Philbrook Art and Gardens is ready to take you on a road trip starting Wednesday with its new exhibition, “Roadside Abstractions: Route 66 and American Modernism.”
Since 1926, Route 66 has guided Americans across a changing landscape. This exhibition traces a parallel journey of 100 years of the Mother Road along with the artists who paved the way for American painting and sculpture to leave realism behind and explore new methods of artmaking.
“What if the restlessness that sent people west on Route 66 is the same restlessness that sent an entire generation of artists looking for a new way to make works?” asked Philbrook CEO Megan Nesbit during a media preview for the exhibition. “We wanted to force that connection, so we built a show to let you feel it by walking through gatherings of major artworks alongside visual elements of popular culture involving the road itself.”
Ed Ruscha, Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol, Grace Hartigan, Morris Louis, Helen Frankenthaler and Barkley Hendricks are among the dozens of artists represented on the walls.
“Roadside Abstractions” presents artworks on loan alongside pieces from Philbrook’s permanent collection, including never-before-seen acquisitions by Vivian Springford, Mary Abbott and Robert Morris.
Among the artwork on display are photographs by Tulsans Don Thompson and Larry Clark. The inclusion of Thompson’s works comes at the same time Hulett Collection is hosting a career retrospective exhibition of the legendary photographer’s works.
“Roadside Abstractions” includes seven new acquisitions to the Philbrook collection as well as loans from Art Bridges, OKCMOA, Museum of Tulsa History, the Route 66 Alliance, Tia Collection, Thoma Foundation, The University of Tulsa, Wichita Art Museum and other private collections. The exhibition runs through Jan. 3, 2027
Philbrook Art and Gardens, 2727 S. Rockford Road, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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