at Crystal Bridges during the Wonder World exhibition in 2011-2012. Because the thread is sensitive to light and needs time resting in storage— and because of the complex nature of the installation—this is the first time in years that visitors will be able to experience the impressive work in person. Another work by Sperber in the collection, After Grant Wood (American Gothic) 2 (2006) based on the classic painting American Gothic, Gothic, was on view in 2018 in the Contemporary Art Galleries.
Devorah Sperber, After The Last Supper (detail), 2005
Putting the spotlight on a single work from the Crystal Bridges permanent collection, this focus exhibition features After The Last Supper (2005) by Devorah Sperber. Made of an astounding 20,736 thread spools, the work uses an unexpected material on an epic scale to turn art history on its head.
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NEW ACQUISITION
Jordan Casteel, Ourlando Ourlando,, 2018
"It’s beautiful to be part of a collective of women and portraitists who are seeing the world through our own individual lenses and giving ourselves permission to share that." Jordan Casteel
Ourlando
by Jordan Casteel
Tyra A. Seals Curatorial Assistant
During the summer of 2019, Crystal Bridges acquired and installed several new contemporary works by female artists and artists of color who are shaping the art world today, including artist Jordan Casteel. Casteel’s practice is built upon an embedded passion for communities and the individuals that make them, as evidenced by the painting Ourlando (2018). The work features a man that Casteel describes as a Harlem suit shop owner standing among an array of dress shirts, some folded and others facing forward. His attire—a tan fedora with a brown buckle detail, relaxed khaki suit jacket complete with pocket square, blue trousers supported by a textured cerulean belt, and loafers—references a longstanding precedent of Black tailored elegance in Harlem that dates back to the 1950s and ‘60s. Though casual, the subject has a polished appeal and embodies a sense of confidence that many Black men reclaim through intentional, elevated dress. A closer look reveals the immense detail that Casteel takes in every inch of the painting,
from the fabric folds in the subject’s pants to the dimple in his left cheek. The man is dressed similarly to the mannequin, which is only partially visible in the work, and provides a contrast that demonstrates his unique sartorial flair. Crystal Bridges acquired this work following Casteel's prestigious tenure as a 2015 artist-in-residence at the Studio Museum in Harlem. While undoubtedly distinctive, Casteel’s works are part of a larger conversation about portrait painting that her contemporaries—including Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley—are contributing to as well. This vibrant, growing cohort of Black artists is molding the centuries-old narrative within portraiture of a preference for wealthy, esteemed sitters. Their respective works reflect the lives and features of individuals that would otherwise be considered commonplace. Ourlando is just one demonstration of Casteel’s keen investment in the spaces and people that have shaped her world.
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D O N 'T M I SS
PORTRAITS O F COURAGE A COMMANDER IN CHIEF’S TRIBUTE TO AMERICA’S WARRIORS
NOW ON VIEW IN THE MODERN ART GALLERY FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY: THROUGH JANUARY 20, 2020 Admission is free. Plan your trip today at CrystalBridges.org.
Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors is a collection of portraits by President George W. Bush on loan from the Ambassador and Mrs. George L. Arygos Collections of Presidential Art at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, a non-profit organization whose Military Service Initiative is focused on helping veterans and their families. Sponsored by Neff & Scarlett Basore, Bass Pro Shops, Paul & June Carter Family, James Dyke & Helen Porter, Jackye & Curtis Finch, Jr., James Freeman & Barbara Yates, Charles & Shannon Holley, Randy & Valorie Lawson / Lawco Energy Group, Lee & Linda Scott, Lamar & Shari Steiger, and Stephen & Claudia Strange.
MEMBERSHIP
Member Events Enjoy these free upcoming member events at Crystal Bridges.
Member Preview Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal… FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 11 AM TO 9 PM Crystal Bridges members are invited to enjoy a first look at the temporary exhibition, Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal... Equal... before it opens to the public! Don’t miss your opportunity to see the first comprehensive survey of this acclaimed and award-winning artist’s career. Learn more about Hank Willis Thomas on pages 32-37.
Member Tea Art in Bloom FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 10 TO 11:30 AM Drop by for mid-morning tea and treats before you visit Art in Bloom in the museum’s galleries. Enjoy music, tea samplings with Savoy Tea Co., and scrumptious pairings from our chef.
Member Scoop If These Walls Could Talk WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 6 TO 8 PM Take a journey back in time with Director of Operations Scott Eccleston and learn more about the development of the Crystal Bridges building on this highlights tour.
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opening 02 22 2020
The Mome
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MOMENTARY PAUSE
entary Enhancing Bentonville’s Quality of Life Erica Harmon Editor
Across the field from 8th Street Market, a former cheese plant scrapes the skyline of downtown Bentonville. Walking inside, the building’s history is present in the exposed industrial pipes and concrete structure. But this once industrial building is now known as the Momentary—a dynamic, innovative, multidisciplinary space that will celebrate the art and music of our times. As the Momentary’s opening date draws nearer, years of work are being realized. Spearheaded by Olivia Walton, chairperson of the Momentary Council, along with her husband Tom and brother-in-law Steuart Walton, the idea for this contemporary art space was conceived through an ambitious vision of economic opportunity, cultural expansion for Northwest Arkansas, and inspiration from their aunt Alice.
October 5 marked the Momentary's first event, Meet the Momentary, a community gathering on the Momentary Green.
“Our commitment to cultivating arts and cultural experiences provides more opportunities for education, engagement, and enjoyment in our region.” Tom Walton
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MOMENTARY PAUSE
Seeing the Need
Earlier this year, the Northwest Arkansas Council reported that the region’s growth increased 18.6 percent since the 2010 Census, with Bentonville leading the four largest cities of the region. With growing companies and the announcement of Walmart’s new home office, it is anticipated that more people from around the country will be calling Northwest Arkansas their home in the decades to come, particularly millennials, the largest generation in the US workforce. Millennials, as a generation, have been identified as experiential consumers, people who want to spend their time on experiences, rather than things. They take a very broad view of arts and culture, a view which includes music venues, great food, outdoor experiences, and unique places to hang out: in sum, the Momentary.
