2020 Vision includes 13 solo exhibitions and seven thematic shows, the first of which are already on display. By Their Creative Force: American Women Modernists covers the major art movements of the 20th century, highlighting the contributions of female artists like Elizabeth Catlett and Georgia O'Keeffe. Another work recently debuted is a large-scale installation by contemporary artist Mickalene Thomas, which transforms the museum’s lobby into a brightly colored living room, welcoming the Baltimore community.
Other planned exhibitions include a retrospective devoted to the work of Joan Mitchell. Covering the artist’s entire career beginning with her Abstract Expressionist work in the 1950s, Joan Mitchell: Fierce Beauty will be the first major U.S retrospective of the artist in 18 years. Ana Mendieta, Howardena Pindell, Tschabalala Self, and Lisa Yuskavage, among other artists, will also be highlighted.
The BMA has a diverse collection of 95,000 objects, of which nearly 3,800 works were created by 1,050 women artists and designers. The “crown jewel” of the museum’s holdings is the Cone Collection of modern art. Amassed by Baltimore sisters Claribel and Etta Cone, who developed personal relationships with artists like Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, the collection of nearly 3,000 objects put the BMA on the map.
