New York, NY | Curator-Led Tour of ‘Make Way for Berthe Weill: Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-Garde’ at the NYU Grey Art Museum

Join ArtTable for our first event of 2025! Join us at NYU’s Grey Art Museum for a tour of Make Way for Berthe Weill: Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-Garde with Lynne Gumpert, Director of the Grey and co-curator of the exhibition. This tour covers a pivotal chapter in the history of modern art: the career of Berthe Weill, who broke boundaries as the first woman in her profession and as the dealer who recognized and cultivated the talents of many of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Make Way for Berthe Weil is the second exhibition presented in the Grey Art Museum’s new and expanded home on Cooper Square, where NYU’s campus museum moved in 2024 after nearly fifty years as the Grey Art Gallery on Washington Square East.

About the Exhibition: Make Way for Berthe Weill: Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-Garde surveys the groundbreaking career of the first woman modern art dealer. Berthe Weill (1865–1951) championed many fledgling masters of modern art early on—such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Amedeo Modigliani—as well as numerous others who did not achieve wide acclaim. Yet her role in early 20th century modernism has been omitted from most historical accounts.

The exhibition will feature some 110 paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture—many of which were shown at her gallery during the first four decades of the 20th century. The exhibition also includes archival documents—such as letters, exhibition catalogs, photographs, and journals—that reveal her deep relationships with a range of artists. Examining Weill’s contributions to the history of modernism as a gallerist, a passionate advocate of contemporary art, and a Jewish woman, it brings to light the remarkable achievements of a singular figure who overcame sexism, antisemitism, and economic struggles in her quest to promote emerging artists.

Co-organized by NYU’s Grey Art Museum, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Musée de l’Orangerie, the exhibition’s curatorial team includes Grey Director Lynn Gumpert, Marianne Le Morvan, founder of the Berthe Weill Archives in Paris, Anne Grace, curator of modern art at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and Sophie Eloy, collections administrator and coordinator of the Contrepoints installations at the Musée de l’Orangerie. The exhibition will tour to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts May 10–September 7, 2025, and the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris October 8, 2025–January 25, 2026.

Visitor Policies and Accessibility: Please note that large bags and backpacks must be checked in a secure locker, and food & drink (including water bottles) are not permitted. The Grey is fully walker- and wheelchair-accessible, and several portable stools are available to borrow for use within the galleries.