Off the Shelf Book Club: Modern Art Invasion by Elizabeth Lunday

The 1913 Armory Show was the first exhibition of modern art in the United States. The exhibition brought over a thousand paintings, prints, sculptures, and other decorative arts by the European and American avant-garde to US audiences. The tens-of-thousands of visitors to the Armory were often befuddled by cubism, fauvism, and the other forms of abstract expression they had never before encountered. Lunday tells the story of this pivotal exhibition from a variety of perspectives including organizers, contributors, viewers, and critics. Through this text, we’ll unpack how this exhibition set the stage for new galleries and museums to support and exhibit the work of modern artists, illuminating Wharton Esherick’s friendships and context within this bold, new era of artmaking. During this meeting we’ll also take a look at archival materials related to some of the art clubs, galleries, and museums that sprang up in the aftermath of the Armory show.

About the Book Club: Off the Shelf: The Wharton Esherick Museum Book Club is an in-person program at the Wharton Esherick Museum. We will hold meetings every six weeks, on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:00 p.m.