American Stories Brings Masterworks of American Art to the Bruce

In conjunction with the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Bruce Museum presents American Stories from Sargent to O’Keeffe: A Partnership with the Newark Museum of Art, an exhibition of more than 40 masterworks that explores the voices and perspectives that have defined American art across generations. On view October 15, 2026, through October 10, 2027, and drawn from the renowned American collection of the Newark Museum of Art, the thematic exhibition juxtaposes iconic works by such artists as Georgia O’Keeffe, Edward Hopper, John Singer Sargent, Alexander Calder, Louise Nevelson, and Mickalene Thomas, among others, and invites visitors to reflect on the stories told through American art across more than two centuries.

The exhibition will be amplified by a full year of programming, including in-gallery performances and community days. A community response group made up of diverse members from throughout the region will contribute their own narratives and responses to the art on view throughout the run of the show. Audiences will also be invited to engage with questions anchoring each of the thematic sections.

“This exhibition reflects the Bruce Museum’s commitment to creating meaningful connections through art and storytelling,” said Mary-Kate O’Hare, Ph.D., Susan E. Lynch Executive Director and CEO of the Bruce Museum, who previously served as a curator of American art at the Newark Museum. “This partnership allows us to bring one of the nation’s most significant American art collections to new audiences while creating space for reflection on the many stories that shape our shared history. Coinciding with America’s 250th, the exhibition encourages our guests to consider where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going.”

Organized around four themes of identity, belonging, belief, and making, the exhibition traces how artists have shaped our understanding of America, past and present. These sections create unexpected conversations between historic and contemporary works: John Singer Sargent’s “Mrs. Charles Thursby” (c. 1897-1898), placed alongside Mickalene Thomas’ “Isn’t She Lovely, Tracey Norman” (2022), asks viewers to consider how portraiture shapes perceptions of identity, beauty, and belonging across generations; a landscape by Albert Bierstadt and still life by O’Keeffe reveal nature not simply as scenery but as a force that shapes memory and self-understanding. Other highlights on view include Edward Hopper’s “The Sheridan Theatre” (1937) and sculptures by Alexander Calder, Louise Nevelson, and Martin Puryear.

“We recognize that works of art gain life and meaning through the people who encounter them,” said Lisa Funderburke, director and CEO of The Newark Museum of Art. “Too often, permanent collections remain out of view. Our partnership with the Bruce Museum allows us to continue the mission of The Newark Museum of Art’s founder, John Cotton Dana, who believed art was for everyone. With historical and contemporary painting and sculpture and genres ranging from still life and portraiture to folk art and new media, ‘American Stories’ speaks to both Newark’s pioneering history of collecting and its expansive vision for the museum itself.”

“The works on view in American Stories from Sargent to O’Keeffe offer a dynamic starting point for reflection, conversation, and participation,” said Margarita Karasoulas, Ph.D., curator of art at the Bruce Museum. “Each of the four thematic sections will be anchored by questions that invite visitors to consider a multiplicity of stories and voices alongside their own. Drawing connections between the past and present, the curatorial framework for this exhibition considers the diversity of artistic production in the United States through a variety of media, from paintings and sculpture to video art, as well as work by self-taught artists, women, and artists of color to offer a more nuanced and expanded view of American art today.”

Exhibition Organization and Credits

American Stories from Sargent to O’Keeffe: A Partnership with The Newark Museum of Art is organized by the Bruce Museum and The Newark Museum of Art, and curated by Margarita Karasoulas, Ph.D., curator of art at the Bruce Museum.  Support for the exhibition is generously provided by the S & L Marx Foundation, the Charles M. and Deborah G. Royce Exhibition Fund with additional support from Connecticut Humanities and the State of Connecticut Department of Economic Community Development.

About The Newark Museum of Art

 The Newark Museum of Art (NMOA) welcomes everyone with inclusive experiences that spark curiosity and foster community. Founded in 1909 and located on a four-acre campus in the heart of Newark, New Jersey, NMOA was founded on the radical belief among museums in 1909 that art is for everyone. NMOA built its collections with art from Asia, Africa, and the Americas, areas that other museums ignored at the time. 115 years later, NMOA is the state’s largest fine art museum and has the 12th most extensive collection in the nation. It preserves and shares over 300,000 objects of artistic, scientific, and cultural importance. Visitor- and community-centered, NMOA responds to its diverse public’s evolving needs and interests by offering exhibitions, programming, a research library, paid internships, and local and global partnerships.

About the Bruce Museum

Located in Bruce Park, overlooking the Long Island Sound in Greenwich, Connecticut, the Bruce Museum harnesses the transformative potential of art and science to spark curiosity and connection. Established in 1912 with a multidisciplinary vision, the museum houses a unique collection that encompasses visual arts as well as works of scientific, historical, and cultural significance spanning millennia. With education at its core, the Bruce offers a wide-ranging exhibition and public program, serving as a dynamic laboratory for discovery that welcomes and engages visitors of all ages.

The Bruce underwent a dramatic expansion and upgrade in 2023 with the opening of a new building that doubled its size and tripled its gallery spaces. In its new state-of-the-art home, the Bruce is deepening its role as a vital resource for learning, community building, and connectivity. For more information, visit brucemuseum.org.