Description

The compact guide to the top art destinations (and the individual artworks they feature) – from museums to outdoor murals, artist studios to sculpture parks – is for everyone who loves the arts and wants to make the most of their visits to major institutions and art sites. This jam-packed primer includes fan-favourites and well-known and important artists, as well as the best examples of art from around the world that are available to see in the United States. The designations and works are diverse in geography and media and represent contributions to the arts by an equally diverse and inclusive range of artists, as well as significant moments in the history of American art.

Organised by geographical region, the book zeroes in on the best in every category featured in major institutions as well as off-the-beaten path places that are not to be missed, including the best Mexican murals, the best examples of WPA work, best Old Master paintings, best contemporary land art, etc. For museums, the book focuses on extraordinary collections and works, distilling thousands or artworks down to a few choice selections. In every case, the book highlights artworks people can’t see anywhere else, and that are worth the trip – from the important rooms at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; the Ellsworth Kelly-designed chapel in Texas; prehistoric cave drawings in Utah; the Taos Pueblo and Art Colony in New Mexico; Donald Judd’s Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas; and N.C. and Andrew Wyeth’s home studios in Pennsylvania are just a few examples. Many artists and places will be household names, others not as well-known (but no less interesting or compelling). Eschewing a college textbook-like set of lists, instead each entry lays out why the reader should care.