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Neuberger Museum of Art

backstory50: Catlett x 2

So, right now we have a work on view that is in two places at one time—Elizabeth Catlett’s study Homage to Black Women Poets (1984). OK, it’s not really visible in two places, but the object is a part of both The Making of a Museum: 50 Years and Reflection / Refraction … although it’s only physically on view in the latter.

The study is included as part of the 1974—2024 portion of our anniversary exhibition because the fifty-year survey of Elizabeth Catlett’s work that we showed in 1998 is one of our most asked about exhibitions.

Installation view of Elizabeth Catlett Sculpture: A Fifty-Year Retrospective (1998) in the Neuberger Museum of Art's South Gallery. The a... Installation view of Elizabeth Catlett Sculpture: A Fifty-Year Retrospective (1998) in the Neuberger Museum of Art's South Gallery. The artist's sculpture, Homage to Black Women Poets (1984), is shown on the far right of this photograph; the cast bronze study of the sculpture is currently on display at the Museum.

 

Curated by then director Lucinda Gedeon, the exhibition featured sixty bronze, marble, stone, terracotta, and wood sculptures. And the book for that show, with essays by Lowery Sims and Michael Brenson, also continues to be one of the most asked about publications in the Neuberger’s catalogue of scholarship. Read more about the survey and the artist’s selection as the fourth recipient of the Museum’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Through August 11, Catlett’s cast bronze study of the full-scale Homage to Black Women Poets sculpture is physically installed in Reflection/Refraction, a project conceptualized by alumnus and faculty member Jason Rodriguez ’12 (dance) that points to the ways in which Purchase College has inspired generations of visual and performing artists. 

Today’s 50th anniversary thank-you goes to the Klein family, which alongside the Westchester Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. made possible the acquisition of Catlett’s sculpture for the Neuberger, along with many other important acquisitions and operations support for many, many years.

Tracy Fitzpatrick
Director, Neuberger Museum of Art

Orange square with a white border and large numbers 50 with small letters neu overlapping the top of the 5 and the word Years beneath

Watch for a new backstory every Wednesday and follow us on social media as we share stories about the Museum’s history, our evolution to the present day, and look ahead to our exciting future. Stay up-to-date with the latest news and “NEU 50 Years” updates on our anniversary webpage.