American Realism Today at New Britain Museum of American Art

On view: September 16, 2022 – January 1, 2023

In 2018, the New Britain Museum of American Art presented a retrospective of paintings by Neil Jenney (b. 1945, Torrington, CT) that explored the artist’s unique and influential brand of realist painting, steeped in the landscape, people, and pastimes of America. Now, four years later, Jenney returns to the NBMAA as artist-curator of the Museum’s forthcoming exhibition American Realism Today—the first survey of contemporary American Realism made by the current New York scene in over half a century. The exhibition encompasses more than 50 paintings, sculptures, and works on paper by a network of 21 artists working across generations, including Robert Lobe, Kathleen Gilje, Joseph McNamara, Faith Ringgold, and many others. Featuring depictions of the landscape and everyday life, American Realism Today celebrates the rich tradition of Realist art in America while reflecting the innovative spirit of our contemporary times.

Image credit: David Kessler