American Spectacle Exhibition

American Spectacle: Selections from the Nancy and Sean Cotton Collection of American Art

This exhibition is organized in partnership with Detroit Institute of Arts

American Spectacle Digital Program

June 11—September 11, 2021
Exhibit Viewing Hours
June 11—September 3, 2021 • Tuesday-Friday: 10am-4pm
September 7—September 11, 2021 • Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-4pm 

American painters of the late 19th century explore competing visions of American culture and identity through works of art that remain relevant today.

From sweeping landscapes to still-life paintings, the striking images in this exhibit reveal a variety of ways artists struggled to define the nation.

Painted between 1855 and 1936, these artworks depict images of American spectacle—dramatic moments, places, and events in US history. During periods of immense change, these artists explored issues of: American Culture and Identity, National Memory, Ideas about History and Progress.

As you explore the art in this exhibition, we encourage you to reflect on the complex and changing meanings associated with this country, then and now.

Painting shown above:

• Thomas Moran, American, (1837-1926). The Great Cave, Pictured Rocks, Lake Superior, Michigan, 1873. Oil on canvas; unframed: 20 × 30 inches (50.8 × 76.2 cm); framed: 29 3/4 × 39 1/2 × 3 7/8 inches (75.6 × 100.3 × 9.8 cm). Nancy and Sean Cotton Collection.

American Spectacle: Selections from the Nancy and Sean Cotton Collection of American Art. This exhibition is organized by the Detroit Institute of Arts and made possible by the Nancy and Sean Cotton Collection. This is one in a series of American art exhibitions created through a multi-year, multi-institutional partnership formed by the Detroit Institute of Arts as part of the Art Bridges Initiative. Generous support is provided by the Richard and Jane Manoogian Foundation.