Ja:goh Marie Watt
By Dustin Bartholomew | Reprinted from www.fayettevilleflyer.com
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has announced the acquisitions of four new works – all by contemporary female artists – to be part of the museum’s permanent collection.
The acquisitions include a work by Amy Sherald titled Precious jewels by the sea (2019), Companion Species (Speech Bubble) (2019) by Marie Watt, Untitled (Mlle Bourgeoise Noire) (1980-83/2009) by Lorraine O’Grady, and She Gives (Quiet Strength V) (2019) by Dyani White Hawk.
“These acquisitions demonstrate Crystal Bridges’ commitment to developing an inclusive American art collection—and exhibition program,” said Austen Barron Bailly, chief curator, Crystal Bridges. “We made great strides in 2019 by organizing and presenting exhibitions that featured artists from a wide range of backgrounds, including female artists of color such as Amy Sherald; Men of Steel, Women of Wonder; and Art for a New Understanding: Native Voices 1950s to Now. Looking ahead to a new decade, we are excited to continue to highlight the contributions of underrepresented artists to American art history, many of whom are introduced to Crystal Bridges audiences through our exhibitions.”
Artist Marie Watt, a member of the Seneca Nation, is best known for her Blanket Stories, works that “interweave Indigenous knowledge, intercultural exchange, and personal biographies.” Her works are part of the permanent collections of the Denver Art Museum, National Museum of the American Indian, Seattle Art Museum, and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
Companion Species (Speech Bubble) (2019) was made of embroidered reclaimed blankets and thread by participants at various Crystal Bridges events, the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Art Center of the Ozarks in Springdale, and the Cherokee Arts Center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma in the fall of 2018. The work is more than 11 feet high, and 16 feet long, and is scheduled to be on view in the fall of 2020.
