Through May 31, 2026
A groundbreaking exhibition showcasing works by two pioneering female artists, Architects of Being: Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina, is on view through May 31 at Chrysler Museum of Art.
Organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (AMFA), this exhibition brings artists Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina in direct dialogue for the first time. Both artists were Eastern European Jewish immigrants who worked in mid-century New York and developed distinct visual languages and identities within a male-dominated American art world. While Nevelson is known primarily as a sculptor and Slobodkina as a painter, both explored cubism, surrealism, and constructivism, with assemblage as an essential unifying theme throughout their careers.
Featuring 77 works, including sculptural assemblages, abstract paintings, collages, and garments they designed and wore, Architects of Being reveals the parallel journeys of women who helped transform American abstraction.
Programming for Architects of Being invites visitors to explore the exhibition’s central theme: how identity is constructed and expressed. By examining material choices, personal style, and visual composition, these programs provide audiences with a deeper understanding of the artists’ evolving voices, creative processes, and the social and historical contexts that shaped their work.
For information about exhibitions, programs, and events, visit chrysler.org or follow the Chrysler Museum on social media @chryslermuseum.
The Chrysler Museum of Art is located at 1 Memorial Place in Norfolk.
Louise Nevelson (American, b. Russia (now Ukraine), 1899–1988), Dawn’s Presence, 1972–1975, painted wood, Chrysler Museum of Art, Gift of Walter P. Chrysler Jr. 77.1241