UA’s Fay Jones School, Crystal Bridges Museum, and DesignConnects to Represent U.S. at Venice Architecture Biennale
The University of Arkansas’s Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, alongside Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and DesignConnects, has been selected to represent the United States at the prestigious 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. This distinction underscores the collaboration’s commitment to promoting American architecture and design on a global stage.
The exhibit, titled “PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity,” will showcase the quintessential American porch as a space that embodies both social and environmental qualities. It will highlight the porch’s significance as a constructed place that is at once social, environmental, tectonic, and performative, while also being hospitable, intimate, and democratic.
The curatorial team, comprising Peter MacKeith, dean of the Fay Jones School; Susan Chin, principal of DesignConnects; and Rod Bigelow, executive director of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, will focus on imperative national and global issues addressed through architecture and design. The emphasis will be on public engagement, civic building, and a generous architectural diplomacy that represents the best of the nation’s past, present, and future.
This groundbreaking exhibition will introduce a wide range of voices and perspectives, emphasizing a diversity of thought and approach. It is a powerful expression of American architecture’s role in shaping the built environment and fostering community engagement.
The 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, curated by architect and engineer Carlo Ratti, will run from May 10 to November 23, 2025. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to attend, providing a unique opportunity for the selected U.S. delegation to showcase American design excellence.
This collaborative effort between the Fay Jones School, Crystal Bridges Museum, and DesignConnects demonstrates their shared commitment to advancing design education, cultural enrichment, and civic engagement. By highlighting the American porch, they will not only celebrate a quintessential American architectural element but also promote the values of hospitality, inclusivity, and democratic design.
The partnership between these institutions promises an inspiring and thought-provoking exhibition that will leave a lasting impact on the global architectural community and beyond.
