Anita Shapolsky Gallery facts for kids

The Anita Shapolsky Gallery is an art gallery that opened in 1982. It was started by Anita Shapolsky. Today, you can find it at 152 East 65th Street in New York City. This area is known as the Upper East Side in Manhattan.

The gallery focuses on a special kind of art called abstract expressionism. This style was popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It's also known as the New York School. The gallery shows art that is expressionism, geometric abstraction, and painterly abstraction. Most of the artworks are made with oil or acrylic paints, and there are also sculptures. The gallery often features artists who followed the first abstract expressionists. It also shows works by younger artists, older Latin American abstract artists, women artists, and African-American artists.

History of the Gallery

How Anita Shapolsky Started

Anita Shapolsky was born in New York. Her birth name was Anita Kresofsky. She went to Hunter College and earned a degree there. This is where she first became very interested in art. Later, she studied at New York University and earned another degree. She married Martin Shapolsky, who worked as a realtor. They had two children, a son named Ian and a daughter named Lisa.

Opening the Gallery

Anita Shapolsky began collecting old art. In the 1970s, she started collecting contemporary art, especially abstract expressionism. In 1982, she opened her own gallery. It was on the second floor of 99 Spring Street in SoHo, a neighborhood in Manhattan. At first, it was called the Arbitrage Gallery. It showed American abstract art from the 1950s.

Moving to New Locations

In 1984, the gallery moved to a different space at 99 Spring Street. In this new spot, they started to show art by Latin American artists and women artists. Then, in 1997, the gallery moved again. It found a new home in a brownstone townhouse at 152 East 65th Street. This is on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where it is located today.

Art Styles and Artists

The gallery specializes in abstract expressionism from the 1950s and 1960s. This art movement is often called the New York School. The gallery displays different types of abstract art. These include expressionism, which shows strong feelings. It also features geometric abstraction, which uses shapes and lines. Another style is painterly abstraction, which focuses on brushstrokes and color.

Most of the art you will see is made with oil paints or acrylic paints. The gallery also shows many sculptures. The focus is on artists who came after the first group of abstract expressionists. But it also includes art from younger artists. You can also find works by older Latin American abstract artists, women artists, and African-American artists.

Anita Shapolsky Art Foundation

In 1998, the gallery created something special called the Anita Shapolsky Art Foundation. This foundation is located in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. It's about a two-hour drive from New York City. The foundation is in a very old building that used to be a church. It was built in 1859 and is very large, about 10,000 square feet.

The foundation is a non-profit organization. This means it's not trying to make money. During the summer, Anita Shapolsky offers educational programs for children there. The foundation also shows abstract artists and modern artworks. It helps people learn more about art.