The Long View: From Conservation to Sustainability: Works from the Bank of America Collection

The Long View: From Conservation to Sustainability traces the history and impact of the environmental movement through art, featuring 77 works from the Bank of America Collection. Spanning from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, this exhibition includes photographs, paintings, works on paper, and sculpture by artists who have shaped the environmental conversation.

The exhibition starts with “The Beginnings of Conservation,” showcasing late nineteenth and early twentieth-century artists like John James Audubon and Carleton Watkins, whose works influenced the founding of the Audubon Society and the National Park Service. Moving into the early twentieth century, “Push and Pull—Industry and Environment” features works such as Dorothea Lange and Arthur Rothstein's iconic Dust Bowl images, highlighting the impact of unsustainable farming practices.

“The Emergence of Conservation Activism” focuses on postwar works and the ecology movement of the late 1960s and 1970s, including Robert Rauschenberg’s Earth Day poster and Michael Heizer’s Scrap Metal series. Finally, “Working Towards a Sustainable Vision” showcases contemporary artists like Richard Misrach, David Maisel, and Andreas Gursky, emphasizing the radical transformation of the planet and the need for protection.

Originally created by Bank of America to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day, The Long View aligns with the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts' commitment to sustainability and is presented through the Bank of America Art in our Communities® program.

Darius Kinsey (Maryville, Missouri, 1869 - 1945, Sedro-Woolley, Washington), Yarding Logs, Washington, 1936, gelatin silver print on paper, 17 1/2 x 20 1/2 in., On loan from the Bank of America Collection.