New York City Circa 1960: Works from the Collection of Robert A. Ellison, Jr.

Opening reception: Friday, May 8, 6–8 PM

New York City Circa 1960: Works from the Collection of Robert A. Ellison, Jr. brings together paintings and works on paper created by a network of 15 artists in the years surrounding 1960, a pivotal moment of expansion in post-war American art. Centered on the collection of Robert A. Ellison, Jr., the exhibition situates both Ellison's own work and his collection of art by his contemporaries and friends within the vibrant downtown Manhattan art scene—particularly the creative set of artists, gallerists, and collectors clustered around Tenth Street.

The exhibition emerged in part from Robert Ellison’s close longstanding friendship with the Schoelkopf family. Gallery founder Andrew Schoelkopf reflects:

“Bob was a dear friend of my father’s and a mentor to me. I knew him from my birth until his recent passing in 2021. He was a serious and passionate collector, painter, and creative spirit.”

“I expect what drove him to acquire most of the works from this period around 1960 was the unusual access he had and the opportunity to support his close friends. He believed sincerely in them and the work they were doing and was excited to be part of that.”

"If there is such a thing as a ‘collecting gene,’ Bob surely had it. He collected art and ceramics with great enthusiasm. This exhibition celebrates part of his art collection that developed during an exciting and dynamic time in New York and is just one of the many fascinating chapters in Bob’s life as a collector.”

After World War II, New York emerged as the center of the international art world. Although Abstract Expressionism had become the dominant mode, by the 1960s many artists experienced a productive tension between abstraction and figuration, material experimentation and narrative possibility. The works presented in the exhibition reflect a community defined by restless energy and an exchange of ideas that embraced these parallel approaches to painting at a moment of artistic expansion. Together, they capture the spirit of camaraderie and experimentation that laid the groundwork for new directions in American art.

The Tenth Street scene in New York’s East Village emerged in the ‘50s after World War II and continued to be a thriving artistic community into the ‘60s. The neighborhood, particularly the block between Third and Fourth Avenues, was home to a robust network of artists’ studios and artist-run gallery collectives. Galleries such as the Tanager Gallery, Hansa Gallery, Brata Gallery, and Area Gallery offered an alternative to the more conservative commercial galleries clustered uptown around 57th Street. Artists also gathered socially at the legendary Cedar Tavern. Notably, artists including Willem de Kooning, Milton Resnick, and Mary Abbott maintained studios at 88 East 10th Street.

The exhibition features works by 15 artists including Robert Beauchamp, Elaine De Kooning, Robert De Niro, Sr., Robert Goodnough, Ben Johnson, Lester Frederick Johnson, Wolf Kahn, Emily Mason, Jay Milder, Dody Müller, Jan Müller, Pat Passlof, Milton Resnick, and Bob Thompson, as well as Robert Ellison himself.

Alongside paintings and works on paper, the Schoelkopf Gallery exhibition will feature a rich selection of archival material from Ellison’s Estate including exhibition pamphlets and announcements, newspaper clippings, personal correspondence, and portraits of artists photographed by Ellison and others.

Robert A. Ellison, Jr. (1932–2021) was a true Renaissance man. In turns a painter, photographer, cabinetmaker, gallerist, and impassioned collector, Ellison dedicated himself to American art and the artists who made it for over six decades.