“It’s important to us that young professionals come here to chase quality of life just as much as they come here to pursue professional opportunity.” Olivia Walton
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Quality of life can be defined in many ways, but it ultimately measures a subjective level of happiness among individuals in a community. According to the Walton Family Foundation’s 2018 Quality of Life study, 95 percent of residents reported being “happy” or “fairly happy,” and there was a significant increase in attendance across key arts and culture amenities. With the support of the Walton Family Foundation, Olivia, Tom, and Steuart Walton are leading the charge to elevate the area’s quality of life by bringing more arts opportunities to the Heartland through the Momentary. “Our family is committed to supporting efforts that build on the experiences that have always made Northwest Arkansas special,” said Tom Walton, Home Region Committee chair. “The Momentary will be a living room for the community that uniquely connects art, food, and nature, solidifying our reputation as one of the best places to live.” The Momentary will continue Northwest Arkansas’s cultural journey through art, music, and food that unites the hobbies and interests of community members from various backgrounds and experiences. The artists and performers featured at the Momentary will also reflect the diverse complexity of the community and the nation.
MOMENTARY PAUSE
Finding Inspiration
There are several contemporary art spaces around the world that are easy to admire. One of the big inspirations for the Momentary is MoMA PS1 in New York. An affiliate of the Museum of Modern Art, MoMA PS1 is an exhibition space that displays contemporary art, music, and performance programming. MASS MoCA, located in North Adams, Massachusetts, is another inspirational contemporary space that was converted from a factory into a museum, similar to the Momentary’s adaptive reuse project. Contemporary spaces around the country such as the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) in Los Angeles, Dia: Beacon in upstate New York, and The Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis, among others, have served to keep arts and cultural experiences accessible and consistent to maintain a high quality of life in their respective cities. Positioning the Momentary in downtown Bentonville offers the opportunity for people across the community to convene in a central location that is accessible by the Razorback Regional Greenway. It also allows folks the opportunity to engage in cultural experiences together in a space that is welcoming to anyone with curiosity and a thirst to try something new.
The Meaning behind the Name History and culture happen in the moment. It’s happening now. And now. And now. This concept became the idea behind a space that would focus on art, music, and performance that are being created in the present moment. Thus, the Momentary was born. “The name is a play on the word ‘contemporary,’ and the idea of being in the moment,” said Olivia Walton. “It also speaks to that fleeting quality found in music and performance.”
It is aptly named because artworks and programs at the Momentary will change regularly, focusing on the current moment. This means that every single visit to the space will provide a new experience for guests and will encourage them to have open minds that are ready to delight in new surprises.
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MOMENTARY PAUSE
A Satellite to Crystal Bridges
Just as MoMA has an affiliation with MoMA PS1, the Momentary, similarly, is a satellite of Crystal Bridges. Contemporary art will be featured at both locations, such as will be the case during State of the Art 2020 (see pg. 20). With its unique space and focus, the Momentary will be able to push boundaries and keep its finger on the pulse of new trends and voices in the art world today. Inspired by their aunt Alice Walton and the trail she blazed in founding Crystal Bridges, Olivia, Tom, and Steuart recognized that Crystal Bridges helped open doorways for exploration of the arts in the region. “The Momentary would never exist if it weren’t for Crystal Bridges,” said Olivia Walton. Since its opening in 2011, Crystal Bridges has welcomed over 4.5 million people through its doors from all over the world and from all walks of life to experience the power of art and the beauty of nature in a natural setting. By witnessing how Crystal Bridges became a cultural arts destination bringing tourism and new audiences to Bentonville, it was clear that there was room for more growth, experimentation, and new opportunities to expand arts access in Northwest Arkansas. Following in the footsteps of Crystal Bridges, the Momentary will offer free general admission, courtesy of Walmart, and will strive to be as accessible as possible to allow all to enjoy the space and programs, from offering multilingual amenities and assisted listening devices to thoughtful placement of ramps and lifts. Both locations are connected by a 1.5 mile-long stretch across the Razorback Regional Greenway.
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Growing the Team
Once the initial seeds were sown, the search began for an architecture firm that would see this ambitious vision come to fruition. Wheeler Kearns Architects in Chicago was hired in 2016 to take on the adaptive reuse project. Lead architect Calli Verkamp, whom this publication featured in the April 2019 issue (available on the Crystal Bridges website), has been leading the charge to not only ensure that the building would be able to support its new purpose, but that the process would also have less carbon impact on the environment. The Momentary features sustainable elements, such as the creation of a bioswale, which turns and cleans rainwater running down to the creek. In 2018, Lieven Bertels was hired as the Momentary’s director. “Northwest Arkansas is such a welcoming region for creative professionals, with the perfect mix between a unique, regional identity and a global connectivity,” said Bertels. “Moving here for this project was a nobrainer!” Prior to coming on as director of the Momentary, Bertels lived in the Netherlands, where he worked as CEO and cultural director of LeeuwardenFryslân 2018 European Capital of Culture, a year-long festival focusing on the arts in a rural setting. Before that, he was festival director of the Sydney Festival in Australia and artistic coordinator at the Holland Festival in Amsterdam. From 2010 to 2016, he served on the board of directors of the International Society for the
Performing Arts in New York, and in 2013 was made Knight in the Belgian Order of the Crown. In 2018, Lauren Haynes was named the curator of visual arts at the Momentary, a role she serves dually alongside being the curator of contemporary art at Crystal Bridges. Pia Agrawal came on board in 2019 as the curator of performing arts, responsible for leading the research and planning of performance seasons. The growing Momentary staff is responsible for bringing today’s artists and performers from around the world to Bentonville, always keeping the experience different and fresh for visitors. They currently work as part of a small, but growing team who are solely dedicated to the operations and programming of the Momentary, along with a variety of teams at Crystal Bridges supporting the development of the satellite space.
MOMENTARY PAUSE
Living in the Moment
The Momentary’s first moment is approaching fast. When it opens on February 22, 2020, it will offer communal spaces for guests to work, play, and engage in discussion, including open gallery areas, theater and concert spaces, a black box theater, an Onyx Coffee Lab, the Break Room for healthy bites, outdoor seating and a festival stage on the Momentary Green, and a Tower Bar overlooking Bentonville. The Momentary Green will offer spaces for people to relax, work, or meet with others outdoors and enjoy nature. Outdoor single and multi-day music festivals will be held on the Green. It will also feature sculptures. The Tower Bar, loosely inspired by 1960s airport lounges, will be a social space offering wine, beer, craft cocktails, and bar snacks in the evening, accompanied by stunning views overlooking the natural beauty of Bentonville. MO Friend and Insider-level members can enjoy the space during the day with coffee and snacks.
