Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler (Part 1 & 2)

Mary Gabriel

Meeting: Thursday, September 19 @ 6-7:30 PM

Location: Kelly-McKenna Gallery, 1308 Third Avenue, Spring Lake, NJ

Summary: Set during a turbulent social and political period, Ninth Street Women chronicles the exhilarating lives of five women who boldly entered the male-dominated world of 20th-century abstract painting—not as muses but as groundbreaking artists. From their gritty lofts, where they worked, drank, fought, and loved, these pioneers opened doors for themselves and future generations.

Lee Krasner, a fearless leader, made waves before becoming part of art's first celebrity couple with Jackson Pollock. Elaine de Kooning, the emotional center of the New York School, bridged the gap between the avant-garde and the skeptical public. Grace Hartigan left her suburban life to become one of her generation's boldest painters. Joan Mitchell, tough yet vulnerable, channeled her fierce vision into powerful canvases. Helen Frankenthaler, from a prominent family, took a daring creative path, launching a new school of painting at just twenty-three.

In Ninth Street Women, acclaimed author Mary Gabriel tells the inspiring story of how these women shaped American art and society.

About Art Book Club: We meet the third Thursday of every month at Kelly-McKenna Gallery to discuss all topics art, architecture, and design adjacent. 

You can follow us on Instagram: @kmgbookclub

You can purchase our monthly reading selections at Thunder Road Books; (973) 436-0914.

Our monthly wine selection is available at Bottle Shop of Spring Lake; (732) 449-5525