The University of Pennsylvania’s Arthur Ross Gallery is pleased to announce the exhibition, After modernism: selections from the Neumann Family Collection, a curated exhibition that examines a prominent and superlative private collection featuring artworks spanning the arc of the twentieth century to present day. Curated by Dr. Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, Faculty Director and art historian, the exhibition questions the role of modern and contemporary art in our current moment and assesses the trajectory of contemporary art, charting its movements across the 20th century and documenting the prevailing ideas and

concepts shaping the art of today. Drawn from the Neumann Family Collection of more than 3,000 artworks collected from 1948 onward, the exhibition features 50 works traversing the Modernist canon including Picasso, Miro and Matisse to late twentieth century contemporary art including Jeff Koons and Keith Haring to the ultra-contemporary works by Allison Zuckerman, Danny Farrell, and Nina Chanel Abney. After Modernism is on view January 17 - March 2, 2025.

“After modernism is a celebration of renewal”, said Dr. Shaw. “It reflects the transformation of the gallery, the vibrancy of the Neumann Family Collection, and the ongoing importance of Penn as a center for artistic discovery and scholarship. I am thrilled to debut this exhibition in a space that feels both timeless and forward-looking”.

After modernism: selections from the Neumann Family Collection poses questions about the role of modern and contemporary art in the current moment. The curatorial premise particularly examines the concept of modernism in the light of the movements that have followed. After Modernism uses an immersive, salon-style installation scheme of works made as early as 1919 and as late as 2022 to explore ideas of finitude, openness, and the relationship of the viewer to the metaphysical. And perhaps most importantly, what if the trajectory of contemporary art was driven more by the intellectual and personal relationships developed between artists and collectors, than being influenced by the opinions of critics, curators, and the speculative art market?

After modernism marks a series of firsts: it is the inaugural exhibition in the newly renovated Arthur Ross Gallery, which has been revitalized to reflect its historical and architectural significance as a cultural centerpiece on Penn’s campus. Additionally, this exhibition celebrates Dr. Shaw’s curatorial debut since becoming the Gallery’s Faculty Director, bringing her renowned scholarship and museological expertise to the forefront of this reimagined space.

The Neumann Family Collection

The Neumann Family Collection has long been synonymous with a profound commitment to contemporary art, making its connection to Penn particularly meaningful. A New York-based family, the Neumanns have deep ties to the university, with both Hubert Neumann and his brother Arthur attending the university in the 1950s, fostering a legacy of cultural engagement that aligns seamlessly with the mission of the Arthur Ross Gallery. Featuring a dynamic range of works by iconic artists, the exhibition highlights the collection’s contributions to shaping the trajectory of modern and contemporary art after the mid-20th century.

The Neumann Family Collection traces its origins to the late 1940s, when Morton G. Neumann and his wife Rose, first generation Hungarian Jewish Chicagoans, began collecting art during a postwar business trip to Paris. Having achieved success with their cosmetics Valmor, which marketed cosmetics and personal care products to African American and immigrant communities through striking label designs by Black artists like Charles C. Dawson, the Neumanns’ aesthetic sensibilities were honed by their business. Inspired by the avant-garde works in Parisian galleries, they returned home with pieces by Jean Dubuffet, Pablo Picasso, and Joan Miró, among others, embracing modernist innovation over convention. Morton’s keen interest in the new, combined with the family’s openness to artistic experimentation, set the foundation for a collection that spanned movements and generations. During a 30-year friendship with Picasso, the Neumanns collected over 300 works by the artist, including paintings, sculpture, and numerous works on paper, making them his favorite American collectors.

This passion for contemporary art and the artists who made it, extended to their sons, Hubert and Arthur, who traveled with their parents and later contributed to expanding the collection. By the 1960s, Hubert, living in New York City, introduced his father to American Pop Art, adding works by Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, and Roy Lichtenstein. Later decades brought Photorealism and the graffiti and street art movements of the 1980s, including acquisitions of pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Today, the Neumann Family Collection stands as a testament to a multi-generational commitment to artistic vision, celebrating boundary-pushing creativity and maintaining its legacy as a profoundly personal and idiosyncratic assemblage of modern and contemporary art.

Beyond its artistic impact, After modernism reintroduces the Arthur Ross Gallery to the public as a vibrant destination for world-class exhibitions. Since its founding in 1983 through the generosity of philanthropist Arthur Ross, the Gallery has served as a hub for cultural and intellectual exchange at Penn. The recent renovations honor this legacy while creating a modern, versatile space for engaging with art in new and exciting ways.