There are many ways to live in the moment and enjoy a high quality of life in Northwest Arkansas, thanks to the ever-growing focus on the arts at places like the Momentary. If you find yourself yearning to be part of the cultural conversation, you know where to go. The Momentary’s artist-in-residence program will allow visual artists from around the world to take up residence in one of three studio spaces working on new projects right in the middle of the Heartland. The residency will include performing and culinary artists who might occupy space outside of the three studios. These are just some of the offerings the Momentary will provide, and the initial program lineup that was announced at the Meet the Momentary event last October promises to be insightful and entertaining, beginning with the opening week festival, TIME BEING, and the first exhibition, State of the Art 2020.
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BECOME AN ORIGINAL MO MEMBER
Now is the time to become an Original Member of the Momentary. Get in on the ground floor and be part of the Momentary from the very beginning.
NOW THROUGH FEBRUARY 22, 2020 When you become a member, you join a diverse community with new offerings and dynamic art experiences. Add it on to your Crystal Bridges membership, ensuring that you have early access and discounts to all events at both locations.
MOMENTARY BENEFITS UNIVERSAL
Early access to info & tickets 20% discount on general admission event tickets & special members-only offers Expedited drink service at events Members-only events & experiences 10% retail discount at Crystals Bridges & the Momentary 10% discount on room rate at 21c Museum Hotels Bentonville, Oklahoma City, and Kansas City locations
MO MEMBER All Universal Benefits for 2 people $75 Annually $6.50 Monthly
MO FRIEND
All Universal Benefits for 2 people
$500 Annually $42.25 Monthly
Exclusive access to daytime coffee services at Tower Bar Access to dedicated MO Friends bar at festivals
TO JOIN,
Access to OZ1 Lounge at Thaden Field
visit our Guest Services desk at either location, call our Member Priority Line 479.418.5728, or visit theMomentary.org/membership.
Opportunity to purchase MO Travel add-on (opportunity to travel nationally with the Momentary) + NARM benefits*
MO INSIDER
All Universal Benefits for 2 people
$5,000 Annually $418.75 Monthly
All MO Friend level benefits Access to exclusive Reverb Room at festivals Invites to exhibition opening receptions held at the Momentary Includes MO Travel add-on
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PHILANTHROPY
Lighting the Way for Future Generations The Lantern Bearers Planned Giving Program is Established at Crystal Bridges
Maxfield Parrish, The Lantern Bearers, Bearers, 1908
Find more information about Lantern Bearers by visiting our website at CrystalBridges.org or by calling Emily Ironside, Director of Development at 479.418.5780.
Crystal Bridges announces the establishment of Lantern Bearers, a new recognition program for those who believe in the power of art to transform lives today—and forever. Lantern Bearers are those who have designated Crystal Bridges as a beneficiary of their estates, helping to expand access to the arts and education for generations to come. Lantern Bearers draws its name from one of the most admired works in the Crystal Bridges collection, The Lantern Bearers by Maxfield Parrish. The painting is simultaneously full of wonder and whimsy, illuminating the light of floating lanterns and the vivid colors of Parrish’s blue sky. The painting captures the attention of all who view it, drawing curious observers into its narrative. It is with a spirit of hope and wonder inspired by this painting that we invite all to consider including Crystal Bridges as part of your estate planning. Recognition as a Lantern Bearer is open to all who formalize their intention to leave Crystal Bridges in their estate plans. Gifts to date include bequests of cash and stock, living and revocable trusts, accepted gifts of art reviewed by our art committee, designation of the museum as a beneficiary of banking accounts or insurance policies, and transfers of other real property. Certain gifts may also qualify for recognition in the museum’s annual Kindred Spirits program, which includes invitations to exclusive special events and travel opportunities with the museum. Crystal Bridges is excited to celebrate the launch of Lantern Bearers with a special event for those who notify us by April 1, 2020, of their intent to include the museum in their estate plans.
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ASSE THE OF T
ESSING HE STATE THE ART Erica Harmon Editor
In 2014, just three years after the museum opened its doors for the first time, Crystal Bridges presented a massive exhibition featuring artists working around the country. After hundreds of thousands of miles traveled and hundreds of artist visits, State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now brought the work of 102 contemporary artists to the center of the country, in Bentonville, Arkansas. The first State of the Art was created to ensure that audiences experience the art of our times as relevant and approachable. As a result of those efforts, more than 175,000 visitors experienced this exhibition and engaged in meaningful discussions and events, including a symposium with artist talks and a summit addressed by former President Bill Clinton. PBS created a documentary called State of the Art, released in April 2019, following the journeys of seven artists featured in the show. Much has changed in six years. In 2014, Barack Obama was our president. Ebola became a global health epidemic. Apple Watches were just being announced and Ice Bucket Challenges were the hottest social media trend. As the world turns, so does the state of contemporary art. Six years later, it’s time to assess what art looks like moving into a new decade. 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 art, and Alejo Benedetti, assistant curator of contemporary art, traveled thousands of miles across the country to visit artists in their studios and communities. From their efforts, 59 artists were selected and will be featured at Crystal Bridges and the Momentary for the first time on a national stage through State of the Art 2020. 2020. “This is an exciting opportunity for us to have audiences explore new things that are being done in art today, by artists
STATE OF THE ART 2020
Six years after State of the Art opened, three new curators have traveled the country to find a new batch of artists to feature at Crystal Bridges and the Momentary for State of the Art 2020. who come from diverse backgrounds and communities,” said Haynes. “On top of that, this is also meaningful in that we will be featuring contemporary art at the Momentary, our new contemporary art satellite space, as well as Crystal Bridges.” The location for each artwork will be determined based on the size and needs of each work. The artists featured in this exhibition are at all stages of their careers, living and working in communities large and small across the country. What connects this particular group of artists, however, is a collection of themes that began to emerge during the curators’ visits, specifically concepts of world-building, mapping, sense of place, and temporality. “As we began traveling, we noticed similar conversations, questions, and ideas emerging among artists from different regions. These synergies drove the selection of artists and development of themes. This opportunity to work with such a wide range of thinkers across our two campuses is an exciting one,” said Glenn. Now that the museum has established a level of understanding for contemporary art, this second iteration of the State of the Art exhibition asks visitors to come and simply experience it. “Contemporary art is incredibly democratic. Everyone living at this moment has a connection to it in some way, simply by virtue of existing while it’s being made now,” said Benedetti. “All art was contemporary at some point,” said Haynes. “This is an opportunity to see and appreciate what our art looks like now, in 2020, straight from the communities across our nation.”
State of the Art 2020 will be the Momentary’s inaugural exhibition, opening there and at Crystal Bridges on February 22, 2020. Check the calendar for programs and events related to the exhibition. Sponsored by Bank of America (Lead Sponsor), Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation, Christie's, The Coca-Cola Company, and the Crystal Bridges Art Now Fund. National tour sponsored by Bank of America.
