Jena Thomas featured in The Momentary’s State of the Art 2020

Artist Jena Thomas was featured in the opening of The Momentary, a new space for contemporary visual and performing arts on the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. 

The Momentary opened its doors this past February 22nd with “State of the Art,” an exhibition of American art, focused on contemporary artistic expressions created outside of traditional art hubs such as New York and Los Angeles.  

The show was curated Lauren Haynes, curator of visual arts at The Momentary and curator of contemporary art at Crystal Bridges, along with Alejo Benedetti, associate curator of contemporary art at Crystal Bridges, and Allison Glenn, associate curator of contemporary art at Crystal Bridges.  

61 artists from across the country – including Jena Thomas – with different artistic backgrounds had their artwork exhibited on “State of the Art”, which, according to The Momentary website, “is the continuation of an exploration into contemporary art that began in 2014, when Crystal Bridges presented State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now. The exhibition displayed art being created across the US and develop the understanding that contemporary art is approachable and relevant to topics of the day. More than 175,000 visitors experienced the exhibition and engaged in meaningful discussions and events surrounding the show. PBS created a documentary released in April 2019 called State of the Art, which follows the journeys of seven artists featured in that exhibition. After its opening at Crystal Bridges, State of the Art then traveled to the Minneapolis Institute of Art; Telfair Museums, Savannah, GA; Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Memphis, TN; The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC; and the Frist Art Museum, formerly known as the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, TN.  

Author: Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery FLAG