Contemporary Art
Since its founding, the BMA has been exhibiting and collecting works by contemporary artists, resulting in an impressive collection of 20th- and 21st-century works of art alongside that of emerging talent. Featuring core works from the major contemporary art movements, this rapidly growing collection is housed in the spacious galleries of the 36,000 square-foot West Wing for Contemporary Art, a 1994 addition to the Museum.
Notable in the collection are outstanding examples of Abstract Expressionism by Robert Motherwell and Jackson Pollack, Minimalism by Ellsworth Kelly and Donald Judd, and Conceptualist works by Sol Lewitt and Bruce Nauman. The BMA also has excellent Pop art with one of the country's largest collections of late works by Andy Warhol, including major paintings from the 1980s. Among other important American contemporary artists represented in the collection are Robert Colescott, Willem de Kooning, Dan Flavin, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Grace Hartigan, Jasper Johns, Barbara Kruger, Alison Saar, David Smith, and Frank Stella. More recent acquisitions feature works by international artists such as Flower observatory (2003) by Danish artist Olafur Eliasson and Chandelier with Hands (2006) by Swiss artist Thomas Hirschhorn.
A gallery dedicated to projected art is a showcase for rotating works by Peter Campus, Lorna Simpson, and others. The BMA continues to add works from the 1990s and 2000s, including important works by Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Rachel Harrison, Amy Sillman, Carrie Mae Weems and Kara Walker. In addition to painting and sculpture, the BMA holds a major collection of works on paper, particularly contemporary drawings.
The Front Room of the West Wing serves as an exhibition space and working environment for new initiatives in contemporary art. These dynamic projects range from one-person installations to thematic exhibitions that challenge how we think about the art of today. They are presented along with artist conversations, films, and events as part of the BMA’s Art Now contemporary program.
Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art (FoMaCA)
Join FoMaCA to explore the mysteries of viewing, collecting, and understanding contemporary art.
Print, Drawing & Photograph Society (PDPS)
Join this group to learn more about the graphic arts and photography, both historic and contemporary.
