Every time Andrew Eschelbacher makes his way through the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, he’s proud of the diverse permanent pieces on view throughout the galleries.
Eschelbacher, director of collections and exhibitions, wants the Fort Worth museum’s diverse art patrons to feel represented throughout the space.
“All of these works are brought into the collection with an idea of our community and our audience,” he said. “How do they speak to the people coming to the museum?”
The Carter expanded its storytelling around American art further with its latest group of acquisitions that added nearly 50 paintings, sculptures, sketches, studies and photographs to its permanent collection this year. The items span over 150 years and feature work from Black, Hispanic and Indigenous artists to spotlight more diverse voices, Eschelbacher said.
Black Indigenous artist Edmonia Lewis is among those whose work is now at the museum.
Her 1866 sculpture “Marriage of Hiawatha” depicts the mythical Ojibwa warrior and his bride Minnehaha from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “The Song of Hiawatha.”
The marble sculpture is the Carter’s first of Lewis’ work and expands the types of Native American artists on view, Eschelbacher said.
“We have a collection where there are so many representations of Indigenous people by Euro-American artists,” he said. “With this work, we’re bringing in a sculpture by a Black Indigenous woman and expanding that narrative.”
The Carter’s permanent collection is a mix of acquisitions made by the curatorial team and gifts. The museum has acquired over 176,000 artworks in its 64-year history, museum spokesperson Kimberly Daniell said.
Other additions include Sandow Birk’s large-scale etching “White Out: A Monumental Arch to American History,” which depicts the achievements of Americans of color through the page.
Contemporary American art added this year includes photographs from San Antonio-based Chuck Ramirez. “Seven Days: The Still Lifes of Chuck Ramirez” exhibition is on view through Jan. 4.
Some of the acquisitions, such as “Marriage of Hiawatha,” are already on view. Others will be unveiled at later dates for specific exhibitions.
Eschelbacher declined to share which works will be displayed when, but said the museum is always rotating its permanent art to keep the space fresh.
“If you come to the Carter tomorrow, you’ll have a great gallery experience, but it will be a different experience than you had six months ago,” he said. “That’s what makes returning really exciting.”
What other works did the Carter acquire in 2025?
- Elizabeth Catlett’s 1979 wooden sculpture “Untitled (Female Figure with Arms Raised).”
- Cecilia Beaux’s double portrait “Mrs. John Frederick Lewis and Her Son, John Frederick Lewis, Jr.” The piece was painted in 1908.
- Seymour Fogel’s 1964 work “Mural Study – Fort Worth Mural.” The work is a preliminary study for his 1966 mural, “The Challenge of Space,” which is located in the Federal Building in Fort Worth.
- LaToya Ruby Frazier’s 2016-2017 photograph “The Flint Water Treatment Plant, Flint, Michigan.” The image is part of the artist’s series that explores the polluted water that infiltrated the city in 2014.
- John Rhoden’s small-scale bronze sculpture “Reclining Figure,” made in 1963.
- Cara Romero’s “Amber Morningstar” and “Julia and Joslynn” photographs. The 2019 images draw inspiration from American Girl dolls.
- Fritz Scholder’s 1978 prints “Indian Portrait in Roma” and “Hollywood Cowboy in Roma.” The large-scale works serve to critique representations of Indigenous people in Western culture.
- Ben Shahn’s “Study for Red Staircase No. 1.” The study was created in 1944 for his painting “The Red Stairway.”
- Shawn Walker’s photograph “110th St. Central Park, Harlem” from the 1960s. The image shows a Black child holding an American flag.
David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports.
Disclosure: Amon Carter Museum of American Art has been a financial supporter of the Fort Worth Report. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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