Betty Parsons - Artist, Dealer & Collector

Who championed Abstract Expressionism
April 13, 2024
Betty Parsons ©Lynn Gilbert 1977
Betty Parsons ©Lynn Gilbert 1977

Betty Parsons was a notable figure in the art world, particularly in the mid-20th century. She was an American artist, art dealer, and collector who played a significant role in promoting and supporting contemporary art and artists.

Art critics still seem always to want to find historical associations instead of creativity. That remains my one great complaint. They are all historians, they know their art history backwards, and all are beautiful writers. But when looking at something new they immediately feel the need to put it in its place, to make a new page in the art books like reporters with an exclusive for the tabloids. But you can't put something that's just been done into history; you've got to talk about its creative impact for the moment. A new work by a new artist is not history, it's the present. Leave it alone, at least for a while, let it come to life fully before you put it into this or that category

 Parsons ran an influential art gallery in New York City, which became a vital hub for the emerging Abstract Expressionist movement. She exhibited works by renowned artists such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Clyfford Still, among others, helping to establish their careers and cementing their place in art history. Parsons herself was also a talented painter, though her contributions to the art world as a dealer and advocate are perhaps more widely recognized.