During the last year the museum has enjoyed a steady stream of new acquisitions to the permanent collection. Recent Acquisitions presents a selection of more than 20 works donated to KMA by foundations, collectors and artists from around the country. Two canvases by Irving Kriesberg strengthen the museum’s holdings in Abstract Expressionism—widely considered the most important development in American art history.
Works by Charles Krutch, Richard Jolley, Andrew Saftel, and Sandra Blain are among several featured that add further depth to KMA’s collection of works by artists with ties to East Tennessee. A group of rare early 20th century watercolors by Krutch demonstrate the validity of his popular standing as the “Corot of the South.” Jolley’s monumental ink drawing, Translating Substance (2007), serves as a boldly expressive two-dimensional counterpoint to his glass sculptures in the museum’s collection. Saftel’s mixed media painting Making Bricks (1994) demonstrates the artist’s rigorous creative process and was one of several works included in KMA’s 1994 exhibition Confluence: Andrew Saftel. Weed Pot (1978) a rare early vessel by Sandra Blain, is the first work by the influential ceramic artist and teacher to enter the museum’s collection.
