Merton Simpson facts for kids

Merton Daniel Simpson (born September 20, 1928 – died March 9, 2013) was an American artist. He was known for his abstract paintings. He also collected and sold African and tribal art. He was a talented jazz musician too.

Early Life and Art Discovery

Merton Simpson was born in Charleston, South Carolina. When he was young, from age six to eleven, he spent a lot of time in hospitals. He was getting treatment for illnesses like diphtheria and rheumatic fever. To pass the time, he started to draw and sketch. This is how his interest in art began.

At 13, a local artist named William Halsey noticed Merton's talent. Halsey became Merton's mentor. For four years, Halsey taught him how to paint. He also introduced Merton to abstract art. Another local artist, Jean Robertson Fleming, also helped Merton improve his skills.

Charleston was still segregated back then. This meant Merton was not allowed to take art classes at the city's Gibbes Gallery. This was where William Halsey worked. But Merton often went there privately to work with his mentor.

After high school in 1949, Merton had his first art show. William Halsey, his wife Corrie McCallum, and Laura Bragg helped him. They even held two opening parties for the show. One was for white people, and another for white people who didn't mind being with Black people.

Education and New York City

Merton Simpson was the first African American to get a special five-year fellowship. This was from the Charleston Scientific and Cultural Education fund. After high school, he moved to New York City in 1949.

He went to New York University (NYU) during the day. At night, he took classes at Cooper Union. He also got a job at a frame shop owned by Herbert Benevy. Many famous artists visited this shop. They would look at Merton's work and give him advice.

At NYU, Merton met artists like Hale Woodruff and Robert Motherwell. He also met artists from the New York School at the frame shop. These included Franz Kline and Willem de Kooning. Merton felt that the frame shop gave him his real art education.

Serving in the Air Force

In 1951, Merton Simpson joined the Air Force. He went to Griffiss Air Force Base for basic training. The base commander, General Howell, saw Merton's talent. He assigned Merton to Special Service as an official Air Force artist.

Merton also played in the Air Force Band. But he was told that artists were needed more. He spent his time painting portraits of military leaders. These included General Nathan Farragut Twining and General Dwight D. Eisenhower. General Eisenhower even paid Merton $100 for his portrait.

Merton was offered a higher rank, but he wanted to go home. His mother was sick, and he felt he could help her more. His wish was granted. Some of his paintings are still shown at the Pentagon.

Artist and Gallery Owner

After four years in the Air Force, Merton went back to NYU. In 1951, his art was shown at the Museum of Modern Art. In 1954, his work was displayed at the Guggenheim Museum. His reputation grew, and his art was shown in many galleries.

By 1955, Merton had his own show at the Bertha Schaeffer Gallery. He also became interested in the School of Paris and spent time in Paris. This new environment changed his painting style. He started his own gallery in New York in the 1950s.

The Merton D. Simpson Gallery became famous. It had a great collection of Tribal arts. It also showed works by his friends and other artists. These included Romare Bearden, Beauford Delaney, and Norman Lewis.

The Spiral Group

Merton Simpson was part of a group called the Spiral Group. Other artists like Romare Bearden and Hale Woodruff started it. The group's goal was to bring African-American artists together. They wanted to talk about important social issues and the Civil Rights Movement.

The group helped organize buses for the March on Washington in 1963. Later, the group focused more on art. Bearden taught them about collage. The black and white artworks they made showed the political struggles of the time.

Confrontation Series Paintings

The 1960s brought another change to Merton's art style. The social changes and political events of that time affected him. He saw the Harlem Riot of 1964 firsthand. This had a big impact on his paintings.

He created a series of paintings called "Confrontation." These artworks showed black and white faces mixed together in intense scenes. They were inspired by Bearden's collage technique.

African and Tribal Art Dealer

Merton Simpson became interested in African and tribal art. He saw sculptures in the collections of Paul Robeson and Hale Woodruff. In 1949, he bought his first African carving. He learned a lot about this art by visiting the gallery of Julius Carlebach.

Hale Woodruff especially encouraged Merton's interest in African art. Merton began collecting and selling both modern art and traditional African art. His early collection included modern artists like Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani. Their art was influenced by traditional African art.

As he learned more, he became known as one of the world's top dealers of traditional African art.

Personal Life

Merton Simpson married his childhood sweetheart, Beatrice Houston, in 1954. He opened his Madison Avenue art gallery to support his family. They had their first son, Merton Simpson Jr., and later another son, Kenneth Simpson, in 1959. Merton and Beatrice divorced in 2008. He is survived by his two sons.

Musician

Besides art, Merton Simpson loved music deeply. He learned to play the saxophone, clarinet, and flute when he was young. He played with the famous Jenkins Orphanage Band. Later, he played with different jazz groups and musicians. These included George Coleman and Harold Mabern.

The Merton Simpson Gallery

In 2000, the Merton Simpson Gallery moved to 38 West 28th Street. This is in the Chelsea area of Manhattan. The gallery has a large collection of African and tribal art. It also features modern art and Merton Simpson's own paintings and drawings.

Featured Exhibitions

Merton D. Simpson's artwork has been shown in many places:

• 1952 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
• 1954 Guggenheim Museum, New York
• 1956 Museum of Art, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• 1960 Krasner Gallery, New York
• 1978 Edward Merrin Gallery, New York
• 1979 Huntsville Museum, Alabama
• 1982 Langston Society, New York
• 1983 Charleston County Library, South Carolina
• 1983 Allan Stone Gallery, New York
• 1984 Simon Center for the Arts, Charleston, South Carolina
• 1984 Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
• 1990 Twinning Gallery, New York (solo show)
• 1992 Noir d’Ivoire Gallery, Paris
• 1993 Tambaran Gallery, New York
• 1995 Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC
• 2009 Anita Shapolsky Gallery, New York
• 2009 Opalka Gallery, New York
• 2010 Greenville Museum of Art, Greenville, SC – Confrontation Series
• 2010 Hampton III Gallery, Greenville, SC – Retrospective curated by Sandy Rupp
• 2010 Wilmer Jennings Gallery, New York – curated by Juliette Pelletier and Corinne Jennings
• 2010 Webb's, New Zealand
• 2011 Merton D. Simpson Gallery, New York – Encore Tribute and exhibition curated by Juliette Pelletier and Karen Tuominen
• 2011 Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York – acquisition included in BMA permanent collection
• 2011 Studio Museum of Harlem, New York – Spiral Group
• 2019 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, Michigan – Resilience: African American Artists As Agents of Change