Selections from the Permanent Collection: 140 Years of American Art

In this exhibition, Museum Curatorial staff examine the Collection from a chronological point of view while highlighting works of great interest. This ongoing installation will allow visitors to chart the evolution of American art from the late 19th century to the early 21st century.

While the Museum’s Permanent Collection primarily focuses on American art of the 20th and 21st centuries, there are a few notable art works from the 19th century that help set the stage for art at the dawn of the 20th century, such as Evening on the Hudson by George Inness.

From the early 20th century, the Collection includes art works by American Impressionists such as Childe Hassam and Myron Barlow. The period between World War I and World War II has often been noted for the prevalence of American Scene artists. Some, like Thomas Hart Benton, focused on rural America, while others, like Isaac Friedlander, depicted urban life.

The post-World War II period saw the development of Abstract Expressionism. Examples include works by artists Hans Hofmann and Adolph Gottlieb. By the early 1960s American art had splintered into a number of different approaches: Pop Art, Optical Art, Minimalism and the second generation of Abstraction.

During the late 20th and early 21st centuries, new styles emerged including Neo-Expressionism and Conceptual art. The Museum has been fortunate to acquire works with the assistance of the Museum’s Collectors’ Circle and generous individual donors. We invite visitors to experience and be inspired by this selection of remarkable and significant works of American art from the Permanent Collection.

This exhibition is organized and curated by the Asheville Art Museum.