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STATE OF THE ART 2020
Get a first look at some of the artists and artworks that will be featured in State of the Art 2020, 2020, opening at Crystal Bridges and the Momentary on February 22, 2020.
JOOYOUNG CHOI Time for You and Joy Alejo Benedetti Assistant Curator
to Get Acquainted
Yes, that’s a dinosaur. Specifically a brontosaurus. And even more specifically, her name is Perennial Favorites. This character is the creation of JooYoung Choi and inhabits a special planet created to house all of Earth’s brontosauruses during the times when scientists flip flop as to whether the brontosaurus ever really existed as its own distinct species. Positioned on top of the dinosaur are, from left to right, Captain Spacia Tanno, Amplexus, Putt Putt, and Rainbow Rabbit – a small selection of an ever-growing cast of creatures that make up Choi’s fantastical universe, The Cosmic Womb. Each character has elaborate stories and adventures of their own, the nuanced details of which Choi is happy to share with viewers when prompted. But part of the charm of her extended body of work is tracing these characters across the Cosmic Womb through Choi’s soft sculptures, paintings, music, and video. Each appearance provides insight into new adventures and prompts even more opportunities to observe the ever-expanding universe. Blending autobiography into a sprawling, imaginative space, her work tackles a variety of topics ranging from determining where imaginary friends go after kids stop believing in them to exploring her own sense of displacement as a South Korean child adopted by a white, American family.
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JooYoung Choi, Time for You and Joy to Get Acquainted (detail), 2017
STATE OF THE ART 2020
Suchitra Mattai, Dialectic (detail), 2019.
SUCHITRA MATTAI Lauren Haynes Curator, Contemporary Art/Visual Arts
Exodus
Like many artists in State of the Art 2020 (and many artists working across the United States) Suchitra Mattai has lived and worked in many different places across the globe. Currently, the multidisciplinary artist who works in painting, fiber, drawing, collage, installation, video, and sculpture lives and works in Denver, Colorado. She was born in Guyana, South America and has also lived in Nova Scotia, Philadelphia, New York City, Minneapolis, and Udaipur, India. Her background and the many places she has lived have had a great impact on her artwork and how she sees the world. Exodus (2019) consists of vintage Indian saris (a woman’s garment from Indian subcontinent) from Mattai’s
family, woven together with saris from Sharjah and India. For Mattai, Exodus “connects diasporic communities of South Asians across the globe, giving voice to generations of women while also probing questions of displacement resulting from European colonization. Many South Asians left India in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to work as indentured laborers around the world. Focusing on this period is both a means of tracing my family’s history in Guyana and of fostering discussion around contemporary issues surrounding labor and gender.”
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STATE OF THE ART 2020
ART MILLER
AT&T Cellular Tower series
Allison Glenn Associate Curator of Contemporary Art
Many photographers use the camera as a means to map relationships, or reveal what might exist just beyond the frame. Kansas City-based photographer Art Miller uses the camera as a tool to reveal often overlooked landscapes. Inherent to the artist’s practice is an interest in the built environment—specifically how architecture is repurposed—and what emerges when we take a closer look. Miller was photographing churches located in buildings that once housed big box stores and fast food restaurants when he noticed that this particular confluence of US consumerism and Christian churches extended to include cell phone towers embedded in church steeples and bell towers. The two photographs here depict an AT&T cellular tower in the form of a cross located in front of the First Church of Nazarene, in Springdale, Arkansas, and another AT&T cellular tower in the bell tower of the First Church of God in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. This convergence of churches and cell phones holds a particular curiosity for Miller, who imagines an endless trove of information funneling through these ubiquitous forms.
ELISA HARKINS
LEFT: Art Miller, AT&T Cellular Tower, First Church of the Nazarene, Springdale, Arkansas, Arkansas, 2019. ABOVE: Art Miller, AT&T Cellular Tower, First Church of God, Sapulpa, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, 2019.
Wampum
Jayson Overby Curatorial Assistant
In Wampum Wampum,, Tulsa-based artist and composer Elisa Harkins conjures the history and customs of her Native American lineage, more specifically that of Cherokee and Muscogee. Combining traditional elements of performance art and inspiration from 1800s Native American sheet music, Harkins composes an electronic music and dance performance. Conjuring her own Native American lineage, she dances and sings, performing songs in Muscogee (Creek), English, and Cherokee. Chanting and pacing, she moves across the space reciting chants “Die, don’t die. Get the money,” “Don’t you worry, powwow with
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me,” and “I’m not sorry, powwow with me.” The time-based work, which varies in length, features contemporary and Native American dance. While she performs, Harkins is dressed in traditional Cherokee powwow regalia, including a long Tare dress. Another artifact referenced is the customary wampum belt, from which the performance takes its name. Historically, the belt is referenced as a written language, a symbol of currency, and even an adornment.
STATE OF THE ART 2020
JODY KUEHNER Jayson Overby Curatorial Assistant
DITCH
DITCH, a performance and installation by dancer DITCH, and director Jody Kuehner, known as her alter ego and drag persona Cherdonna Shinatra, is entertaining and showy. The persona, Cherdonna Shinatra, is something Kuehner herself has been developing for over 10 years. It’s her way to not only explore, but also help people question themselves and the world around them. More than anything, Shinatra is a “vehicle for [her] to express [herself] through form and melding clowning with contemporary dance.” A queer woman, she’s bearing in mind her own queerness, as well as her audience as she works to claim space for those who identify as femme, gender non-conforming, and queer. The installation is made of bright colors and soft objects protruding from the wall. The walls are fabric-coated and paired with checkerboard flooring. When activated by Shinatra and her dance company DONNA, it becomes a playhouse. They laugh and joke. They’re happy and sad. For her performance, Cherdonna uses clowning, drag, theater, comedy, performance art, camp, pop culture, gay culture, dance traditions, feminist traditions, absurdity, and subversive commentary to make art. As stated by Cherdonna, “the work explores experiences around our collective queerness, femme-centric, professionally-trained contemporary dance bodies.”
Elisa Harkins, Wampum Wampum,, 2019.
Jody Kuehner, Ditch (detail), 2019
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STATE OF THE ART 2020
Paul Stephen Benjamin, Summer Breeze, 2017.
