Theresa Bernstein (1890–2002) made and exhibited art in every decade of the 20th century, though hers is far from the household names of her contemporaries Edward Hopper and Lee Krasner.
Seeking to bring this forgotten artist to a new audience is Gail Levin, CUNY Distinguished Professor of Art History, American Studies, and Women’s Studies at the Graduate Center and Baruch College. Levin is organizer and curator of Theresa Bernstein: A Century in Art, running concurrently at Baruch’s Mishkin Gallery through Dec. 11, 2013, and at the James Gallery at the CUNY Graduate Center through Jan. 18, 2014. Levin met Bernstein in the 1980s and interviewed her while researching Edward Hopper: An Intimate Portrait (Levin is a preeminent authority on Hopper, and Bernstein was a friend and neighbor of the artist).
In Theresa Bernstein’s art, gallery-goers will discover a window on the artistic methods and major issues of her time. Working in realist and expressionist styles, Bernstein addressed such cultural milestones as women’s suffrage, World War I, jazz, and the struggle for racial equality.
The 37 Bernstein paintings on display at the Mishkin are drawn entirely from the largest and most comprehensive private collection of the artist’s work, owned by alumna Edith (’53) and Martin Stein.
The Mishkin Gallery is free and open to the public.
—Diane Harrigan