#american-art

#american-art

Six months before his momentous first trip to the United States, Joan Miró sent a letter to his New York City gallerist, Pierre Matisse. Writing from repressive Francoist Spain in the austere aftermath of the Second World War, the Catalan artist was searching for new frontiers. "In the future world, America, with its energy and vitality, must play a leading role," he told Matisse." I have to be in New York to be in direct, personal contact with your country; my work will benefit from that shock."

The American Fine Arts Society building, home to the Art Students League, is a landmarked gem at 215 West 57th Street, its front doors swinging open at frequent intervals, offering a glimpse of the teeming creative life that still hums inside.