PAUL STEPHEN BENJAMIN Summer Breeze Lauren Haynes Curator, Contemporary Art/Visual Arts
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Paul Stephen Benjamin is a multiple-media artist based in Atlanta, Georgia who explores blackness. Within his artistic practice, Benjamin is continually posing the questions, “What is the color black?” and “If the color black had a sound, what would it sound like?” Each painting, video installation, assemblage, sculpture, and performance that Benjamin creates is proposing an answer to this question. This question is at the root of Benjamin’s video installation works. These works, first began in 2012, consist of dozens of televisions, found images, and sound and video footage. In Summer Breeze (2018), Benjamin combines clips of the singers Billie Holliday and Jill Scott separately singing part of Holliday’s iconic 1939 song "Strange Fruit", a song about lynching and racism in the United States. Benjamin has edited the clips so the only parts of the songs we hear are each woman singing “black bodies swinging in the southern breeze.” This soundtrack accompanies images that Benjamin has sourced including footage of a little girl on a swing. With Summer Breeze, Breeze, and all of his works, Benjamin is not trying to tell us what the color black is, or even what it sounds like—he is instead challenging us to offer our own answers to the question.
STATE OF THE ART 2020
State of the Art 2020 Artists Sama Alshaibi
TUCSON, AZ
Eddie Aparicio
LOS ANGELES, CA
Marcela Pardo Ariza
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Linda, Lee & Dorsey, Louis (1988, 2018), 2018
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
Mae Aur
MEMPHIS, TN Cave Painting, 2018
Jennifer Harge DETROIT, MI
Elisa Harkins
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
Rick Silva
EUGENE, OR
Anthony Sonnenberg
FAYETTEVILLE, AR
Edra Soto
CHICAGO, IL
Francisco Souto
LINCOLN, NE
Damian Stamer
HILLSBOROUGH, NC
Su Su
PITTSBURGH, PA Darwin, 2018
PORTLAND, OR
Kris Pierce
DALLAS, TX
Timothy Portlock
ST. LOUIS, MO
Enrico Riley
LEBANON, NH
Kellie Romany
TULSA, OK
CHICAGO, IL
David R. Harper
Anthony Romero, Josh
Rios, and Matthew Joynt, in Collaboration
Jena Thomas
George Sanchez-Calderon
DURHAM, NC
Scott Hocking
Jordan Seaberry
ATLANTA, GA
Hong Hong
Karen Seapker
PHILADELPHIA, PA
L. Kasimu Harris
NEW ORLEANS, LA
Mari Hernandez
SAN ANTONIO, TX DETROIT, MI
NEW HAVEN, CT
Letitia Huckaby
BOSTON, MA MIAMI, FL
PROVIDENCE, RI
NASHVILLE, TN Tent Mama, 2019
SPARTANBURG, SC
Stacy Lynn Waddell Larry Walker Tweet, Tweet…Look Who’s Here… or Aliens, Wall Spirits and Other Manifestations,, 2017 Manifestations
BENBROOK, TX
Cory Imig
KANSAS CITY, MO
Chele Isaac
MADISON, WI
Ronald Jackson
Frances Bagley
SPOTSYLVANIA, VA
Paul Stephen Benjamin
CLEVELAND, OH
DALLAS, TX
ATLANTA, GA
Lori Kella
Frank Blazquez
Jody Kuehner (Cherdonna)
Kate Budd
Nicolas Lobo
ALBUQUERQUE, NM AKRON, OH
Amy Casey
CLEVELAND, OH
SEATTLE, WA MIAMI, FL
Diego Rodriguez Warner
DENVER, CO
Didier William
PHILADELPHIA, PA
Alice Pixley Young
CINCINNATI, OH
Joanna Keane Lopez
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
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PHILANTHROPY
An Interview with Bank of America, Lead Sponsor of State of the Art 2020 Bank of America is the lead sponsor of State of the Art 2020. In anticipation of the exhibition’s opening, Crystal Bridges Deputy Director Sandy Edwards recently sat down with Evan Beard, Art Services executive at Bank of America Private Bank, to discuss the exhibition and trends in the art world. SE Evan, we have appreciated Bank of America’s involvement with Crystal Bridges as a sponsor. Why have the arts been a particularly important emphasis for Bank of America? Evan Beard with Joan Mitchell, Untitled, 1977.
EB It’s an important question; we support the arts in two ways. We have a global arts and culture group that runs a comprehensive program of support for nonprofit arts institutions, on the one hand. In that, we are a leader, supporting more than 2,000 nonprofit cultural institutions each year through grants and sponsorships. This program is driven by the belief that the arts have the power to help economies thrive, educate and enrich societies, and create greater cultural understanding. Separately, from a business perspective, the art market has evolved into something that is now a real industry for us. We manage museum endowments, have a large art lending and financing business, negotiate auction consignments, and do planning and tax strategy with art collector clients across the country. Our clients are very passionate about the arts, both from a philanthropic perspective as well as from a collector standpoint. SE I think that aligns so beautifully with Bank of America being a sponsor of State of the Art 2020. 2020. Could you speak about why State of the Art, Art, specifically, has special appeal? EB We’re currently in one of the great waves of global museum launches. The first wave was in the nineteenth century with the great public museums of Europe in “the age of beauty.” The second wave was in the early twentieth century with the museums of the Fritz’s, Huntington’s, Morgan’s, and Mellon’s during what we call “the age of ideas.” Now, we’re in “the age of identity.” The twenty-first century thus far has been driven by identity and biography of the artist. Curators are reexamining gaps in their collection based on gender, race, etc. of their artists. They’re redefining what American art means. When we reevaluate these works in our history 50 years hence, the question will be whether the identity or biography of the artist
carries the same weight as it does today. We see State of the Art 2020 as this great opportunity to write the next chapter in partnership with Crystal Bridges by asking the question: what is the art of our moment? We see this as an opportunity that will appeal to many of our clients and collectors, especially in the southern region of America. We also find it interesting and appealing that these artists will come from all across the country. For us as a large financial institution, we’re excited to see the art of our time, and it’ll be 20 years hence before we are able to determine whether we hit the mark or not. SE That’s the fun part. So looking ahead into 2020, what are some of the significant art events that you’re excited about? EB I must start with the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the Louvre that started in October 2019 and will go into 2020. This show brings together works from England, France, Italy, the United States, and it is the largest retrospective of the artist’s work. It’s a great global event of which we’re excited to serve as lead sponsor. Another exciting event is the reopening of MoMA, which Bank of America is sponsoring. This well-known collection is being re-contextualized in a new space. Our great partnership with the opening of the Momentary in 2020 is also exciting, and we’re looking forward to watching State of the Art 2020 travel around the country in 2020 as well. SE Anything else you’d like to comment on? EB We’re excited about the second chapter in our partnership with Crystal Bridges. It’s been fascinating to watch how this museum has developed and it’s fun to watch one of these great collections evolve over time as new and important works of art are added each season. The big focus for us right now is the next generation. There’s this huge wealth transfer that’s going to happen over the next 25 years, and there’s a new generation of budding collectors and art enthusiasts. We love the vision of the Momentary and how it appeals to a younger generation, so we’re excited to be at the genesis. To read the full interview and learn more about collector trends, visit CrystalBridges.org/blog.
