In the Making: Contemporary Art at SBMA

Relevance is a common word these days for museums as they work to catch up with their audiences and the ever-changing world we live in, and one sure way to stay relevant is to acquire and display work by contemporary artists who are pushing the envelope with their ingenuity. Art keeps transforming. New artists arrive to claim a place. Artists from marginalized backgrounds are being given greater prominence.

Nearly a century ago, Gertrude Stein is reported to have said that “You can be a museum, or you can be modern, but you can’t be both.” If you can admit that a contemporary collection can only ever be “in the making,” then the problem is not so hard. Think of this exhibition as a snapshot of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s efforts to stay contemporary, while also being a museum.