Edith Halpert and the Rise of American Art

In the early 1920s, European avant-garde art still ruled the NYC art scene, but not for long. Edith Halpert, a Russian-born Jewish gallerist, helped bring American art to the forefront and paved the way for artists like Ben Shahn, Charles Sheeler, Yasuo Kuniyoshi and Georgia O’Keeffe, along with promoting art by African-American artists, when she opened her Downtown Gallery in 1926. Halpert’s effectiveness as a female leader of Jewish descent still resonates to this day. Through this exhibiton, viewers will see more than 100 works of American modern and folk art that passed through Halpert’s gallery along with pieces from her acclaimed personal collection.