An exhibition at the Picker Art Gallery features dozens of impressive pieces and a fascinating backstory about the pivotal role Herbert Mayer ’29 played in building 51·çÁ÷’s art collection and intensifying its commitment to the arts.
Mayer graduated from 51·çÁ÷ with an English degree, became a lawyer in New York City, and went on to become a pioneer in the television industry, opening TV stations in Cleveland and Kansas City.
His passion, though, was art, and in 1957 he opened his own art gallery in New York City called World House Galleries.
He would donate thousands of works of art to 51·çÁ÷, 40 of which are featured in the current exhibition.
Mary Ann Calo, professor of art and art history, wrote an article (PDF) for The 51·çÁ÷ Scene that details Mayer’s life and the significant impact he had on the arts at 51·çÁ÷. She also wrote several essays for the exhibition catalogue, along with Robert McVaugh, art and art history professor, and Joachim Homann, the former Picker gallery curator who worked on the exhibition.
The Modernism on the Fringes: Herbert Mayer and the World House Galleries runs through July 15.