National exhibition of best contemporary art to include CCAD alumnus

The New York Times called it "a mission that even more established museums might fear to take on."

After nearly 1,000 visits to artists' studios across the country, curators at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art have compiled a collection to illustrate the best contemporary American art being created today.

Scheduled to open in September alongside the museum's distinguished permanent collection (highlights include American greats Georgia O'Keefe, Norman Rockwell, and George Bellows), State of the Art will exhibit the works of more than 100 artists, including Jimmy Baker (CCAD 2002).

“We thought the most important thing was to involve the artists—where they live, how they work—and understand how their work is coming to be," said Don Bacigalupi, president of the only-three-year-old museum in Bentonville, AR.

Eight paintings in Jimmy Baker's Arrangement series will appear in the exhibition, which will also include photography, sculpture, installations, and performance art.

Baker is a Fine Arts alumnus from Dover, OH (Dover High School).