Harvey Dinnerstein: Reflections on Life and Work

This exhibition celebrates the life and work of League artist Harvey Dinnerstein, featuring nearly two dozen never-before-seen works from his estate and archive, gifted to the League upon his passing.

The exhibition comprises five sections. The first is a look at Harvey himself, showcasing self-portraits and portraits with loved ones. The second explores his perspectives on care, parenthood, and family. The third is grounded in his epic genre scene Past and Present in which his fascination with music and musicians abounds. The next section is a concentrated look at his nudes, many of which were studies made during instruction at the League and other art schools. The penultimate section encompasses various looks at New York, Harvey’s hometown. It includes studies for his famous series Seasons, The Crossing, and Underground Together. It also includes a number of works of the subject Mr. Metzler in whichHarvey explores his Jewish identity. Finally, the exhibition concludes with a meditation on civil rights and the fight for equality in the United States in the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. The exhibition will be complemented by archival materials, including original photographs, letters, diaries, and related ephemera.

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For over seven decades, Harvey Dinnerstein (1928-2022) painted, exhibited, and taught generations of students in the figurative tradition. Born and raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Harvey Dinnerstein graduated from the High School of Music and Art, New York and attended the Art Students League in 1946-47 before enrolling at Temple University's Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia in fall 1947. In addition to being an accomplished artist, he was a beloved teacher, serving on the faculty of the School of Visual Arts in New York from 1965 to 1980, while also teaching at the National Academy of Design from 1975 to 1992. He was Instructor at the Art Students League of New York from 1980 to his death in 2022.

In 1994, Dinnerstein was honored with a retrospective exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio. In 1998, he received an Honorary Doctorate from the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Dinnerstein’s numerous awards include Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Grants, 1948 and 1961; National Academy of Design, Ranger Purchase Award, 1976; Allied Artists Gold Medal, 1977; Audubon Artists President’s Award, 1978; American Academy of Arts and Letters Purchase Award, 1974, 1978, 1987; and Classical America, Arthur Ross Award, 1983. In 1974, he was elected a member of the National Academy of Design.

Seminal publications on the artist include Harvey Dinnerstein: Artist at Work (1978, Watson-Guptill) with an essay by the artist, and Underground Together: The Art and Life of Harvey Dinnerstein (2008, Chronicle Books) with essays by Pete Hamill and Gabriel P. Weisberg. The artist’s estate is represented by Gerald Peters Gallery, New York. His works are in many private, corporate, and museum collections, including the Lehman Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the New Britain Museum of American Art; the Martin Luther King Jr. Labor Center; the University of Texas; the Palm Springs Desert Museum; Chase Manhattan Bank; Keyspan Energy; and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

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The Art Students League of New York would like to thank the Harvey Dinnerstein Estate for its contributions and research support for the exhibition.

Programs at the Art Students League are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Special thanks to the Art Students League Board of Control.

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Programs:

An Evening with Burton Silverman

Tuesday, June 11, 6pm

Join League artist Burton Silverman, a contemporary and friend of the late Harvey Dinnerstein, in a discussion of Dinnerstein’s work, their friendship, and realist art.

Curatorial Walkthrough

Tuesday, June 25, 6pm                                      

Join the League's Gallery Director and Curator Ksenia Nouril,  PhD, and visiting Harvey Dinnerstein expert Heather Coyle, PhD, for a behind the scenes look at the exhibition Harvey Dinnerstein: Reflections on Life and Work.

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