TULSA, OK.- It’s no secret that 2024 is a pivotal year for America: a presidential election, the summer Olympics, and even a Beyoncé country album. This fall at Philbrook, guests will experience iconic American masterpieces including powerful portraits, sweeping landscapes, and exquisite still lifes by Mary Cassatt, Barkley L. Hendricks, Edward Hopper, Anna Klumpke, Alice Neel, Isamu Noguchi, Georgia O’Keeffe, Horace Pippin, Thomas Moran, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Laura Wheeler Waring, Andrew Wyeth, and many more.
Through artwork from the incomparable Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) collection, this exhibition presents 200 years of groundbreaking work by nearly one hundred American artists. Some of the paintings and sculptures on view—the most acclaimed and recognizable examples of American art—have shaped conversations about the nation’s history and identity. Other works are by artists who may be less familiar but are no less central to the story of America. Through innovative works by artists traditionally excluded from the historical narrative, a deeper understanding of the story of American art emerges. The artists featured in this special exhibition were all shaped and impacted in some way by PAFA, some through education, others through the exhibition of their work.
“From the moment visitors step into the exhibition, they will be surrounded by artwork from across the span of American history,” said Philbrook Curator Susan Green. “Whether they enjoy learning about the past and stories all-too-often excluded from textbooks or simply being immersed in a landscape or still life, each guest will discover a work of art that impacts them. And with 102 works in the exhibition, hopefully they’ll fall in love with more than one.”
From Gilbert Stuart’s instantly recognizable Revolutionary War-era portrait of George Washington to Barkley L. Hendricks’ portrait celebrating Black Power and Vietnam War-era protests, this exhibition explores the first two centuries of change, progress, and representation that defined American art.
“Philbrook is proud to be able to share these iconic works of American art with Tulsa,” said Interim Executive Director Megan Nesbit. “Museums play a crucial role in reflecting and shaping our collective narrative, and exhibitions like American Artists, American Stories help us to understand our shared, complex history and to see a future full of potential.”
American Artists, American Stories poses many questions. What is American art? What makes an artist American? Who gets to decide? It’s complicated.
