About
For the next two years, masterworks on loan from the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will be presented throughout the Figge’s permanent collection galleries. These loans are part of the Partner Loan Network, an Art Bridges Foundation program dedicated to bringing American art out of museum vaults and placing it on view in communities across the United States. Many museums have significant collections in storage with only a small percentage of their works on view. By connecting museums such as the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art with museums like the Figge Art Museum, these artworks can be shown to new audiences nationwide.
Spanning over a century and varying in style and subject, the loaned artworks are presented alongside works from the Figge collection in thematic groupings. For instance, mixed media works by Mark Messersmith and Sheila Gallagher challenge us to think about humanity’s harmful impact on the environment. While Edward Melcarth’s painting of sewer workers is installed with other works inspired by the urban environment. Additional pairings explore themes including abstraction, organic forms, and found objects in art. Interpretation and programming will evolve over the course of the exhibition and embrace collaboration and community perspectives. We hope you enjoy exploring the galleries and are challenged and delighted by what you see.
Artwork generously lent by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art as part of the Art Bridges’s Partner Loan Network.