Aaron Berkman

I wrote this article and have been working on formatting it, adding links, and putting in headers. It is all my own words and I own the image that I trying to insert in the article.

File:Berkman, Aaron: Helen

Aaron Berkman (1900– 1991) was an American, W.P.A., Social Realist, and Modern painter. Although born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1900, he later moved to New York City in 1929.

BIOGRAPHY

Aaron Berkman was born in Hartford, Connecticut, the youngest of four children, after his parents settled there around 1885. He demonstrated early talent and was encouraged by his parents. From 1916-1918 he attended the Connecticut League of Art Students, founded by Charles Noel Flagg, Connecticut's official portrait painter. He attended the Hartford Art School from 1919-1921 alongside his fellow student and lifelong friend, Milton Avery. There Berkman was a student of Albertus E. Jones. Berkman stated that he was influenced during this time by George Innes, John Singer Sargent, and the old masters. He studied on scholarship at the Museum Art School of Boston from 1921-1924, then traveled through Europe for two years (1924-25). He spent time in France, Italy, Spain, Holland and Belgium. [1,2,3,4]

In 1929, during the Depression, he moved to New York City, continuing a friendship and painting relationship with Milton Avery. He married Victoria Artese in 1931. Appointed in 1932 by the W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration) to a Directorship position at the WPA Art Center of the 92nd Street Y in New York City, he earned a Directors salary of $23.50 per week. In charge of a seventeen member WPA artist faculty, he served as director, art teacher, and lecturer on art history. The school gave free tuition and had several hundred students. During this period, with Herman Baron as Director, Berkman established the A.C.A. Gallery in New York City at 52 West 8th St., the first artist cooperative gallery in New York City. [1,2,3,4]

After retiring from the 92nd street Y in 1965, he established with Janet Cohen, the Bercone Gallery, in New York City, where he continued to teach, paint, and exhibit. He received fellowships to Yaddo in 1956, and the Huntington Hartford Foundation (Pacific Palisades, California) in 1958. [1,2,3,4]

Berkman also wrote a regular column "ARTICUS COMMENTS" for ART FRONT with Herman Baron, as the Editor. He wrote two books. "ART AND SPACE," which was published in 1948 by Social Sciences Publishers and "THE FUNCTIONAL LINE," which was published in 1952 by Thomas Yoseloff Publishers. During the years 1955 - 60, he was a columnist for ART NEWS, writing a column entitled, "Amateur Standing". Berkman was also on the Advisory Committee with Steve Wheeler at "THE FOUR O'CLOCK FORUMS LECTURE SERIES", 1953-55. His memberships included Director-at-Large of Artists Equity, along with being a National Board Member and International Cultural Relations Committee Member (1958-1962), and in addition, Berkman was a long time member of Audubon Artists. [2,3,4]

Amongst his many listings, Berkman is listed in WHO'S WHO IN AMERICAN ART, FRICK LIBRARY INDEX OF AMERICAN ART, WORLD BIOGRAPHY, WHO'S WHO IN WORLD JEWRY. [3,4]

His artwork appears in many corporate, private and museum collections. The art ranges from early work, the majority through the W.P.A. period, and some later works from the late 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and 80’s. Most of his artwork was done in oil, some in pastel and watercolor on paper and very few prints. [3,4]

Berkman painted during the summers from 1939-1945 on Monhegan Island, Maine. At other times, during the summers, he painted in Salem, Rockport, and Gloucester, Massachusetts, Vermont, the Connecticut shore, and the Adirondacks in New York State. Most of his work was painted in New York City, New York. He also painted throughout the world when he traveled, including many countries in Europe and Mexico. [2,3,4]

His work is represented in the gallery of Jeanette Hendler, Fine Art, New York, New York. [2,3,4]

EXHIBITIONS

During the years of 1926-28, Berkman had one man shows at the Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut; Babcock Galleries, New York; and Grace Home Galleries, Boston, Mass. He had additional one man exhibitions at Associated American Artists, NYC, in 1945; Erick Newhouse Galleries, NYC, 1952; Babcock Galleries, NYC, 1954; Kaufman Art Gallery, NYC, in 1945, 1952, 1962 and 1966. The group exhibitions included the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York; The Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts; A.C.A. Gallery, New York; John Myers Gallery 21, New York; Norlyst Gallery, New York; Morgan Memorial, Hartford, Conn.; The Riverdale Museum, New York; The American Watercolor Society, New York; Roerich Museum, New York; The New School, New York; Bronx, New York Museum of the Arts; the W.P.A. Artists 50th Anniversary Exhibition; Audubon Artists, NYC; The New York WPA Artists Exhibition at Passaic County College, Passaic, New Jersey; Hudson River Gallery, Ossining, New York; The Borough Presidents Gallery, New York City; The Monhegan Museum, Monhegan, Maine; and The Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, New York. [1,2,3,4]

