Since the late 1990s, artist KAWS has been creating a cast of iconic characters steeped in the American zeitgeist. Each with their own distinct personality pulled in part from their creator, these characters have been a constant throughline in the artist’s career and our nation’s popular culture.

 

This spring, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will bring the whimsical characters right here to Northwest Arkansas. Opening March 15, KAWS: FAMILY will feature a broad mixture of the artist’s works — drawings, paintings, sculptures, advertising interventions and product collaborations — that examine complex, familiar and astonishingly heartfelt entryways into human emotions. The exhibition takes its title and thematic jumping-off point from the sculpture titled FAMILY (2021), which brings together four of KAWS’ characters posed in the style of a family portrait.

 

Organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario, KAWS: FAMILY at Crystal Bridges is KAWS’ Arkansas solo exhibition debut. Expanding to fit Crystal Bridges’ exhibition gallery space, this presentation builds on the AGO’s original exhibition to create an experience that is uniquely suited for the museum.

 

KAWS: FAMILY will be on view at Crystal Bridges from March 15 through July 28 and is curated by Julian Cox, deputy director and chief curator at the Art Gallery of Ontario. The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art presentation is curated by Alejo Benedetti.

 

General admission is $15. Tickets are free for Crystal Bridges members, SNAP participants, veterans, and guests ages 25 and under.