The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, and the Art Bridges Foundation, its museum-partnership, have acquired ninety contemporary works made by Indigenous artists. All the works were received from the John and Susan Horseman Collection in Saint Louis, which centers Native and African American art. Art Bridges acquired eighty-one works, which it will make available as long-term loans to US museums as part of its art-sharing program, while Crystal Bridges acquired nine.
Among the works are those by Rick Bartow, T. C. Cannon, Oscar Howe, James Lavadour, Brad Kahlhamer, Cannupa Hanska Luger, Kent Monkman, George Morrison, Rose B. Simpson, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Roxanne Swentzell, Tyrell Tapaha, Kay WalkingStick, and Emmi Whitehorse.
“Indigenous perspectives are foundational to any American art collection,” said Ashley Holland, curator and director of curatorial initiatives at Art Bridges, in a statement. “We are honored to continue our deep support of Indigenous art with this acquisition and look forward to sharing these works with audiences around the country through our loan program.”
The acquisition is part of Crystal Bridges’ drive to increase its holdings of crafts and Native art and brings the percentage of its collection devoted to Indigenous art from 3 percent to roughly 33 percent. The museum in 2020 acquired thirty-five works by Native American artists from collector Bruce Hartman. Among that assortment were early-twentieth-century works by members of the Santa Fe Indian School and the San Ildefonso self-taught artists, both groups hailing from New Mexico, and by the Oklahoma-based Kiowa Five/Six artists.
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