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Tastiest perk for museum members? FREE DESSERT AT DINNER!
JOIN US FOR DINNER 5 to 9 pm Wed, Thurs, Fri Reservations are available. Walk-ins welcome. Happy Hour from 5 to 7 pm! Members enjoy a free Chef's Special dessert with the order of an entree during dinner. 31
This winter, Crystal Bridges invites you to experience the North Forest like never before. North Forest Lights is a nighttime, artistic light and sound experience that brings the soul of the forest to life with five distinct installations. Don your favorite winter outfit, grab a cup of hot cocoa at the Village inside North Forest Lights, and immerse yourself in this captivating, familyfriendly experience.
ON VIEW NOW THROUGH FEBRUARY 16, 2020 For tickets and more information, visit CrystalBridges.org 32
By night, the earth reveals its hidden language. It's time to tune in.
"A multisensory winter wonderland." – TravelAwaits
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Hank Willis Thomas, Pitch Blackness Off Whiteness, Whiteness, 2009
FEATURE
An Interview with
HANK WILLIS THOMAS Hank Willis Thomas knows how to push boundaries and challenge ideas. He uses photography, sculpture, and images from sports, advertising, and popular culture to make his viewer sit up, pay attention, and think about the implications of each artwork he creates. His collaborative art projects have inspired conversations about social justice and civil rights, and although he has been working for several decades, he’s just getting started.
Beginning in February, Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal…, Equal…, the first survey of the artist’s work, will be on view at Crystal Bridges. In anticipation of his upcoming exhibition, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art Allison Glenn recently spoke with Thomas about his thoughts on art, society, family, and Beyoncé.
Organized by the Portland Art Museum, Oregon.
SPONSORED AT CRYSTAL BRIDGES BY
Phillips Esther Silver-Parker Deborah Wright Arkansas Humanities Council Kate & Greg Schaffer This project is supported in part by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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HANK WILLIS THOMAS
AG What brought you to photography as a medium? HWT Both of my parents are photographers, and I grew up in a household full of photographs—most of them are by people who aren’t related to me and many who aren’t famous— because my mother was so in awe of the representations that black photographers had created of African-descended peoples that were very much in contrast to the images that mainstream society was producing and celebrating. AG How do you think photography or images function in the world?
AG In your Unbranded series, specifically Reflections in Black by Corporate America and A Century of White Women, Women, you look at representation and identity in advertising, and how images can be manipulated to reinforce stereotypes. What drew you to advertising as an area to unpack these ideas?
HWT In many ways, I’m a product of my generation, the “MTV Generation.” We were influenced by media and popular culture in a way that previous generations weren’t. I learned as much about the world through television as I did through anything else, and television is fueled by advertising. I worked as an intern on the Chris Rock Show and as a production assistant on Saturday Night Live in the film unit, so I saw how advertising could and should be challenged and reconsidered. At that time, I was also looking at the work of Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, and Richard Prince, particularly his Marlboro Man series. I realized that in the age of digital scanning and Photoshop, you can take an advertising image and deconstruct it or un-brand it, because advertising isn’t about the products, it’s about what meaning you can give to a product through images and text.
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AG It’s interesting to hear about your relationship to popular and material culture. There’s this quote in the exhibition catalog where you say, “I’m much more influenced by Beyoncé than I am by Picasso.” And my question is, is this true?
HWT I would not say that I consider myself a super-fan of Beyoncé in any real way. But I will say that seeing her perform live from a few steps away changed my life. I say that because, basically, she smiled at me and I smiled back. I recognized in that moment that she wasn’t just smiling at me, she was smiling at the 60,000 people behind me as well. She, in her smile, is projecting an energy that is supposed to emanate through me to everyone in the space. And that is something that she does hundreds of times a year, multiple times a day. She’s created a level of excellence for herself that people anticipate and then she goes about living up to it and surpassing it. So I feel like Picasso may be timeless, but Beyoncé’s eternal. AG And so then, if you’re influenced by Beyoncé, is it safe to say that you’ve set up a certain level of excellence for yourself that is eternal also?
HWT I try. [laughs]
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Hank Willis Thomas, Strike Strike,, 2018. Hank Willis Thomas, So Glad We Made It / Unbranded: Reflections in Black Corporate America 1968 - 2008, 2008, 1979/2006. Hank Willis Thomas, Smokin' Joe Ain't J'mama/Unbranded: Reflections in Black Corporate America 1968–2008, 1978/2006.
HWT In many ways. I think images shape the world, because reality is not a fixed thing, it’s a perception, and that perception is shaped by the dominant perspective of the people of power. That’s why you can have very different truths in different households, and in different parts of the world, and people go to war over these truths. The ways in which photography shapes these perceptions of the truth is massive, because it’s through these images that we learn and decide who is valuable, whose lives are worth preserving, celebrating, and protecting, and what is important.
ethnographic community, but instead, a global community. We see ourselves as part of a global conversation where you can really talk about contemporary art as a manifestation of the hive mind. We’re influenced by so many things, people, and cultures, and so many moments in history that we don’t even know where the inspiration for much of our work comes from. Contemporary art really says a lot more about our society than you’ll find in most history books, because this is the contemporaneous product of the subconscious mind. Looking back, most of what we know about ancient cultures is through their art. It’s not about the written document as much as it is about the cultural products they produced, whether it be through architecture or sculpture, painting, food, clothing. Various forms of contemporary art are the clues to what binds cultures.
AG You and I have had the opportunity to work together on various projects over the last six years.
HWT We first worked together on a bus bench project in Chicago. AG We did work on a bus bench project, yes! It's exciting to think about the impact that artists and curators can have on each other. Can you speak to the ways in which art museums can help foster discourse for their guests?
HWT I don’t think a lot of museums do a good enough job of showing the connection between the work that artists are doing (historically and contemporarily) to various political events and happenings of their lifetime. For example, we’ll go back to Picasso, who was seen as the most influential artist of the twentieth century – it’s not a coincidence that his work and the work of other modern artists changed dramatically right around the same time that Europe started to explore and colonize Africa. AG I appreciate you bringing up the relationship between
FROM TOP: Hank Willis Thomas, A Place to Call Home (Africa-America), (Africa-America), 2009. Hank Willis Thomas, The Cotton Bowl, Bowl, from the series Strange Strange Fruit, Fruit, 2011
Europe and Africa. That’s really great.
