Event—Adult Education

The Katharine Kuh Gallery

Katharine Kuh (née Woolf, 1904-1994) was one of the most famous twentieth-century art world figures in this country. Over the course of her long, rich life, she was a gallerist, a curator at a major museum, author, critic, art educator (her most treasured role), and friend and supporter of many of the most renowned modern artists of the twentieth century.

For the Fall 2021 term, we're offering a mix of virtual and in-person classes. Although we are still primarily virtual, you will find a smaller selection of in-person seminars in the schedule. For more information about the Newberry’s virtual seminars, including a Zoom tutorial, please see our Virtual Seminars FAQ page. Registration opens on September 1st at 9am (Central time). Registration will take place through our online platform, Learning Stream.

Please note: classes that are currently scheduled to take place in the building may switch to virtual in accordance with public health and safety guidelines. Additionally, masks are required for all attendees, regardless of vaccination status. We will email participants with any changes the week before seminars begin.

Seminar Description

Katharine Kuh (née Woolf, 1904-1994) was one of the most famous twentieth-century art world figures in this country. Over the course of her long, rich life, she was a gallerist, a curator at a major museum, author, critic, art educator (her most treasured role), and friend and supporter of many of the most renowned modern artists of the twentieth century. This class examines her most important identities: as the owner of a Chicago gallery devoted to modern art between 1935 and 1943, and her distinguished career at the Art Institute of Chicago (1944 to 1959), where she became the first woman curator of European Painting and Sculpture. We will also briefly consider her considerable writing on art as well as her consulting work. A highlight of the class is a tour of the Newberry exhibition Chicago Avant-Garde: Five Women Ahead of Their Time to view the material related to Kuh.

One session. Registration – $50

Mark Pohlad, PhD, is associate professor in the Department of History of Art and Architecture at DePaul University. He has published and lectured widely on the visual culture of Abraham Lincoln and has taught a “Lincoln in Film” course for several years.

Materials List

Recommended:

  • Chicago Avant Garde: Five Women Before their Time exhibition catalog.