Galerie Huit was an art collective and gallery established by American artists in Paris in 1950. During the mid-twentieth century American artists traveled and lived in Paris to study and make art. Many of the male American artists were able to finance excursions to France because of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (the
G.I. Bill
The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...
). The city provided access to modern art as well as African art. Led by
Haywood Rivers
Haywood "Bill" Rivers (May 8, 1922 – December 27, 2001) was an African American contemporary artist and gallerist.
Biography
Haywood Rivers was born in Morven, North Carolina on May 8, 1922. He attended classes the Art Students League of New Y ...
, American artists in Paris at that time united to create a cooperative gallery space to show their work.
The Galerie Huit was located at 8, rue St. Julien le Pauvre. It existed from 1950 through 1954 according to a catalogue for the
Reina Sofia Museum
Reina (the Spanish word for queen) or La Reina may refer to:
Geography
* Reina, Badajoz, a municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain
* Reina, Estonia, a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County, Estonia
* La Reina, a commune ...
,
other sources state that exhibitions were held from 1950 through 1952.
Artists associated with the gallery include:
In 2002 the ''Studio 18 Gallery'' in New York City held an exhibition entitled ''Galerie Huit: American Artists in Paris 1950-1952'' featuring Galerie Huit artists.
In 2018 the ''Reina Sofia Museum'' in Madrid, Spain held an exhibition entitled ''Lost, Loose and Loved: Foreign Artists in Paris 1944-1968'' that featured several of the Galerie Huit artists.
References
{{Authority control
Art museums and galleries in Paris
Art galleries established in 1950
Defunct art museums and galleries in Paris