A Broad Sweep of Sky tour

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Collection of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, gift of First Wisconsin National Bank of Madison.

A painting of Madison in the 1940s.

John Steuart Curry, 'Madison Landscape,' 1941.

media release: The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) is pleased to present A Broad Sweep of Sky, an exhibition of American Regionalist artworks. On view in the Museum's Main Galleries from December 12, 2025 through March 29, 2026, the exhibition opens with a free public celebration from 6-9 PM on Friday, December 12. 

Drawing primarily from MMoCA’s permanent collection and enriched by select loans, the exhibition features 80 works of art by influential Regionalist artists including Thomas Hart Benton, John Steuart Curry, Grant Wood, among others. 

The Regionalist art movement, which flourished in the 1930s and 1940s, sought to establish a distinctly American artistic identity by depicting rural and small town life in response to profound social shifts and economic uncertainty. This exhibition considers how Regionalist artists both celebrated local scenery and engaged with avant-garde ideas.

“It’s fascinating to see how Regionalist artists grappled with unprecedented economic conditions and novel political developments” shares Eleanor Pschirrer-West, curator of A Broad Sweep of Sky and Assistant Curator at MMoCA. “This context can help us make sense of the rich and sometimes contradictory ideology behind these artworks.”

mmoca.org/events/sky

The title of the exhibition comes from a letter by American folklorist Benjamin Botkin to Mary Austin where he describes what appealed to him about life in the Midwest and his attraction to “the open country at one’s back door and the broad sweep of sky overhead.”

A Broad Sweep of Sky invites visitors to consider what it means to construct American identity, and what role art has in social reform.

RELATED EVENTS AND PROGRAMMING

Opening Celebration Friday, December 12 • Member Preview 5–6 PM • Public Celebration 6–9 PM • Free Admission

Celebrate the Midwest’s rich artistic history at the Opening Celebration of A Broad Sweep of Sky. Be one of the first to wander through the exhibition featuring stunning works of art by Grant Wood, John Steuart Curry, Thomas Hart Benton, and many others. Explore their connection to Madison and learn more about the politics of the time through the artwork on display.

Enjoy a beverage from the cash bar, listen to live music, and catch up with friends as you wander through the other exhibitions on view: Iconic: 20 Years of César Pelli’s MMoCA and Sabina Ott: all this and not ordinary.

MMoCA Members are invited to arrive early for exclusive tours of A Broad Sweep of Sky, led by Assistant Curator Eleanor Pschirrer-West, and Sabina Ott: all this and not ordinary, led by MMoCA’s Gabriele Haberland Director, Paul Baker Prindle. To learn more about becoming an MMoCA member, visit mmoca.org/memberships.

Regionalism in Our Community • Self-Guided Tour: The Madison area is home to fine examples of Regionalist art in public buildings as well as private institutions and collections. Stop by MMoCA to pick up a guide before heading out to discover works of art by John Steuart Curry, Cal N. Peters, and James Watrous, hidden in plain sight.

A Printmaker’s Tour of A Broad Sweep of Sky Saturday, February 7 • 2 PM • Main Galleries • Free Admission: A Broad Sweep of Sky features several art objects created using printmaking techniques such as stone lithography and intaglio etching. These prints were created for wide distribution and accessible art collecting during the American Great Depression. In this educational talk, David Love, Printmaking Technician at UW-Madison, will provide insight into the detailed processes that artists used to produce these pieces. The discussion and demonstration will cover:

The history of the “original print” and the rise of American fine art printmaking during the 1930s with organizations such as the federally funded WPA-FAP and the private corporation AAA.

How stone lithographs and copperplate etchings are designed and printed with a show-and-tell featuring historic materials, tools, and replicated printed examples.

The unseen labor of print production by giving credit to the skilled craftspeople referred to as Master Printers.  

Visitors will leave with a deeper understanding of the tools and techniques involved in printmaking, as well as greater appreciation for the distinct qualities of these mediums.

Drop-in tour of A Broad Sweep of Sky Saturday, February 21 • Sunday, March 15 • 2 PM • Museum Lobby • Free Admission: No reservations are required for this friendly and informative tour of A Broad Sweep of Sky. Please meet in the Museum Lobby before heading upstairs to the Main Galleries to explore the exhibition. Discover more about Regionalism and artists such as Grant Wood, John Steuart Curry, and Thomas Hart Benton, along with the movement’s deep history in Wisconsin.

ABOUT MMoCA

The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art is always admission-free. Its vision is to be an organization that fosters the exchange of ideas and creates experiences that will inspire a wide audience; be a nexus for the work of emerging and established regional, national, and international artists; serve as a catalyst for the continued development of a vigorous community of artists; and provide a forum that will encourage people to be challenged by, reflect on, and make connections between art and the world around them.