Judy Kensley McKie Enters the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art collection
September 11, 2025
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Receives Two Landmark Gifts of Art from Chairperson Olivia Walton and Tom Walton and Collectors Candace and Michael Humphreys, In Celebration of Major Expansion
Judy Kensley McKie, Beagle Side Table, cast bronze, 21×36×14” (edition of 8), 2012
The Humphreys’ gift of art to Crystal Bridges is the largest since the museum’s founding and is accompanied by a generous financial contribution to support future acquisitions. The gift features important works by artists such as Mary Cassatt, Barkley Hendricks, and Alex Katz, and includes works by artists that have seldom been exhibited publicly, among them Beverly Buchanan, Flo Perkins, and David Wiseman. Artists included in the gift who have not previously been represented at Crystal Bridges include Robert Arneson, Robert Bechtle, Edward Ruscha, Kiki Smith, and Do Ho Suh. The gift also includes the first two quilts to enter the museum’s collection: Work – Clothes Strips and Pant Legs” Gee’s Bend Quilt by Loretta P. Bennett and 19th Century Applique Quilt (1860) by Mary E. Harris.
Olivia Walton said “Through their extraordinary generosity, Candace and Michael Humphreys have broadened and deepened the stories of America that we tell at our museum, and that have established Crystal Bridges as a leading destination for major collections of American art. It’s thrilling to receive such a landmark gift at this pivotal moment in our history. It’s also personally moving, as I reflect on my mother’s trailblazing contributions to broadening our understanding of American art and artists. Tom and I are honored to make this gift in her memory. These works reflect my mom’s spirit and influence, enriching the Crystal Bridges collection while continuing her legacy of opening doors for artists and inspiring future generations.”
Based in Dallas, the Humphreys have assembled a deeply personal and adventurous collection that reflects a passion for visual beauty, artistic innovation and American culture. Candace, an honorary advisor and past member of the Collections Committee at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Michael, a retired venture capitalist and past member of the Painting and Sculpture Committee at the Whitney Museum of American Art, have approached collecting with a distinctive vision that spans eras, traditions, and artistic mediums. In recognition of their generosity, a space within the Foundations of American Art installation at the museum will be named the Candace P. and W. Michael Humphreys Gallery.
In a joint statement, Candace and Michael Humphreys said, “We are proud that these works we’ve cherished will engage, challenge, and inspire audiences at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, now and far into the future. It is an honor to support the museum’s vital mission during this exciting period of its evolution.”
The Humphreys Collection encompasses paintings, photography, indoor and outdoor sculptures, textiles, ceramics, glass, prints, and silver. Among the artists represented in the gift, in addition to those mentioned above, are Ralph Bacerra, Julie Buffalohead, Marisol Escobar, Nicholas Galanin, Theaster Gates, William H. Johnson, Jacob Lawrence, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Mapplethorpe, Richard Marquis, Josiah McElheny, Judy Kensley McKie, Laura McPhee, Ivań Navarro, Alice Neel, Robert Rauschenberg, Cindy Sherman, Tseng Kwon Chi, and Andy Warhol.
Gifts of sculpture from the Humphreys Collection will be integrated throughout the museum’s galleries and grounds, which will animate the museum’s 134 acres of trails and gardens. These works include Tom’s Carousel (2016), a full-size carousel with seven whimsical bronze figures by Tom Otterness; Claus Oldenberg and Coosje Van Bruggen’s Floating Peel (2002); Juane Quick-To-See Smith’s Making Medicine: Coyote (Going Forward, Looking Back) (2024-2025); and Wendell Castle’s Wandering Mountain (2014).
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Judy Kensley McKie, Cat Chair, cast bronze, 28×17×19” (edition of 8), 2012
Judy Kensley McKie, Grizzly Bear Bench, cast bronze, edition of 10, 2002