HWT We’ve seen so much about the domination and exploitation of Africans by Europeans but we know virtually nothing about the domination and exploitation of Europe by Africans. I feel like those are the things we’re slightly moving toward but we should be thinking more about the global impact on and of artists.
AG While we’re talking about contemporary art and culture, why do you think it’s important to pay attention to contemporary art, or art that is being created today?
HWT There’s never been more people who feel that they have something to say, and there are people who will listen. People from certain communities always made the work, but by and large, they made it assuming that the majority of the world would never care about them, whereas these days, we have social media and a more connected society. We see that we can build an audience that is not necessarily tied to a geographic or
How can we not talk about the birth of contemporary modern art being African thought? 37
AG Museums can make pathways to understanding. In an interview with Kellie Jones, published in the All Things Being Equal… catalog, you refer to your parents as pathfinders. How has family impacted and helped to shape your practice?
HWT I don’t know if there are any artists that haven’t been influenced by their upbringing, and I don’t think I’m any different. My parents are, at their core, seekers of knowledge. They are also part of the first generation of African Americans to have a crack at freedom, meaning they were educated in the post-Brown vs. Board world, and were able to go to college in integrated schools and have access to opportunities that were pretty much out of the realm of possibilities for their parents. So, I saw how their curiosity about the world led them to do things that were pretty amazing. AG What does freedom mean to you? HWT I always go back to this quote from a James Baldwin interview where he said that “love has never been a popular movement and no one has ever really wanted to be free.” In a way, freedom is not only timeless and endless, it’s limitless. Freedom is a responsibility to see and live beyond your own limitations of what you think you know life is about. AG Who is your role model? HWT Probably my grandmother, because her faith is unquestionable, unshakable, and unstoppable. And it leads her to love and appreciate everyone in every moment and to be content and open at the same time.
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Freedom is a responsibility to see and live beyond your own limitations of what you think you know life is about. AG How does it feel to see a survey of your life’s work altogether in one exhibition, and what do you want guests to come away with after viewing All Things Being Equal…?
HWT It doesn’t seem real to me. I feel like I’m still learning that I’m “Hank Willis Thomas.” I’m inspired by a JAY-Z song that says, “we ain’t supposed to be here.” I think I still embrace that mentality of “who, me?” that’s been engrained into our psyche for generations. Although I recognize the privilege I have relative to previous generations, I don’t see myself as special in the context of the world. So to think about my “life’s work” and it being something that other people are caring about and investing in and nurturing and celebrating, I mean, it really forces me to reconsider how I value myself and my work, because it’s really a process of self-exploration that I get to share through the world but I never made it thinking that anybody else would care, so it’s pretty humbling and also pretty empowering.
What is For Freedoms?
All Li es Matter, St. Louis MO, MO, 2018.
LEFT: Hank Willis Thomas, I Am. Amen., Amen., 2009. RIGHT: Hank Willis Thomas x For Freedoms,
HANK WILLIS THOMAS
AG Maybe that’s what drives Beyoncé’s smile. HWT Yeah! AG What advice would you give aspiring artists, curators, programmers, and community organizers who see the work that you’re doing as valuable and want to use that as a way to move forward with their goals and dreams?
HWT Don’t believe the hype. AG What are you hopeful for? HWT I’m hopeful for my next breath and that I’ll appreciate it. I’m hopeful that we as a society will not only learn from our past, but also take actions to improve upon them rather than repeating them in destructive ways, and also to recognize that progress is inevitable.
For Freedoms is a collaborative project founded by Hank Willis Thomas and Eric Gottesman, which focuses on making space for art and civic engagement through exhibitions and town halls. The idea was inspired by American artist Norman Rockwell’s paintings of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms (1941)—freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. As Hank says, “We need to invest more energy into shaping the public discourse and ask questions that will complicate it. Right now, in our civic discourse, we’re not asking very good questions. It’s not that I believe that artists have the solutions but I believe that we have the questions that could possibly lead to new solutions. We as For Freedoms have been trying to encourage artists to think about our country as their canvas and encourage people who don’t necessarily engage in the art world to recognize that the work artists do is about all of us.”
This February and March, participate in a For Freedoms Town Hall! >> Saturday, February 29 >> Thursday, March 5
Don’t miss Hank Willis Thomas at Crystal Bridges!
>> Thursday, March 12
Friday, February 7, 7–8 pm
>> Thursday, March 19
Check out the calendar for more information. Check your enclosed calendar for more Members see it first!
information. Locations and times will vary.
Member Preview of Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal… Friday, February 7, 11 am – 9 pm
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CELEBRATIONS
Chalk Festival 08.10.19 Sponsored by Miller Zell, Visit Bentonville, and Art For All Fund.
Light Night 08.31.19 Sponsored by JTH Productions. Special thanks to our collaborators Deadhead Productions, Bike Rack Brewing Co., KOBV 103.7 Radio, and the Amazeum.
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CELEBRATIONS
Crystals in Art Director's Reception 10.10.19 Sponsored by Avant Mining, James Dyke & Helen Porter, Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry, Frank and Pat Bailey, Marybeth and Micky Mayfield, Morris Foundation, Inc., Kyle, Maury and Finn Peterson, and JT and Imelda Rose.
Meet the Momentary 10.05.19 Sponsored by the Momentary’s founding funders: Walton Family Founcation, Walmart, RØDE Microphones, The Coca-Cola Company, and Tyson Family Foundation.
