Betty Parsons' Artistic Legacy Celebrated in 'An Expanded World' at Hessel Museum
"Betty Parsons: An Expanded World" will be showcased at the Hessel Museum of Art at Bard College from June 27 to October 18, 2026. Curators Kelly Taxter and Amy Sillman have organized this exhibition, which emphasizes Parsons' artistic achievements over her notable career as a gallerist. In 1946, she established her prominent gallery on 57th Street, where she supported artists such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. The exhibition showcases 81 of her works, featuring her vibrant use of color, dynamic gestural marks, and wood assemblages inspired by the beaches of Long Island. Born in 1900, Parsons also presented avant-garde artists like Agnes Martin and Roberto Matta. Additionally, the exhibit includes a film by G. Anthony Svatek and Kaija Siirala, along with a mural by Amy Sillman.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Betty Parsons: An Expanded World' runs June 27 – October 18, 2026, at the Hessel Museum of Art, Bard College.
- Curated by Kelly Taxter and Amy Sillman, featuring 81 paintings, works on paper, and sculptural assemblages by Betty Parsons.
- Parsons was a renowned New York gallerist who championed Abstract Expressionists including Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, and Clyfford Still.
- She opened her 57th Street gallery in 1946, establishing a white-walled aesthetic later critiqued by Brian O'Doherty in 'Inside the White Cube' (1976).
- Parsons was born in 1900 and experienced a pivotal encounter with avant-garde art at the 1913 Armory Show.
- She supported women artists, queer artists, and artists of color, and exhibited a diverse roster including Barbara Chase-Riboud, Chryssa, Ad Reinhardt, Kenzo Okada, Agnes Martin, and Roberto Matta.
- The exhibition includes a commissioned film by G. Anthony Svatek and Kaija Siirala, and a mural and plinth by Amy Sillman based on Parsons' 1967 painting 'Early Morning'.
- Parsons died in 1982, leaving a legacy as both a dealer and an artist.
Entities
Artists
- Betty Parsons
- Jackson Pollock
- Barnett Newman
- Mark Rothko
- Clyfford Still
- Amy Sillman
- Brian O'Doherty
- Patrick Ireland
- Adge Baker
- Rosalind Constable
- Peggy Guggenheim
- Barbara Chase-Riboud
- Chryssa
- Ad Reinhardt
- Kenzo Okada
- Agnes Martin
- Roberto Matta
- Forrest Bess
- Hans Hoffmann
- Robert Rauschenberg
- Barbara Hammer
- Louise Nevelson
- Beverly Buchanan
- Hedda Sterne
- G. Anthony Svatek
- Kaija Siirala
Institutions
- Hessel Museum of Art
- Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College
- Betty Parsons Gallery
- Smithsonian Archives of American Art
Locations
- Annandale-on-Hudson
- New York
- United States
- Paris
- France
- Long Island
- 57th Street