Martha Jackson in Paris

Black-and-white photograph of four people in formal attire posing in front of a large abstract expressionist painting. One man is seated in front wearing glasses and a suit, while the other three—two men and one woman—stand behind him. The woman stands with one hand on her hip, smiling at the man beside her, who holds a cigarette. The textured painting behind them features energetic, gestural brushstrokes in light and dark tones. The image evokes a mid-20th century gallery setting.

Norman Carton, David Anderson, Michel Tapié, and Martha Jackson at the Martha Jackson Gallery, 1957. Martha Jackson Gallery Archives, 麻豆传媒o Anderson Gallery, State University of New York at Buffalo.

Dates

September 4, 2025–May 17, 2026

Location

UB CFA Gallery

Artist List

Joan Mitchell
Paul Jenkins
Sam Francis
Claire Falkenstein
Norman Bluhm
Antoni Tàpies
Walasse Ting

Related Programs

Description

Buffalo native and trailblazing gallerist Martha Jackson (1907–1969) wielded a unique power in American art history—not only through the pioneering artists she represented, but in the relationships she forged between them. A champion of abstraction, Op Art, and installation-based practices, Jackson cultivated a transnational network of artists whose work redefined the postwar art landscape.

Why Paris? While much has been written about the dominance of the New York School in shaping modern art in the 1950s and 1960s, this exhibition shifts the lens to Paris as a vital postwar training ground—especially for American artists who traveled there on the GI Bill. Martha Jackson’s regular trips to France, her financial support of artists, and her backing of her son David Anderson’s Gallerie Anderson-Mayer in Paris created opportunities for cross-cultural exchange. Jackson didn’t just support artists; she connected them. Through her network, artists including Joan Mitchell, Paul Jenkins, Sam Francis, Claire Falkenstein, Norman Bluhm, Antoni Tàpies, and Walasse Ting—whose work is featured in this exhibition—found each other in cafés, studios, and on the streets of Paris. These relationships shaped their practices in profound ways, and Martha Jackson in Paris examines this moment of artistic convergence in depth.

Martha Jackson in Paris draws from the Martha Jackson Gallery Archives and the Martha Jackson Oral History Project, which are part of the UB Art Galleries Collection. The exhibition is also a cornerstone of UB Art Galleries’ 25th anniversary celebration as a university art museum dedicated to advancing art as inquiry and creative practice.

Exhibition-related programming throughout the academic year will further explore Jackson’s international vision and influence.

Credits

Martha Jackson in Paris is organized by UB Art Galleries and co-curated by Anna Wager and Eric Huk.