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CREDITS
COVER Hank Willis Thomas, Guernica (detail), 2016. Mixed media, including sport jerseys, 131 × 281 in. Private Collection. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Hank Willis Thomas. TOC FROM LEFT Karen Seapker, Tent Mama,, 2019, oil on canvas, 60 x 48 in. Courtesy of Zeitgeist Gallery. Hank Willis Mama Thomas, All Things Being Equal..., Equal..., 2010. Polished stainless steel with pin mount, 40 15/16 × 76 3/8 × 1 3/16 in. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Hank Willis Thomas. PAGE 8 Devorah Sperber, After the Last Supper (detail), 2005. 20,736 thread spools, hanging apparatus, ball chain, viewing sphere and stand 84 1/2x 348 x 108 in. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2010.4 © Devorah Sperber. PAGE 9 Jordan Casteel, Ourlando Ourlando,, 2018, oil on canvas, 90 in. × 78 1/8 in. × 1 1/2 in. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2019.16. Photography by Edward C. Robinson III. PAGE 10 FROM LEFT George W. Bush, Sergeant Daniel Casara, Casara, U.S. Army, 1994-2008, oil on gesso board. © Photo by Grant Miller Photography Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Center Lance Corporal Timothy John Lang, Lang, U.S. Marine Corps, 2005-2010, oil on canvas. © Photo by Grant Miller Photography Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Center Sergeant First Class Ramon Padilla, Padilla, U.S. Army, 2000-2009, oil on gesso board. © Photo by Grant Miller Photography Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Presidential Center Sergeant Leslie Zimmerman, Zimmerman, U.S. Army, 2001-2004, oil on canvas. © Photo by Grant Miller Photography Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Center Sergeant First Class Michael R. Rodriguez, Rodriguez, U.S. Army, 1992-2013, oil on canvas © Photo by Grant Miller Photography Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Center PAGE 19 Maxfield Parrish, the Lantern Bearers,, 1908, oil on canvas mounted on board. 40 × 32 in. Crystal Bridges Bearers Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2006.71. Photography by Dwight Primiano. PAGE 22 JooYoung Choi, Time for You and Joy to Get Acquainted (detail), 2017. Wooden armature, fabric, polyfoam. 108 x 115 x 85 in. Courtesy of Nancy Littlejohn Fine Art. PAGE 23 Suchitra Mattai, Dialectic (detail), 2019, vintage saris from India, Sharjah and artist’s Indo-Guyanese family and rope net, 180 x 480 in. Courtesy of K Contemporary Art and the artist The artwork to be featured in State of the Art 2020 is not pictured. PAGE 24-25 CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Art Miller, AT&T Cellular Tower, First Church of the Nazarene, Springdale, Arkansas, Arkansas, 2019. archival inkjet print mounted on archival board, 45 x 65 in. Courtesy of the artist and Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art. Art Miller, AT&T Cellular Tower, First Church of God, Sapulpa, Oklahoma (detail), 2017, archival inkject print mounted to archival board. 45 x 65 in. Courtesy of the Artist andCherry Leedy Contemporary Art. Jody Kuehner, Ditch (detail), 2019, fabric, poly fill, wood, cardboard, installation and performance. Courtesy of the artist. Image courtesy of Jenny May Peterson. Elisa Harkins, Wampum Wampum,, 2019, video. Courtesy of Elisa Harkins. PAGE 26 Paul Stephen Benjamin, Summer Breeze, Breeze, 2018, installation view, Telfair Museum. Courtesy of the artist. © Paul Stephen Benjamin. PAGE 27 CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Marcela Pardo Ariza, Linda, Lee & Dorsey, Louis (1988, 2018), 2018), 2018, mounted Inkjet print, ash artist frame, Twilight Blue paint, 58 × 29 in. Courtesy of the artist. Su Su, Darwin,, 2018. Oil on canvas, 34 x 50 x 2 in. Courtesy of the artist. Larry Walker, Darwin Tweet, Tweet…Look Who’s Here…or Aliens, Wall Spirits and Other Manifestations, Manifestations, 2017, acrylic and various materials on panels (diptych). 62 x 98 x 3 in. Courtesy
of the artist and Mason Fine Art Gallery. Karen Seapker, Tent Mama, Mama, 2019, oil on canvas. 60 x 48 in. Courtesy of Zeitgeist Gallery. Mae Aur, Cave Painting, Painting, 2018. Wood, paint. 52 x 52 x 3 in. Artwork by Mae Aur. PAGE 32 Hank Willis Thomas, Pitch Blackness Off Whiteness, Whiteness, 2009, neon sign, 58 × 33 in. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, NewYork. © Hank Willis Thomas. PAGE 34 CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Hank Willis Thomas, Strike Strike,, 2018, stainless steel with mirrored finish, 33 × 33 × 9 in. Private Collection. Image courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Hank Willis Thomas. Hank Willis Thomas, So So Glad We Made It, It, 1979/2006, lambda photograph, 30 x 34 3/4 in. © Hank Willis Thomas. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. Hank Willis Thomas, Smokin' Joe Ain't J'mama/Unbranded: Reflections in Black Corporate America 1968–2008, 1978/2006, chromogenic print, 31.45 × 30 in. Private Collection. Image courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Hank Willis Thomas. PAGE 35 FROM TOP Hank Willis Thomas, A Place to Call Home (Africa-America), (Africa-America), 2009, polished aluminum with powder coat, 80 × 66 × 1/4 in. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Hank Willis Thomas. Hank Willis Thomas, The Cotton Bowl, from the series Strange Fruit, Fruit, 2011, chromogenic print, 50 15/16 × 74 7/16 × 1 1/2 in. Detroit Institute of Arts, Museum Purchase, W. Hawkins Ferry Fund. Image courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Hank Willis Thomas. PAGE 36-36 FROM LEFT Hank Willis Thomas, I Am. Amen., Amen., 2009, liquitex on canvas, 25 1/4 × 19 × 1/4 × 2 1/4 in. each, installation view. Collection of Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State University. Image courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Hank Willis Thomas. Hank Willis Thomas x For Freedoms, All Li es Matter, St. Louis MO, 2018. In collaboration with Projects + Gallery. Photography by Projects + Gallery from the For Freedoms 50 State Initiative.
LAST WORD
For the first time in C’s history, WE will share the Last Word. Art is a reflection of the times in which it was made, and as the times change, so does art. We are no strangers to change. We mark the beginning of this decade with the opening of the Momentary, a dynamic space dedicated entirely to contemporary art! The space builds on the deep conversations Crystal Bridges fosters between historic and contemporary American art. The Momentary will share the welcoming spirit of Crystal Bridges with its own unique identity and role, complementing the museum’s current offerings. The physical scope and aesthetic space of the Momentary opens up huge possibilities for us to change with the times and provide new opportunities for today’s artists to express themselves with different media and social practice. With the embrace of new technology and the inclusion of different voices, mediums, and ideas, artists are becoming global and museums more reflective of the times in which they exist. Crystal Bridges and now the Momentary are continuing on that pathway, using our new venue to bring issues of contemporary life and their relevance in society front and center. Both locations will offer more voices, artworks, and opportunities than ever before to engage audiences in important cultural dialogue.
We are excited about this new chapter. We hope you’ll join us for the journey at both Crystal Bridges and the Momentary, only eight years after our museum first opened. On every visit, we promise to encourage the discovery of new ideas, expand dreams, and inspire action.
Rod Bigelow
Executive Director and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Lieven Bertels Director The Momentary
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