Masterworks in a league of their own

The Wrestlers, 1938 by Russell Cowles (American, 1887 – 1979), Watercolor on Arches paper
23 3/16 x 31 9/16 inches. Photo by Rich Sanders.

On view at the Des Moines Art Center, through February 3, 2019 in the John Brady Print Gallery at are works by the Art Students League of New York. This exhibition spotlights works on paper and prints from the Center’s permanent collection by more than twenty artists who either attended classes at the Art Students League, taught there, or both. A select number of works are on view for the first time, or have not been shown in over two decades.

 

Spanning more than 80 years, the show includes artworks by Milton Avery, Isabel Bishop, Lee Bontecou, Jacob Lawrence, Louise Nevelson, and many others.

Since 1875, this institution has offered art instruction in drawing, painting, sculpture and printmaking that is fundamentally open to all. Its affordable, open-enrollment system provides a democratic alternative to the rigidness of competitive, curriculum-based art schools. After the League permanently settled in the heart of New York City in 1892, a number of influential American and international artists have passed through its doors, giving the institution a renowned reputation.

Lackawanna Bridge, 1934 by Victoria Ebbels Huston Huntley (American, 1900 – 1971), Lithograph on paper, Sheet: 11 1/2 × 15 15/16 inches. Photo by Rich Sanders, Des Moines.

 

For more information, call Assistant Curator Jared Ledesma  at 515.277.4405 or see: www.desmoinesartcenter.org