GENERAL REFERENCES

1. http://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/06/obituaries/aaron-berkman-90-directed-y-art-center.html

2. http://www.wpamurals.com/berkmana.htm

3. http://www.fineartstrader.com/berkman.htm

4. http://www.askart.com/askart/b/aaron_berkman/aaron_berkman.aspx

BOOK REFERENCES

• 2005, AskART.com Inc.- Dunbier, Lonnie Pierson (Editor), “The Artists Bluebook” (34,000 North American Artists to March 2005)

• 2005, Ray Davenport, “Davenport’s Art Reference” (The Gold Edition)

• 1999, Peter Hastings Falk (Editor), “Who Was Who in American Art, 1564- 1975” (3 Volumes)

• 1986, Jaques Cattell Press, “Who’s Who in American Art- 1986” (1986)

• 1985, Peter Hastings Falk (Editor), “Who Was Who in American Art” (Artists Active Between 1898- 1947)

• 1984, Clark S. Marlor, “The Society of Independent Artists” (Exhibition Record 1917-1944)

• 1973, Jaques Cattell Press, “Who’s Who in American Art- 1973”

• 1947, Editors, “Who’s Who in American Art- 1947”

• 1935, Daniel Trowbridge Mallett, “Index of Artists: International- Biographical” (Two Volumes: Includes 1940 Index)

MAGAZINE REFERENCES

• American Art Review, April 2006, “Infamous New York” by Constance Schwartz

• New York Arts Magazine, November- December 2004, “Depression Era Artists” by Jeanette Hendler

ARCHIVAL REFERENCES

• Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Works_Progress_Administration_artists)

• 92nd St. Y archives (http://www.92y.org/content/pdf/archives_schoolofarts.pdf)

• Smithsonian Institution Archives/ Dimitri Hadzi Oral History Interview (http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/oralhistories/transcripts/hadzi81.htm)

• Smithsonian Institution Archives/ Louis Kaufman Oral History Interview (http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/oralhistories/transcripts/Kaufma85.htm)

• Yaddo Visual Artists, June, 1926 – December, 2008 (ftp://ftp.yaddo.org/Yaddo/visualartists.pdf)

PUBLICATIONS BY AARON BERKMAN

• American Mercury “Art as Propaganda” 1932 debate with Jacob Burke

• American Spectator “Sociology of the Comic Strip” 1934

• “Art and Space,” 1948, published by Social Sciences Publishers (LCCN 49007350)

• “The Functional Line in Painting,” 1952, published by Thomas Yoseloff Publishers (LCCN 57006909)

• Columnist: Art News “Amateur Standing” 1955-60 New York City

GENERAL PUBLICATIONS

• WPA Art Then 1934-1943 And Now 1960-1977

• Process and Promise (Art & Education Community at the 92nd Street Y) 2006

• Infamous New York (Reginald Marsh and artists) The Nassau County Museum of Art 2006

EXTERNAL LINKS

• Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art http://www.wadsworthatheneum.org/

• New Deal/ WPA Art Project http://www.wpamurals.com/

• Huntington Hartford Foundation http://www.oac.cdlib.org/data/13030/wg/kt7489q4wg/files/kt7489q4wg.pdf

• Frick Library Index of American Art http://www.frick.org/library/internet.htm

• Monhegan Island, Maine http://www.monhegan.com/082609.html

• Monhegan Museum, Monhegan, Maine http://www.monheganmuseum.org/

• Nassau County Museum of Art http://www.nassaumuseum.com/

• Who’s Who in World Jewry http://openlibrary.org/b/OL12822098M/Who%27s-Who-in-World-Jewry

• Who’s Who in American Art http://www.whoswhoinamericanlaw.com/products/AAprodinfo.asp

INTERNAL LINKS

• Works Progress Administration http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Progress_Administration

• New Deal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal

• Federal Art Project http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Art_Project

• List of Works Progress Administration Artists http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Works_Progress_Administration_artists