Grace Hartigan: The Gift of Attention
October 10, 2025 to January 11, 2026
Exploring the creative exchange between a pioneering American artist and the New York poets who inspired her.
Grace Hartigan (1922–2008) rapidly rose to national acclaim during the 1950s with her daring canvases that blended abstraction with elements of figuration. By Hartigan’s side were poets Daisy Aldan, Barbara Guest, James Merrill, Frank O’Hara, and James Schuyler. Their bold lyricism and critical support deeply inspired Hartigan, playing a crucial role in her success. She recalled that the rebellious spirit of these poets, many of whom were queer, fueled her independent artistic vision.
This exhibition brings together over 40 of her works created between 1952 and 1968, revealing the profound influence of mid-20th-century American poetry on this seminal artist.
Grace Hartigan: The Gift of Attention is organized by the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, North Carolina.
ABOUT THE CURATORS
Sayantan Mukhopadhyay, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Portland Museum of Art
Originally curated by Jared Ledesma, Curator of 20th-century Art and Contemporary Art, North Carolina Museum of Art
Programs
Grace Hartigan:
The Gift of Attention
CATALOGUE NOW AVAILABLE
This important new publication brings together forty significant works by American Abstract Expressionist Grace Hartigan.