Legendary New York Times art critic John Russell succinctly summed up the wide-ranging work of painter, photographer, sculptor, draftsman, and printmaker Ellsworth Kelly (1923-2015) in this way: "Ellsworth Kelly's art is a simple, almost offensively simple, statement of life itself. It is the essence of the world we live in, reduced to its most elemental forms."
The longtime Spencertown resident (born in Newburgh) is considered one of the most significant artists of the late 20th century, with a career that spanned seven decades.
In honor of the centennial of Kelly's birth, museums across the globe, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Fondazione Nicola Del Roscio in Rome are hosting exhibitions of his work.
There are also numerous events planned in the Hudson Valley, from a screening of Ellsworth Kelly: Fragments at the Crandell Theater in Chatham on May 21 to tours of Kelly's Spencertown studio, which will be opened to the public for the first time on May 20. (Tours are free, but advance sign-up is required.)
To cap off the local events, the Spencertown Academy Arts Center is showing "Ellsworth Kelly Centennial: An Exhibition of Historic Posters," a survey of posters representing Kelly's exhibitions across the globe from the 1950s to the present day through May 14.
