ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
The Beyond: Georgia O'Keeffe and Contemporary Art
Stitzer Family Gallery, Robert and Dorothy Vance Gallery, and Richard and Virginia McKernan Gallery
Enormous flowers, luscious colors, desert landscapes, feminine forms, and still lifes. Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986) pioneered revolutionary ways of visually interpreting the world through her early embrace of abstraction and effusive use of color and is recognized as one of the preeminent American painters of the twentieth century. Her art has intrigued viewers and artists alike for generations, and this spring, the New Britain Museum of American Art will present The Beyond: Georgia O’Keeffe and Contemporary Art, an innovative exhibition that celebrates her work and legacy. Drawn from important public and private collections across the country, The Beyond will bring together three dozen iconic works—spanning O’Keeffe’s long career and the full range of her output—as the centerpiece of a unique exploration. Grouped by theme—Flowers; Cities and Deserts; Still Lifes; The Intangible Thing; Finding the Figure; and The Beyond—O’Keeffe’s paintings and sculptures will appear alongside works by twenty contemporary artists that evoke, investigate, and elaborate upon the images and approaches that mark O’Keeffe’s career.
The Beyond will examine the lasting impact and legacy of O’Keeffe’s work as a touchstone for artists working today, showing the continuing connections between our collective history and our present.
This exhibition will not make one-to-one comparisons between O’Keeffe and the contemporary artists included here. Rather, the work of these artists is intended to expand on conversations and themes O’Keeffe presented in her work and her life, creating new ways of seeing and understanding the mother of American Modernism. The New Britain Museum of American Art is proud to be the final and only northeast venue for the exhibition, following its presentation at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, and the North Carolina Museum of Art.
Special Exhibition Fee:
$5 Members
$8 non-Members
Free for Premier-level Members
*Please see Members Only in the sidebar for exclusive Member Access Hours.
Sponsors:
The Beyond: Georgia O’Keeffe and Contemporary Art is organized by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas.
Support for the national tour is provided by Helen Porter, and by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
In New Britain, lead exhibition support is provided by Melinda and Paul Sullivan.
Generous funding is also provided by Bank of America, The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation, The Burnett Foundation, Robert Lehman Foundation, Dr. and Mrs. Peter D. Byeff, The Lunder Foundation – Peter and Paula Lunder Family, and the Bailey Family Fund for Special Exhibitions. Generous in-kind support provided by Thomas Mach Interiors and Farrow & Ball. Media sponsorship provided by WSHU.
Exhibitions at the NBMAA are made possible thanks to the support of the Special Exhibition Fund donors, including John N. Howard, Sylvia Bonney, Anita Arcuni Ferrante and Anthony Ferrante, Marian and Russell Burke, and The Aeroflex Foundation. We also gratefully acknowledge the funding of Irene and Charles J. Hamm, Kelly and Jonathan Jarvis, Carolyn and Elliot Joseph, and Donna and Sam Stout.
The Beyond is also made possible due to the support of Dr. Timothy P. McLaughlin and Dr. Marian Kellner, Dr. and Mrs. Peter D. Byeff, Brendan and Carol Conry, Halsey and Michele Cook, Holly and Stuart Holden, and Kelly and Jonathan Jarvis. Special thanks as well to Marenda and Todd Stitzer, Lauren and William Chase, and Mara and David Sfara.