Parrish Art Museum Announces ‘Abstract Expressionism: East End, 1940 to Today’ / Sept 27 – Feb 14th

THE PARRISH ART MUSEUM ANNOUNCES

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM:

THE EAST END, 1940 TO TODAY

September 27, 2026–February 14, 2027

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Joanna Pousette-Dart (American, b. 1947). Untitled (From the Beatus Group), 1987, acrylic on canvas on two panels, 50 x 80 in. Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill, N.Y., Gift of Kay R. Lowe, 2003.2.

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The Parrish Art Museum is pleased to present Abstract Expressionism: The East End, 1940 to Today. This exhibition continues the Museum’s yearlong celebration of the United States’ semiquincentennial, PARRISH USA250: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. “Liberty” is the concept underlying this comprehensive survey of the influence of the East End during the rise of the Abstract Expressionist movement and the abstract artistic inspirations that followed. The notions of liberty and freedom of expression are embodied in this movement, the influence of which continues to carry on today. The exhibition will also highlight the women of Abstract Expressionism who helped establish this genre.

The East End is one of the most significant artistic hubs in the United States. From the American Impressionists and Abstract Expressionists to Pop Art legends and contemporary trailblazers, the artists of this region have created a strong sense of community based upon the pursuit of creative freedom—an important tenant throughout the history of Abstract Expressionism and the history the United States as a country.

“Abstract Expressionism: The East End, 1940 to Today reflects on the deep and continuing influence of this region, its natural landscape, and the sense of creative freedom it elicits for the artists who have called it home,” said Dr. Mónica Ramírez Montagut, Executive Director of the Parrish Art Museum. “From Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner’s arrival in Springs in 1945 to the artists living and working here today, the East End has remained a space for deep artistic exploration and experimentation. This exhibition is a testament to the legacy of exploration and freedom of expression as a quintessential value of American culture.”

Drawn from both prominent private collections and the Museum’s permanent holdings, Abstract Expressionism: The East End, 1940 to Today begins in the mid-twentieth century, presenting the work of both the first- and second-generation Abstract Expressionists of the 1940s–60s. Focusing on works made during the years that these artists were living and working on the East End, the presentation presents work by celebrated women painters such as Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell, and Pat Steir, alongside those who are still under-represented in the movement.

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Elaine de Kooning (American, 1918–1989). Sunday Afternoon, Juarez, 1958, oil on Masonite, 36 x 48 in. Kenneth C. Griffin Collection.

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The exhibition also spotlights the enduring influence of Abstract Expressionism on the East End, tracing how the movement’s founding gestures gave way to new formal languages in the decades that followed. Works from this period highlight the moment after its rise, demonstrating a shifting style during the 1970s and 1980s. During this time Betty Parsons—better known during her lifetime as the influential gallerist behind Pollock, Rothko, and Newman—and Joanna Pousette-Dart both embodied a sense of dynamism and vibrancy that is reflective of the style’s evolving nature.

“The exhibition also highlights the work of artists living and working on the East End today, offering a contemporary take on the visual gestures of abstraction. The selection of work produced after the rise of Abstract Expressionism signifies a definitive shift in style and further explores the innovative modes of expression happening within the region,” said Associate Curator and Publications Manager Kaitlin Halloran. “The movement’s characteristics of innovation and network of creative influences will be further explored through photographs of artists at work in and around their studios from the Museum’s collection, including images by Laurie Lambrecht, Fred W. McDarrah, Hans Namuth and others.”

More recent works from the 1990s to the present reveal how East End artists have continued to expand gestural painting. Marina Adams and Suzanne McClelland are both artists of the East End representative of this period.

Abstract Expressionism: The East End, 1940 to Today is part of the Museum’s PARRISH USA250: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, a year-long program organized in response to the United States’ semiquincentennial. The USA250 exhibition series reflects on the nation’s history and founding values, examines our present moment, and imagines new ways of moving forward, while acknowledging the contributions of East End and regional artists to the broader landscape of American art and culture.

Abstract Expressionism: The East End, 1940 to Today is organized by Kaitlin Halloran, Associate Curator and Publications Manager.

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Exhibition Support

Abstract Expressionism: The East End, 1940 to Today is made possible thanks to leadership support from Kenneth C. Griffin and Griffin Catalyst and the generous support of Sherri and Darren Cohen; Ellen Katz; Berry Campbell Gallery, New York; Helen Frankenthaler Foundation; Amy and Steven Horowitz; Wolf Kahn Foundation; and Lauren and Steven P. Schwartz. Additional support provided by the IFPDA Foundation.

This project is also supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Parrish Art Museum’s programs are made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and by the property taxpayers from the Southampton Union Free School District and the Tuckahoe Common School District.

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The Parrish Art Museum is a place to discover and connect with artists and art with a focus on the rich creative legacy of the East End and its global impact on the art world. Inspired by the natural setting and historical artistic community of Long Island’s East End, the Parrish Art Museum celebrates its legacy through a distinctive contemporary lens and socially conscious global context. The Parrish illuminates the creative process and how art, architecture, and design transform our experiences and our communities, and how we relate to the world. Access to relevant cultural engagement, artistic inspiration, a natural environment, and architectural ingenuity characterizes the Museum experience as a unique destination for the region, the nation, and the world.

Visit www.parrishart.org for more information.

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Visit AAQ / Museum Architecture Portfolio: Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill / 2012 …. link

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