Vandals to Vanguards is the premiere art experience in Northwest Florida this fall. Occupying the museum’s entire second floor, the exhibition will feature contemporary masterpieces by pop favorites like Andy Warhol and Keith Haring alongside current notorious street artists like Banksy and Mr. Brainwash. The exhibition examines how several icons of modern art found success by rebelling against the prevailing sentiments of the art world and seeking a more democratic form of artistic expression. Starting in the 1960s with pop art’s radical use of commonplace images from advertising and entertainment, Vandals to Vanguards illustrates how generations of artists have recycled and remixed concepts and themes to continually advance and question the boundaries of fine art.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalog celebrating the collection and contributions of Lewis Bear, Jr. and his family. Though the exhibition is composed of works from several local lenders, Lewis Bear’s collection served as both the inspiration and the primary source for this remarkable show. We are incredibly grateful that the Bear family and Maria Goldberg have made these works available for display at the Pensacola Museum of Art.