Fisher Landau Center facts for kids
The Fisher Landau Center for Art was a special place in Long Island City, Queens, New York City. It was a private foundation that showed amazing contemporary art (art made in our time). People could visit its exhibitions from 2003 until it closed to the public in November 2017.
A Home for Modern Art
The Fisher Landau Center for Art opened in 1991. At first, you needed an appointment to visit. But in April 2003, it started having regular hours for everyone to enjoy.
This large, three-story building was about 25,000-square-foot (2,300 m2) (that's like a big playground!). It was made to show and study the art collection of Emily Fisher Landau. Her collection had about 1,500 artworks, mostly from the 1960s to the 2000s. It included important pieces by artists who helped shape art over the past 50 years. Some of these artists were Ellsworth Kelly, Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol, Susan Rothenberg, Barbara Kruger, Jasper Johns, and Robert Rauschenberg.
From Factory to Gallery
The building itself has an interesting history. It used to be a factory where parachute harnesses were made! The late English architect Max Gordon helped turn it into beautiful art galleries and a library. He worked with Bill Katz, who was also a close friend and adviser to Ms. Landau. Mr. Katz also helped choose the art for the collection. The center also featured furniture by Warren McArthur, a designer from the mid-1900s. Ms. Landau collected about 150 pieces of his work.
About Emily Fisher Landau
Emily Fisher Landau (1920-2023) was the person who created this amazing art center. She was a very important person in the real estate business, working with the company Fisher Brothers.
Mrs. Landau was also very generous to other art places. She gave a lot of support to the Whitney Museum of American Art. The galleries on the fourth floor there are even named after her! She also helped guide the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe. Her love for art helped many people see and learn about modern masterpieces.
