'Art Is Everywhere'

Current American works converge at Crystal Bridges

Ligia Bouton does not live far from Sante Fe, N.M. Her residence would be considered suburban, but her home is on a dirt road. As she watched a car carrying Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art representatives pull into her driveway, the gravity of the situation hit her.

"I had this moment of 'How did they find me?'" she recalls in the days before a major new exhibition of contemporary American works -- among them her series called "Understudy for 'Animal Farm'" -- debuts at the museum.

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FAQ

“State of the Art”

WHEN — Debuts to members today and the public on Saturday; runs through Jan. 19

WHERE — Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville

ADMISSION — Free

INFO — crystalbridges.org.

FYI

Surrounding Events

A series of related events will be offered throughout the life of the “State of the Art” exhibition. Highlights include an all-museum encompassing Art Night Out event on Oct. 11 and a “State of the Art” symposium in November. For a full list of related programming, visit stateoftheart.cryst….

She still does not know exactly how Crystal Bridges president Don Bacigalupi and curator Chad Alligood came across her name. She guesses they found her as they found so many of the other 101 artists assembled in "State of the Art." Seeking the best in contemporary art, Bacigalupi and Alligood traveled thousands of miles, receiving leads on potential artists from regional art experts along the way. Billed as a major new look at contemporary art, the collection, which debuts today to museum members and Saturday to the general public, gained attention from national art publications even before its official unveiling.

Bacigalupi and Alligood spent months on the road searching for artists. During those travels, they met with nearly 1,000 artists and traveled some 100,000 miles. Alligood now has about 60,000 frequent flyer miles he'll use on some other trip after the exhibit winds down. The rest of those miles were covered via rental cars.

Alligood defends spending most of the days between June 2013 and March 2014 on the road. It's possible to curate a show from behind a desk, he says. But Crystal Bridges occupies an important space in the middle of the country, Alligood says, and it allowed for access to all kinds of places.

"That's one of the takeaways from this project. Art is everywhere. You just have to look for it," Alligood says.

During their months-long search, Alligood says he and Bacigalupi were without quotas. The duo decided on a few guiding parameters, however, searching for art that showed "engagement, virtuosity and appeal," Alligood says.

Coming to a consensus often proved difficult considering the duo's diverse approaches to art. Upon returning to the museum, the two would place Post-it notes on a large map. Some fringe candidates would reside just off the coasts, and many of those became the nearly 900 artists that were approached but ultimately not chosen for the exhibit.

The assembled, accepted artworks create a massive show -- with 102 artists collected into more than 15,000 square feet of gallery space. Even that does not contain the exhibit, as several pieces have been installed on the museum grounds or in neighboring places such as the downtown Bentonville square. "State of the Art" is the largest exhibit in physical size -- and by many measures, in scope -- in Crystal Bridges' young history.

The artists come from backgrounds as varied as those who attend the museum. Even though the curatorial team avoided quotas, a nearly even split in the numbers of male and female artists naturally developed. The artists are also nearly split among four regions of the country, as if the United States was separated into quadrants starting at its midpoint. The artists range in age from 24 to 87. Several work two or three jobs to support themselves. Artists from many cultures are represented, and 11 of the artists captured in "State of the Art" were not born in America but now live and work here.

Not surprisingly, then, the collected artists represent a fascinating level of diversity in ideas, materials and artistic process.

"They are who we are. This exhibition reflects the diversity of American artists," Alligood says.

Included in the exhibit are works such as Jimmy Kuehnle's "Amphibious Inflatable Suit (AIS) In Captivity," a 60-foot long and 20-foot tall inflatable creation now located in a waterway spanning two of the museum's namesake bridges. The work cycles through a series of "exercises" that alternately see it fully extended and above the water's surface or fully deflated and below it. Patrons can see Joel S Allen's hanging work "Hooked on Svelte," the boldly colored flower scenes of A Mary Kay or the fractured photography of Alabama artist Celestia Morgan. Or, they can try on one of Bouton's hog heads. A two-year-long project called "Understudy for 'Animal Farm,'" which takes its cue from the George Orwell novel "Animal Farm," involves a series of hog heads made from pillow cases mounted on a peddler's cart near a mirror. Several times during the course of the exhibit, "Understudy for Animal Farm" will be fully interactive, and patrons will be encouraged to put on one of the masks and look in the mirror.

Bouton says this is the largest and most visible show she's ever been part of, although she's not exactly unknown. She teaches art at the University of New Mexico, and she has been shown both nationally and internationally. But she was pleased the Crystal Bridges show will include several of her works, and several by many of the artists assembled for the exhibit. Bouton first visited Crystal Bridges about three weeks ago to install her part of the collection. Not all of the works in "State of the Art" were ready for a sneak peak, but "the work that I saw was phenomenal. Just jaw-dropping amazing," she says.

The lists of artists was released several weeks ago, and details of many of the works have been slowly arriving. But the totality of the project is not something likely known until well after the debut. Alligood anticipates much conversation about the works, both positive and negative. He welcomes it all.

His primary hope is that patrons and critics arrive with open minds.

"Art remains a vital, important part of our culture," he says.

And the newest evidence of that exists in Bentonville.

NAN What's Up on 09/12/2014

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