Ellsworth Kelly, American
Deceptively simple, this abstract oil on canvas is all about the color, which takes on a presence of its own.
El Anatsui, Ghanaian, active in Nigeria
Commissioned by the museum, it is made from bottle caps and remnants of liquor packaging. It evokes a complex history of the trade in alcoholic beverages in Africa.
Roxy Paine, American
Part of a series of treelike forms Paine calls "dendroids," this stainless steel work is installed outside the museum building and is visible from several vantage points inside as well.
Jennifer Steinkamp, American
This video installation depicts a tree as it changes through the seasons, with an anthropomorphic quality to it; a counterpoint to Askew outside the building.
Patrick Dougherty, American
Made of red maple sapling branches and boughs from the area, this tangled piece spans an entire wall near the entrance, and continues the conversation about nature and art mixing both inside and out.
Ursula von Rydingsvard, American, born Germany
Her works are roughly hewn cedar and graphite blocks, cut and stacked to evoke bowls, vases, spoons or shovels. This 19-foot-tall piece is one of the first artworks visitors see on the grounds as they drive in.
The Rodin gift
Twenty-nine Auguste Rodin castings are inside and outside in a special garden. An installation explaining the lost-wax casting process will go on view in the old building this fall.
Attributed to Willem Hendrik Rosier, Dutch
Originally made for Amsterdam's Grote Synagoge, this pair of silver and brass finials was acquired in 2006. NCMA has one of only two permanent displays of Jewish art in an American art museum.
Egyptian False Door, probably from Saqqara
False doors for private ancient Egyptian tombs, such as this limestone piece, were passageways for the soul. This one belonged to a nobleman.
Jaume Plensa, Spanish
The trio of larger-than-life figures cast in translucent resin and lit from within face downward from three walls in the lobby, with excerpts from the "Song of Solomon" covering them.
