AUSTERLITZ — Ellsworth Kelly, an American painter, sculptor and printmaker based in Spencertown, will be honored May 20 at 11 a.m. as part of a year-long celebration of the world-renowned artist’s 100th birthday, which would have been May 31, 2023.
Austerlitz will dedicate its town hall in Kelly’s memory as part of the month-long celebration.
Karrie Allen Buratto, marketing & communications specialist at Berkshire United Way, former writer at Bard College at Simon’s Rock and a former editor of the Chatham Courier, said a great deal to Austerlitz. Not only was his impact felt throughout Columbia County and beyond, but his philanthropy that supported students made him a beloved member of the community.
“Ellsworth Kelly brought his art to the community and his philanthropic endeavors that support students, not just in Austerlitz but the Chatham School District and beyond,” Buratto said. “He was internal to Chatham. His studio was on Main Street in Chatham for a long time. I think it was nice to have such a big artist have a home and work out of a small town in Columbia County.”
The dedication of the town hall in his name marks a significant milestone for Kelly and his family.
Ellsworth Kelly was born in Newburgh in 1923 and lived in Spencertown from 1970 until his death in 2015. Kelly developed a deep affection for his adopted home and for his neighbors. When he and his longtime partner Jack Shear established the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation in 1991, they directed that a portion of the Foundation’s philanthropy be distributed locally. To date, the Foundation has made grants of more than $13 million to support community groups working to conserve and protect the cultural, historic and natural resources of Columbia County.
“This dedication shows how much the town and beyond loved Kelly,” Austerlitz Town Supervisor Robert Lagonia said. “His dedication and philanthropic endeavors have been tremendous for the community. I can’t say enough positive things about what the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation and Jack Shear have done for the community. It’s been incredible. They helped fund broadband for those who need it in the community, and they helped fund a new town park. I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for both the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation and Jack Shear. It’s an amazing thing that they did for us.”
Lagonia added Ellsworth’s impact on the community will last forever.
“Ellsworth was a quiet and generous soul,” Lagoina said. “He lived in our community. He was a really respected and incredible artist. For us to have him a part of the community signifies how wonderful Austerlitz is. It’s a tremendous community with wonderful people and we were fortunate to have him living here.”
Some of Kelly’s most influential work includes “The Chatham Series,” which was the first set of paintings he crafted after he left New York City for Spencertown in 1970; “The Meschers” (1951), an oil painting; and “White Curves” (2002), a sculpture made of white aluminum in the garden of the Foundation Beyeler in Riehen, Switzerland.
Kelly is widely regarded as one of the most important painters, sculptors and printmakers of his time. On the occasion of his May 31 centennial, the celebration will showcase the artist’s legacy. The collaborative event will include exhibitions and installations at the Art Institute of Chicago, Glenstone Museum in Potomac, Maryland, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, among others; new publications; multiple gifts of artworks to museums; grant awards from the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation; a scholarly symposium; and new digital initiatives to ensure that Kelly’s legacy endures for another 100 years and beyond.
According to the website ellsworthkelly.org, Kelly received honorary doctoral degrees from Pratt Institute, Bard College, Harvard University, Williams College, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Brandeis University and the Royal College of Art in London.
Kelly also received many awards including Japan’s Premium Imperiale Award in 2000, Officer de la Legion d’Honneur presented by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009, and the National Medal of Arts presented by President Barack Obama in 2012.