This morning, New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared May 31 Ellsworth Kelly Day, in honor of the legendary entertainer. 100th anniversary.
The centennial initiative, spearheaded by the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, all of which have examples of Kelly’s work in their own collections, will help cement Kelly’s legacy. the artist as a pioneer in both abstraction and institutional philanthropy, an example of the expansive nature of his influence. Mayor Kirk Watson of Austin, Texas, home to his chapel-like structure Austin— also made the same statement.
Kelly, who died in 2015is revered as one of the most important artists of his generation, having received the National Medal of Arts from US President Barack Obama in 2012. He is best known for his brilliant, smooth and sharp abstractions that forever changed the landscape of the post office. – war paint.
Kelly’s centenary is famous in the form of concurrent event exhibitions both in the United States and around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art’s Ellsworth Kelly: A Centenary Celebration (until June 11); the Glenstone Museum in Potomac, Maryland, where Ellsworth Kelly at 100 is on view until April 15, 2024; Ellsworth Kelly Portrait Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago (until October 23, 2023); Shape, Ground, Shade: Ellsworth Kelly Photographsat the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (until January 14, 2024); Ellsworth Kelly: Reflections on Water and Other Early Drawings at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (until December 1) and Ellsworth Kelly: Sculpturean outdoor exhibition of the artist’s work at Lever House in Manhattan (until May 1, 2024).
Ahead of Kelly’s centennial celebration, the artist’s foundation and partner Jack Shear donated grants totaling $2.75 million to 50 museums across the United States and major gifts of his work.
