Soon after World War II, the center of the avant-garde shifted from Europe to the United States when the first American-grown modern art movement—abstract expressionism—was born.

This first fully American movement emphasized individual expression and the freedom to experiment with materials and processes.

In this presentation of abstract works, you’ll see how artists, including Robert Motherwell, Betty Parsons, and Joan Mitchell used loose brushwork and emphasized surface rather than depth on the canvas. A selection of works on paper also comprise this exhibition and show how artists, including Deborah Remington and Lee Krasner, capture the quiet intimacy of direct, informal drawing.