The Enduring Legacy of Chaim Gross

This program delves into Gross’s biography, work, and the legacy that the Renee & Chaim Gross Foundation continues to preserve for the public benefit. Featuring Mimi Gross, President of the Foundation and daughter of Renee and Chaim Gross, and Sasha Davis, Executive Director of the Renee & Chaim Gross Foundation.

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Chaim Gross (1902-1991) fled Europe as a teenager after experiencing the violence of World War I and the disruption of his artistic training due to anti-Semitic policies. He arrived in New York City in 1921 and quickly found a welcoming environment among fellow artists, many of whom were also immigrants, at the Educational Alliance Art School. Despite difficult beginnings, Gross rose to become one of America’s leading twentieth-century sculptors and a key proponent of the direct carving movement. Although a small number of his works referenced his horrific early experiences and the later murder of family members in the Holocaust, his themes were largely joyful, showing mothers at play or acrobats and dancers.