Cross Country: The Power of Place in American Art, 1915–1950

During the first half of the twentieth century, the relationship between American artists and their native land changed dramatically. While travel and study in Europe remained a priority, many American artists also felt newly compelled by their national surroundings. Life in the big city, with its bustling crowds and towering skyscrapers, is widely recognized as a key influence, but this exhibition reveals how American artists also canvassed the country, seeking inspiration from wide-open spaces and small-town culture across the United States. 

Cross Country will bring together works by more than 80 artists who channeled the power of American places outside of city limits between 1915 and 1950. Shortly after World War I, the U.S. population became increasingly urban rather than rural, but where artists lived did not necessarily dictate where they worked. In addition to developments in infrastructure and industry—such as the automobile and the interstate system—grants, commissions, the lure of newly established art schools and artist colonies, and various Depression-era government agencies stimulated artists to explore far-flung locales. 

Arranged geographically, Cross Country will present more than 200 artworks, including more than 70 from the High’s permanent collection. The exhibition features not only trained painters who worked outside of major American cities but also photographers and self-taught artists who were earning major recognition from the American art world for the first time in history. 

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.