The Art of Grace Hartigan

Grace Hartigan was a New York-based painter recognized for her abstract expressionist technique. She moved among a community of artists whose creations impacted one another, including figures like Frank O’Hara, Jackson Pollock, and several others.

Grace Hartigan Biography

Hartigan was born on March 28, 1922, in Newark, NJ. Lacking the means for college, she found herself married with a child at a young age. When her husband was drafted to serve in World War II, she pursued studies in mechanical draftsmanship at the Newark College of Engineering. After eventually separating from her husband, she relocated to the Lower East Side of New York in the mid-1940s. There, she became immersed in the Abstract Expressionist art scene. In 1950, her artwork was showcased in a “New Talent” exhibition at the Samuel Kootz Gallery.

Hartigan began to center her work around women and the societal pressures they faced. During this period, she exhibited her pieces under the name George Hartigan, believing a male identity would enhance her recognition. Throughout her life, she was married several times, ultimately marrying her fourth husband, Dr. Winston Price, in 1960. They settled in Baltimore, where she continued her painting practice. In 1965, she commenced teaching in the MFA program at Maryland Institute College of Art, where she instructed for five decades. She passed away on November 15, 2008, in Baltimore, MD.

Grace Hartigan’s Art Legacy

Hartigan’s art gained renewed recognition in subsequent years, culminating in the biography, Restless Ambition: Grace Hartigan, Painter. As an educator at the Maryland Institute College of Art, she inspired a generation of young artists.

Today, Hartigan’s pieces are featured in various collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., among others.