San Antonio Museum of Art Presents Larry Bell: Improvisations
July 29, 2025
July 29, 2025
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On view August 29, 2025–January 4, 2026
San Antonio, TX—July 29, 2025—On August 29, the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) will open Larry Bell: Improvisations, an exhibition highlighting works by one of the most influential artists to emerge from the 1960s Los Angeles art scene. Described as “unabashedly drop-dead gorgeous” by the Wall Street Journal, Improvisations will be on view in the Cowden Gallery through January 4, 2026.
Spanning fifty-five years of creative production, the exhibition originated by Phoenix Art Museum includes Bell’s signature floating cubes along with intimate collages, beguiling works on canvas, and an array of luminous glass sculptures.
As part of the presentation at SAMA, Improvisations will feature The Dilemma of Griffin’s Cat, a large-scale, site-specific installation Bell was commissioned to create for SAMA’s grand opening in 1981. The piece, which is part of the Museum’s permanent collection, will be on view for the first time in decades.
“Each work in the exhibition seamlessly blends technical precision with visual delight,” said Lana Meador, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at SAMA. “The opportunity to share The Dilemma of Griffin’s Cat with new audiences after so many years is particularly exciting.”
Larry Bell was born in Chicago in 1939 but grew up in California and studied at Chouinard Art Institute (now CalArts). Initially working in abstract painting, he first became enthralled with the optical qualities of glass while working at Picture Frame Mart in Burbank from 1959 to 1960. Shortly after beginning his experimentation with glass, Bell discovered a vacuum deposition technique that allowed him to deposit extremely thin films onto glass panes. The resulting sculptures and installations enhance the elusiveness of space by allowing light to pass through and feature metallic coatings that create subtle optical shifts. Bell has since been using light as his medium to focus on how different surfaces reflect, absorb, and transmit light.
“Bell’s installations speak perfectly to SAMA’s mission to inspire curiosity and engage the community,” said Emily Ballew Neff, the Kelso Director at SAMA. “Merging art and science, Bell’s luminous works in glass and other media invite audiences to slow down, observe, and engage with their surroundings in new ways.”
Artist Larry Bell will return to San Antonio for a conversation with Randy Kennedy, former art critic for the New York Times, on Friday, November 7, at 6 p.m. Bell will speak about his work and ongoing exploration of light, space, and surface. Additionally, the exhibition will have a full slate of programs, including The Multifaceted History of Glass, a lecture with Kelly Conway on Tuesday, October 7, a screening of The Invisible Man on Tuesday, October 28, and guided tours every Tuesday and Sunday for the duration of the exhibition. For additional programs, information, and registration, please visit www.samuseum.org/calendar.
Larry Bell: Improvisations is organized by Phoenix Art Museum and curated by Rachel Sadvary Zebro, associate curator of collections at Phoenix Art Museum.
In San Antonio, Larry Bell: Improvisations is generously supported by The Brown Foundation. Additional funding comes from the Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992.
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San Antonio Museum of Art:
The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains more than 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city.
Visitor Information:
Larry Bell: Improvisations is included with Museum admission.
Media:
For interviews, digital images, or additional information, please contact:
Alma Solís, PR & Social Media Manager
210.978.8113 | alma.solis@samuseum.org
