"A wide-ranging and inclusive history of American art and architecture from its seventeenth-century colonial beginnings to the latest installation and video work, this book: discusses the key artists, architects, art works, and buildings across the centuries; defines the characteristics of different periods and highlights the forms, techniques, and styles that are distinctively American; integrates discussions of works of visual art and buildings, revealing their shared social and aesthetic concerns; charts the ways in which American artists and architects both adopted and diverged from earlier European models to create their own language; and illustrates paintings, sculpture, photography, and new-media art plus dozens of building types, from colonial houses and churches to modernist and postmodernist museums, stations, and skyscrapers."--BOOK JACKET.

Art Deco architecture flourished in large cities and small towns throughout America in the 1920s and 1930s. The style is now captured in over 500 color photos of 75 lavish and innovatively designed buildings across the country that have been preserved both outside and in, giving the full scope of this beloved, exciting style.

Exploring the intersections of art, architecture, and design, at both renowned institutions and cutting-edge contemporary collections. Museum interior spaces must be as carefully designed as their façades—if not more so—to meet the needs of both the art on display and the viewers. The design and construction of art museums in America thus is a complex process, and one rarely undertaken lightly. The architect must design a building that effectively supports the art exhibited. The museumgoers’ interaction with the art must be enhanced by the architecture, while amenities such as restaurants, cafes, gift shops, and accessible and convenient restrooms ensure their comfort. Finally, the storage of works of art not on display must be accounted for in the building design. American Art Museum Architecture: Documents and Design explores all aspects of, and approaches to, museum architecture—the aesthetic, the practical, the innovative, and the functional. Architectural historian Eric M. Wolf delves into the archives of some of the country’s premier institutions not only to explore the design decisions made at their founding, but also to understand how those institutions have continued to evolve along with their collections, up to the present day. Wolf examines the gradual development of six major museums: the Frick Collection, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York; the Menil Collection in Houston, the Georgia O’Keefe Museum in Santa Fe, and the Art Institute of Chicago. He explains how each museum was originally conceived, how the architecture reflected or modified that original conception, and how the buildings have been reconsidered or revised in later years, as the nature of art, art display, and museum-going has evolved. Extensive archival plans, documents, and photographs enhance the narrative. American Art Museum Architecture also considers the unique architectural challenges often posed by contemporary art. Conceptual art, video installations, and large-scale pieces are increasingly found in permanent collections, at small galleries and encyclopedic institutions alike. Museums built decades ago may have to renovate in order to accommodate such pieces, while newer museums devoted to contemporary work must tackle new architectural challenges when considering how best to house this work. Encompassing both grand nineteenth-century institutions and avant-garde contemporary art collections, American Art Museum Architecture is a timely and fascinating exploration of the ever-changing relationship between architecture and art.

Nestled in a natural ravine in the Ozark hills, and designed by internationally renowned architect Moshe Safdie, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas is an architectural masterpiece. Featuring arched copper roofs and glass-walled bridges over ponds created from the inflow of a natural stream, the museum complements the distinctive landscape of northwest Arkansas. With the addition of a stunning collection of American art masterworks, and extensive grounds comprising 120 acres of native hardwood forest, Crystal Bridges seamlessly blends art, architecture, and nature to create a visitor experience unlike any other. This book tells the story of the creation of Crystal Bridges: from concept and an early napkin sketch to the engineering feats required to construct an art museum of international stature in the path of a natural waterway. Featuring new color photography of the museum's striking architecture paired with quotes from Moshe Safdie, Art in Architecture showcases a fabulous new museum.

[This book is] for American art survey courses. [It] provides a thorough ... chronology of American art, including painting, sculpture, architecture, decorative arts, photography, and folk art. [The author] presents art and artists within the context of their times, including insights into the intellectual, spiritual, and political environment. [He] charts the growth of a distinctly American art culture.-Back cover.

This landmark publication looks at American art museums designed since the Museum of Modern Art was completed in New York in 1938. Each building is described in short texts by the architect and museum director and documented in beautiful photographs by renowned photographer Paul Rocheleau.

In this dictionary of American art, 945 alphabetically arranged entries cover painters, sculptors, graphic artists, photographers, printmakers, and contemporary hybrid artists, along with important aspects of the cultural infrastructure.