We are pleased to announce the acquisition of a
1970 Kenneth Victor Young painting by
Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM).
We were fortunate to encounter Kenneth Victor Young's work when his painting Fireball (c. 1968) was exhibited at the American University Museum in the show, Washington Art Matters II. After a full career of 35 years at the Smithsonian as an exhibition designer, Young was initially reluctant to come out of retirement and face the possible acceptance or rejection of his work. With encouragement and belief that he had not received the acclaim he deserved, we held a solo show in 2014. The show was visited by Harry Cooper, Senior Curator at the National Gallery of Art, who had learned about Young's importance as a Washington Color painter and of his solo show at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1973-74. When he saw the show he promised that, if possible, he would install Young's painting, Red Dance (1969), that was in the collection of the National Gallery. Upon the reopening of the West Building, Red Dance was installed in the most prominent spot surrounded by major works by Morris Louis, Sam Gilliam, Gene Davis, and Kenneth Noland in the gallery devoted to Washington Color School artists. His renewed recognition was celebrated with an article by Kriston Capps in the Washington City Paper. We are proud to be representing the paintings of Kenneth Victor Young these many years.
The acquisition by Pérez Art Museum Miami was made with the sound and steady guidance of Stacie Khandros at Edward Tyler Nahem Gallery.
René Morales, Director of Curatorial Affairs and Chief Curator at PAMM comments: "Pérez Art Museum Miami is thrilled to acquire this work by Kenneth Victor Young, thanks to the generosity of PAMM’s Collectors Council. Untitled (1970) will significantly add to the depth to our collection, where it will be in great company with Morris Louis, Sam Gilliam, Gene Davis and other artists associated with Color Field painting and the Washington Color School."
