Encounters with the Collection: Exploring America at 250

August 26th, 2025 - August 2nd, 2026

Opening Reception, Thursday, September 4, 2025

The Benton joins in the nationwide celebration of the U.S. semiquincentennial with Encounters with the Collection: Exploring America at 250. This presentation of key works from the Benton’s collection will promote dialogue about American art, culture, and identity. Visitors are encouraged to consider the ideas and ideals that shaped America at its founding while also exploring how they resonate in America today and beyond.

The exhibition draws on the museum’s holdings of American art to think broadly about how the very word “American” can be defined: as an identity, a place, and an idea. Highlights include landscapes and cityscapes by Ansel Adams, Martin Johnson Heade, and George Bellows; representations of President Abraham Lincoln across different media; and a salon-style wall of portraits from the 18th century to the present. Also featured are recent additions to the collection by artists Valerie Hegarty, Jeffrey Gibson, and Sarah Sense.

Exhibition Related Programs
September 19, 12:30 - 1:30pm. Art Encounters: The American Dream
October 26, 2 - 3pm.  LGTV Walktober Event: Exploring America at 250