Benjamin Abramowitz (also known as "Ben Hoffman" during the late 1930s and early 1940s) was an American painter,

printmaker Printmaking is the process of creating work of art, artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand proce ...

, and sculptor. First recognized for his contribution at age 19 as senior artist with the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in New York City, he is among the most respected

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, artists of the past century.

Life and career

Abramowitz was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York in 1917 to

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

immigrants. He studied life drawing at the Brooklyn Museum School, and had his first solo exhibition there at the age of 16. He attended the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the fin ...

. In 1936 he joined the

Work Projects Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

(W.P.A.) using the name of Ben Hoffman and was a teacher, mural assistant, senior printmaker and painter. The Metropolitan Museum in New York holds eleven

lithographs Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

from the young artist. In 1941, Abramowitz moved to Washington, D.C., taking on U.S. government graphic assignments. He chose to make Greenbelt his base for both home and studio for more than half a century. The postwar years were a time of critical personal and artistic evolution for him. By day a lithographer, each and every night driven by discipline, he drew and painted. By the time he was in his early 30s, Abramowitz had become a celebrated star in the growing Washington, D.C.-Baltimore regional art scene. From the 1940s on, critics, curators and collectors enthusiastically sought out his work. His work began to be purchased for major regional collections among them, the

Baltimore Museum of Art The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is an art museum that was founded in 1914. The BMA's collection of 95,000 objects encompasses more than 1,000 works by Henri Matisse anchored by the Cone Collection of ...

and the

Phillips Collection The Phillips Collection is an art museum founded by Duncan Phillips and Marjorie Acker Phillips in 1921 as the Phillips Memorial Gallery located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Phillips was the grandson of James H. Laughlin ...

The Corcoran Gallery of Art The Corcoran Gallery of Art was an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University. Overview The Corcoran School of the Arts & Design ...

selected his work annually for its biennial exhibitions. By the mid-20th century, Abramowitz, was recognized not only as a painter, but also as a teacher and "art coach" throughout the Washington metropolitan area. Among his students was the D.C. painter and sculptor Lilian Thomas Burwell.

The Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...

sent him throughout the country, lecturing, conducting seminars and critiques as artist-in-residence. All the while, he kept journals and maintained an active correspondence with critics, curators and students. By the 1970s, he diverged from painting, and turned to making wall works and freestanding sculptures. Additionally he designed four books illustrating the basic principles of the creative experience. Until his mid-80s, when diminishing vision essentially prevented him from continuing to work, he created steadily and with the same discipline and vigor that marked his earlier years. Abramowitz' distinguished lifework has been cited in numerous prestigious biographical volumes. The National Archives of American Art holds hundreds of papers, letters and other materials.

Legacy

The modern art movement in the Washington region started mid-century, and the first was the work of Ben Abramowitz," said
Walter Hopps Walter "Chico" Hopps (May 3, 1932 – March 20, 2005) was an American museum director, gallerist, and curator of contemporary art. Hopps helped bring Los Angeles post-war artists to prominence during the 1960s, and later went on to redefine pract ...
, museum director and curator, at a memorial service for artist Gene Davis at the
National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...
in 1985.

The prolific and complex achievements of master artist Benjamin Abramowitz in painting, sculpture, works on paper in drawing and watercolor span almost eight decades. Noted for his compelling aesthetic vision, Abramowitz has been hailed by critics, curators and collectors as one of the most important artists of the 20th century. His vast body of work resists categorization. Working outside the geographical spotlight of the New York art world, Abramowitz' recognized mastery has been remarkably overlooked.

Notable Exhibitions

*"Undiscovered Color: Paintings of Benjamin Abramowitz 1960-1970," Archer Modern, Washington, DC, 2013 * "Out of the Vault," National Women's Democratic Club, Washington, DC, 2012 * "WPA Graphic Works from the Amity Art Foundation Collection," Juniata College Museum of Art, Huntingdon, PA, 2008 * "From Maryland to the Republic of Congo," ART in Embassies Exhibition, United States Embassy, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, 2007 * "Heart of DC,"

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, City Hall Art Collection, Washington, DC, 2007 * "Benjamin Abramowitz Works on Paper," Hemphill Fine Arts, 2006 * ART in Embassies Program, United States Embassy, Sarajevo, 2006 * "30 Years Later: A Group Show of Current Works by Selected Washington Artists of the 50s and 60s," Gallery K, Washington, DC June 1989 * "Benjamin Abramowitz: Painting, Sculpture, Drawing," Middendorf/Lane Downtown Gallery, Washington DC November, 1982 * "Eminent Washington Artists: 3rd Annual Invitational Exhibit," The Art Barn, Washington, DC, January 1980 * The Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC, 1979 * The Jefferson Place Gallery, 1972 * "Benjamin Abramowitz," The Jefferson Place Gallery, March 1971 * "Washington: Twenty Years," The

, May 1970 *

, Washington, DC, 1970 * The

Philadelphia Museum of Art The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMoA) is an art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at the northwest end of the Benjamin Fr ...

