Green Gallery
| Company type | Art gallery |
|---|---|
| Industry | Contemporary art |
| Founded | 1960 |
| Defunct | 1965 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Manhattan, New York City |
Key people | Richard Bellamy (leader), Robert Scull (financial supporter) |
| Products | Art exhibitions |
The Green Gallery was active between 1960 and 1965, located at 15 West 57th Street in Manhattan, New York City. Under the leadership of Richard Bellamy and financially supported by collector Robert Scull, the gallery played a crucial role in introducing artists who would later become influential figures, such as Yayoi Kusama, Mark di Suvero, Donald Judd, and George Segal.
History
Prior to establishing the Green Gallery, Bellamy co-managed the Hansa Gallery, an artist-run cooperative situated in New York’s 10th Street gallery district which eventually moved uptown. Utilizing his relationships with artists from downtown, Bellamy founded the Green Gallery, joining an elite circle of uptown galleries devoted to contemporary American art, alongside institutions like Leo Castelli, Sidney Janis, and the Stable Galleries.
The inception of the Green Gallery stemmed from Robert Scull’s 1959 desire to purchase artworks directly from emerging artists without intermediaries. Due to his business commitments limiting studio visits, Scull envisioned a gallery that would streamline this process. Initially, he approached Ivan Karp to oversee the gallery; however, Karp recommended Bellamy instead. To prevent conflicts with other galleries, Scull chose to remain a discreet financial supporter.
Although it did not achieve commercial success, the Green Gallery became notable for Bellamy’s eclectic selections and for presenting artists who were at the forefront of movements later identified as Color Field painting, Pop Art, and Minimalism. Its short lifespan coincided with a vibrant period in New York’s art scene, during which it exhibited pioneering talents who influenced subsequent artistic directions.
Notable artists
Throughout its five years of operation, the Green Gallery was instrumental in launching important careers by hosting debut exhibitions for artists such as Mark di Suvero, Lucas Samaras, James Rosenquist, and Claes Oldenburg (his first uptown show), as well as introducing sculptors like George Segal and presenting the initial sculptural work of Robert Morris and Donald Judd. Other featured artists included Larry Poons and Dan Flavin. While Bellamy did not formally represent Andy Warhol, the Green Gallery was the first American venue to display Warhol’s Pop painting 200 One Dollar Bills (1962) within a group exhibition.
The gallery also presented works by artists such as Tom Wesselmann, Alfred Leslie, Milet Andrejevic, Robert Beauchamp, Neil Williams, Philip Wofford, Ralph Humphrey, Ronald Bladen, and Richard Smith. Group shows included prominent figures like Kenneth Noland, Ellsworth Kelly, Yayoi Kusama, Frank Stella, John Chamberlain, and Daniel Spoerri, among numerous others.
See also
- Mr. Bellamy, a 1961 artwork by Roy Lichtenstein that pays tribute to Richard Bellamy's significant impact on the art community.
External links
- Obituary for Richard Bellamy in The New York Times
- Charlie Finch, The Way It Was, featured on Artnet
- Elizabeth Baker, "Richard Bellamy 1927–1998," published in Art in America
- Archives of Richard Bellamy at the Museum of Modern Art
- Exhibition titled "Richard Bellamy Papers" at the MoMA Library
Further reading
- 1960 establishments in New York City
- 1965 disestablishments in New York (state)
- 57th Street (Manhattan)
- Art museums and galleries disestablished in 1965
- Art museums and galleries established in 1960
- Contemporary art galleries in the United States
- Culture of New York City
- Defunct art museums and galleries in Manhattan
- Event venues established in 1961
- Midtown Manhattan