The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts’ collection surveys American art from the 19th century to the present, offering a broad view of how artistic ideas evolve over time. Temporary/Contemporary highlights the range of late 20th into 21st‑century art within the permanent collection. From styles influenced by European movements such as impressionism, to those dominated by abstraction and expressionism, this group of paintings and works on paper reflect the diverse approaches artists of the modern era used to interpret a rapidly changing world.

The exhibition places these works in conversation with a contemporary audience by presenting art shaped by the social, environmental, and cultural forces. The ideas explored in these works, with influence from abstract expressionism, 20th century photographic processes, and realism, continue to influence how artists create and how viewers understand visual culture.

Temporary/Contemporary invites visitors to consider how the innovations of the 20th century echo into the contemporary world. As you explore these paintings, prints, and photographs, reflect on how the visual languages developed in the 20th century inform contemporary artistic practice and reception.