Art for All: Innovations in 20th-century Printmaking

The Federal Arts Project’s various programs and post-WWII economic growth created a new democratization of art, allowing a larger number of people to collect affordable art for their homes. During the mid-20th century, companies like Associated American Artists, Alva Studios, and Robinson Galleries, as well as many printmaking studios, were established with the goal of disseminating multiples to a wider audience. Print studios also offered a highly collaborative environment for artists and printers that led to innovations in materials and methods, fueling creative expression. 

Renee and Chaim Gross collected hundreds of prints, many of which are shown for the first time in this exhibition. From Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s 1895 lithograph made during the Parisian Belle Époque to a 1995 silkscreen by New York artist Gladys Burrows, the exhibition references seismic shifts in social structures, politics, and economies over the span of a century.
 

Curated by Sasha Davis, Executive Director, and Brittany Cassandra, Director of Collections

This exhibition is supported by New York State Council on the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.