, Philadelphia, PA, March 1965 * "Abramowitz," R Street Gallery, Washington, DC, 1964 * "Washington Artists Exhibition No. 20: Benjamin Abramowitz,"

, November 1963 * Solo exhibition,

, Baltimore, MD, 1959 * "3 Maryland Artists: Benjamin Abramowitz, Jane Frank & Lowell Nesbitt," The

, Baltimore, MD, November 1958 * "Paintings by Benjamin Abramowitz," The Dupont Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, November 1954 * "Eighteen Washington Artists" The Barnett Aden Gallery, Washington, DC, October 1953 * "The Eighth Annual Area Exhibition," The

Corcoran Gallery of Art The Corcoran Gallery of Art was an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University. Overview The Corcoran School of the Arts & Design ...

, Washington, DC, November 1953 * "Trio: One-man shows by prominent Washington artists," Watkins Gallery, American University, Washington, DC, January 1953 * "Trends in American Drawing," Howard University Department of Fine Art, Washington, DC, December 1952 * "Maryland Artists 20th Annual Exhibition," The

, 1952 * Solo exhibition, The Whyte Gallery, Washington, DC, April 1952 * "Painters of Expressionistic Abstraction," The Phillips Gallery, Washington, DC, March 1952 *

, Washington, DC, November 1951 * The Whyte Gallery, Washington, DC, June 1951 *

, Washington, DC, February 1951 * Solo exhibition, The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD, 1951 *

The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 F ...

, New York, NY, December 1950 *

, Washington, DC, November 1949 * The Dupont Gallery, Washington, DC, 1949 * "Third Annual Exhibition of Work by Artists of Washington & Vicinity,"

, Washington, DC, November 1948 * "Abramowitz," The Barnett Aden Gallery, Washington, DC, April 1948 * The Barnett Aden Gallery, Washington, DC, September 1947 * "Fifteenth Annual Exhibition of Maryland Artists," The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD, January 1947 * "Artists of Washington and Vicinity,"

, Washington, DC, November 1946 * Solo exhibition, Howard University Art Gallery, Washington, DC, March 1946 * "The Eighth Metropolitan State Art Contest," The

National Collection of Fine Arts The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds ...

, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, November 1945 * "Exhibition of Paintings by Artists of Washington, Baltimore and Vicinity," The Phillips Memorial Gallery, Washington, DC, January 1945 * National (Smithsonian) Museum, Washington, DC, 1945 * Baltimore Art Museum, Baltimore, MD, 1945 * Phillips Memorial Gallery, Washington, DC, 1944 * Metropolitan Museum, Hearn Permanent Collection, 1941 * "American Artists' Congress Fifth Annual Competitive Exhibition," ACA Gallery, New York, NY, June 1940 * National Gallery of Fine Arts (Smithsonian Institution), Washington, DC, 1940 *

New School for Social Research The New School for Social Research (NSSR) is a graduate-level educational institution that is one of the divisions of The New School in New York City, United States. The university was founded in 1919 as a home for progressive era thinkers. NSSR ...

, New York, NY, 1939 *

Rockefeller Center Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commerce, commercial buildings covering between 48th Street (Manhattan), 48th Street and 51st Street (Manhattan), 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco ...

, New York, NY, 1939 * ACA Gallery, New York, NY, 1938 *

Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 1.5 million objects. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown H ...

, Brooklyn, NY, 1933

Notable Collections

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

* U.S.Department of State * District of Columbia Art Bank *

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

Newark Museum The Newark Museum of Art (formerly known as the Newark Museum), in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States, is the state's largest museum. It holds major collections of American art, decorative arts, contemporary art, and arts of Asia, Af ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abramowitz, Benjamin 1917 births 2011 deaths Painters from New York (state) American contemporary painters Federal Art Project artists Sculptors from New York (state) Artists from Washington, D.C. Painters from Washington, D.C.