When you think of “American art,” what comes to mind?
If you were to ask a friend the same question, how might their answer differ from your own? How has your response changed from what you would have said a decade ago?
In honor of the Brooklyn Museum’s 200th anniversary this fall, the American art galleries are being reimagined to be more inviting, dynamic, and expansive. Opening in just a few weeks, this transformative reinstallation is going to shed new light on this acclaimed collection.
Black feminist and BIPOC perspectives act as through lines in this vast presentation of more than 400 works. Featuring both collection highlights, such as Laura Wheeler Waring’s Woman with Bouquet, and brand-new acquisitions, such as works by Japanese American artist Hisako Hibi, the galleries will reflect the beauty, wonder, and complexity of American art through the ages.
Myriad voices—of curators, artists, Brooklyn Botanic Garden staff, and NYC drag queens, to name a few—add to the many conversations and questions that the reinstallation surfaces. While grappling with heavy histories, the display emphasizes joy, celebrating American art and artists in all their forms.
How will you experience American art in this moment?
There’s never been a better time to join our vibrant community of art enthusiasts! You’ll enjoy free untimed entry to ticketed exhibitions, plus special viewing hours and exclusive invitations to see the shows before everyone else. What’re you waiting for?
From the top: Laura Wheeler Waring. Woman with Bouquet, ca. 1940. Oil on canvas. Brooklyn Museum; Brooklyn Museum Fund for African American Art in honor of Teresa A. Carbone, 2016.2. © Estate of Laura Wheeler Waring. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Toward Joy: New Frameworks for American Art is organized by Stephanie Sparling Williams, Andrew W. Mellon Curator of American Art; Caroline Gillaspie, Assistant Curator of American Art; Catherine Futter, Senior Curator, Decorative Arts; Liz St. George, Assistant Curator, Decorative Arts; Nancy Rosoff, Andrew W. Mellon Senior Curator, Arts of the Americas; Dare Turner, Curator of Indigenous Art; with Grace Billingslea and Michael Gibson-Prugh, Curatorial Assistants, Arts of the Americas and Europe.
Special thanks to our Brooklyn Museum American Art Advisory Committee and Black Feminist Roundtable.
This exhibition is made possible through support from the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Leadership support for this exhibition is provided by Tracey and Phillip Riese. Major support is provided by American International Group, Inc., Saundra Williams-Cornwell and W. Don Cornwell, Pfizer, Inc., and the Council for African American Art. Generous support is provided by Lizanne Fontaine and Robert Buckholz, the Hasso Philanthropic Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Nkonye Okoh.
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