Morris Museum Presents Art by John R. Grabach

Friday, 23 June 2006 11:04

Morristown, NJ - The Morris Museum exhibits the exquisite works of New Jersey artist John R. Grabach in the exhibition John R. Grabach: Century Man, on view from June 27 – September 17, 2006.  This exhibition consists of 40 works, including oil paintings, rare drawings and watercolors, many of which have not been viewed publicly in over 60 years.  The Morris Museum is pleased to loan Sailing Off the Cape from its own permanent collection to this traveling exhibition.

John R. Grabach was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts in 1880.  At an early age Grabach achieved a remarkable degree of success.  At 21, his painting December Day was accepted at The National Academy of Design Winter Exhibition where it received a favorable mention by critics.

In the 20’s and 30’s, Grabach exhibited in all the major exhibitions throughout America, and his reputation skyrocketed to celebrity status.  He was invited to exhibit at the famed Carnegie International Exhibition in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and in 1928, he had his first one-man show at The Chicago Art Institute.  His painting Taking the Hurdle, considered one of his masterpieces, was selected out of 3,000 paintings by over 2,000 New Jersey artists to represent New Jersey at the IBM Pavilion in the 1939-40 World’s Fair. In 1981, Grabach died at the age of 101.  The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC honored him with a one-man show followed by an exhibition at the Graham Gallery in New York, NY in 1981 and 1984.

Although Grabach is best known for his urban paintings in the Aschan school style, he created a remarkable body of work inspired by the Massachusetts landscape surrounding the Connecticut River in his early years.  His large exhibition paintings are boldly executed social commentaries reflecting the time between the two world wars. 

Founded in 1913, the Morris Museum explores and celebrates the arts, sciences, and history through exhibitions, educational programs, performing arts and special events.

Visit our website at : www.morrismuseum.org.