Under Construction: America at 250

Interview with Art Complex Museum Deputy Director and Contemporary Curator Craig Bloodgood.

The Art Complex Museum sits on thirteen acres of woodland and open space. How did that shape your vision for Under Construction: America at 250?

From the start, we knew the grounds would be the heart of this exhibition. America’s 250th anniversary called for something ambitious, and our campus gave us the perfect setting for large-scale outdoor work that could unfold across the landscape and remain on view for more than a year. We also loved the idea that visitors would encounter the exhibition gradually,through paths, trees, and open lawns, rather than all at once. That sense of discovery is fitting for a show about a country still becoming itself. And because the installation expands beyond the exhibition into new areas of the property, it leaves a lasting footprint on the museum grounds as well.

This exhibition has been in development for quite some time. What did that process look like?

It has been almost two years in the making, and it is the largest exhibition I have worked on in my 28 years at the museum. We issued an open call in the fall of 2025 with a direct question: “What does America mean to you, 250 years in?” We kept the invitation intentionally open, asking only that the work be durable, safe, and able to live outdoors for fourteen months. The response was wide-ranging and exciting. From artists we knew well and artists we were discovering for the first time, we selected sixteen projects. Fourteen will be installed across the museum campus, and two more will be placed at nearby community sites, bringing the exhibition into the larger landscape of Duxbury.

How did you approach selecting artists and works for such an open-ended theme?

We were looking for artists who could bring strong, distinctive voices to the conversation. Rather than presenting one answer, we wanted the exhibition to open up many ways of thinking about America now. Artists have a remarkable ability to help us understand who we are and where we are. That idea guided our selections. The final group works across sculpture, installation, textiles, found materials, and mixed media, creating a rich dialogue between material, meaning, and place. Some works are direct and powerful, like Michael Alfano’s, Big Money, which explores the role of finance in American life, or Gary Orlinsky’s Stress Test, which looks at the pressure our institutions are under. Others, such as Kasia Ozga’s We The People and Jackie Reeves’s To Uphold, address belonging, identity, and civic responsibility. Together, they offer a layered and compelling portrait of the country at this moment.

Many of the works engage with complex or difficult aspects of American history and identity. Was that intentional?

Absolutely. The title Under Construction speaks to the idea that America is still being shaped. At 250 years, the country is not finished, and we wanted an exhibition that could hold both celebration and critique. Some artists look directly at historical narratives and public memory, including Aaron T. Stephan’s, Columbus Blocked and Michael and Martin Ulmans’ Remember Pearl Harbor. Others, like Monika Zarzeczna with Use Entry, explore questions of access, exclusion, and the changing promise of the American Dream. At the same time, there are works that speak to resilience, renewal, and transformation. Josh Urso’s  Reaping and Sowing reflects cycles of damage and repair, while Andy Moerlein’s suspended stones bring in a sense of wonder, instability, and possibility. What excites us most is that the exhibition doesn’t settle on one message, it opens up space for many.

What do you hope visitors take away from the exhibition?

I hope visitors feel invited into the conversation. Because the work is outdoors and installed for over a year, it will change with the seasons, and each visit will offer something different. More than anything, I hope the exhibition sparks reflection. The question we posed to artists, “What does America mean to you now?”, is one, visitors can bring with them as they move through the grounds. Some works even invite direct participation, making the experience more interactive and immediate. At its core, this exhibition is about looking closely, thinking deeply, and engaging with a landscape of ideas as much as a landscape of sculpture. It is a celebration of artistic vision, but also a meaningful invitation to consider where we are as a country, and where we might go next.

Under Construction: America at 250

June 14, 2026 – August 29, 2027
Reception: Sunday, June 14, 2026, 1 – 4pm

Read about other artists on the Meet the Artists page.