Chaim Gross
Study for "The Gates of Freedom" Sponsor Pin, c. 1973
Graphite on paper, 6 1/2 x 7 in.
Artists and Immigrants: A Centennial Celebration
The year 2021 marked the centennial of the immigration of artist Chaim Gross and his wife, Renee (Nechin) Gross. Born in what was at the time Austria-Hungary, now Ukraine, the artist survived multiple upheavals, from the turmoil spurred by World War I and its aftermath, to multiple regime changes in Budapest, Hungary that resulted in his expulsion as a Jewish "foreigner." These early experiences led to his decision to immigrate to the United States, settling in New York City in 1921. Artists and Immigrants celebrates this milestone year and the many immigrant artists who studied, worked, and interacted with Gross. As the migration of people globally due to war, famine, and climate change continues to spur discourse, this project aims to focus on the profound influence of immigrant artists on American art as seen in the personal collection of Renee and Chaim Gross.
The centennial celebration includes virtual programming, a temporary exhibition drawn from the Foundation's historic collection, and a catalogue funded generously by the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation of New York.
Artists and Immigrants is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Willem de Kooning, Artist and Immigrant with Stephen Mack
David Burliuk: An Artist’s Journey with Myroslav Shkandrij
The Photographer who used Words? The Writer who used Pictures? The Genius of Bernard Gotfryd with David Scrase
Ilya Schor and Resia Schor: Refuge as Transformation with Mira Schor
Marion Palfi, Citizen Photographer: "My Work is Human Rights" with Janet Zandy
Federico Castellón: A Young Immigrant and His Art with Elisa Castellon
Yasuo Kuniyoshi: Artist as Immigrant with Tom Wolf
Exploring American Arrival Stories at the Katonah Museum of Art with Heather Ewing
Gaston Lachaise: Immigrant in Greenwich Village with Paula Hornbostel
From Vosdanig Adoian to Arshile Gorky: Gorky's Immigration Experience with Parker Field
Raphael Soyer and the Jewish American Immigrant Experience with Samantha Baskind
A Conversation with Debra Caplan: Yiddish Theater's Global Journey
Artists and Immigrants Series: Laurie Wilson on Louise Nevelson
Artists and Immigrants Series: Alexandra Keiser, PhD on Alexander Archipenko
Part II: Eastern European Migrants and American Identities
Part I: Eastern European Migrants and American Identities
Artists and Immigrants Series: Diana Linden on Ben Shahn
Artists and Immigrants Series: Alicia Longwell on John D. Graham
Catalogue design by Christopher Sleboda and Kathleen Sleboda.
Artists and Immigrants catalogue is now available for purchase at the Foundation.
Please contact us via phone or email to order if you are not in the area.
$10 plus shipping and handling.
