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The National Endowment for the Arts estimates there are 2 million artists working in the United States. Many of those artists are based in places like New York City and Los Angeles, known for their galleries and art fairs.


But a new exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art sought out works from across the country in an attempt to capture the vibrant diversity and hidden gems of the contemporary scene.


The exhibition, called "State of the Art," features more than 130 works by 53 artists, ranging from drawings, paintings and sculpture to videos, photography and collage. It's on loan from the 


Crystal Bridges is a relatively new museum, funded by the Walton Family Foundation. Two of its curators decided to embark on an ambitious quest to survey contemporary American art. They traveled more than 100,000 miles and visited close to 1,000 art studios looking for work that was masterfully executed, aesthetically captivating and deeply engaged with community issues. 


The result, said Dennis Jon, associate curator of prints and drawings at Mia, is a revelation.


"At a personal level, it opens my eyes," he said. "There's a lot more out there than even I was able to appreciate. Because again, as a curator we tend to focus on the larger cities."


This exhibition, he said, "just shows there is art everywhere, and I think visitors to this show will be impressed by the quality of the work on display."


While many contemporary art shows feel as though they're aimed at members of an elite club, Jon said, this one is readily accessible to the average museumgoer. Many of the works contain sly bits of humor, while others are simply gorgeous to behold. An intricate and richly colored collage is made up of discarded lottery tickets. A portrait formed from exotic black flowers upon closer inspection reveals itself to be created out of tar paper. 


One entire gallery is filled with artwork concerned with the environment, including 

 intricately rendered large-scale drawing of three rhinoceroses. The work is about both the extinction of certain rhino species and personal loss. Khare said when a curator first paid her a visit in her Santa Monica garage studio, she had no idea about the importance of the show for which she was being considered.  


"If I knew it was for a really big deal, I probably would have dressed up nicer," she said.


Khare said her career has taken off since the initial exhibition in Arkansas; she just opened her first solo show. She believes the Crystal Bridges show has given other art institutions permission to show work that's more readily accessible. 


"I'm excited because I feel for maybe one of the first times that accessibility doesn't have to be a detriment to be a contemporary artist," she said. "Maybe the tides are turning, and maybe it's OK to welcome people in, instead of feeling right away like they need to read an encyclopedia to get in and understand it."


The exhibition includes the work of three Minnesota artists: 

. This weekend, 17 of the other featured artists are joining them in the Twin Cities for the opening celebrations.  


The Minneapolis Institute of Art's Nicole Soukup says she hopes even people who don't normally consider themselves fans of contemporary art will come to this exhibition.


"You wouldn't necessarily think contemporary art and think that's accessible for you or for your mom or for your kids," she said. "But I think this show is so accessible and open, and I hope that everyone feels welcomed enough to come and really look at the art and look at contemporary society in a new way."


"State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now" is on view at the Minneapolis Institute of Art through May 29.

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The "State of the Art" exhibit at Mia demonstrates that contemporary art isn't only for those who spend a lot of time in museums and galleries.

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