Joan Mitchell's painting "Metro" (1965) from the Hofstra University Museum of Art's permanent collection is on loan to David Zwirner gallery in New York for the exhibition "To define a feeling: Joan Mitchell, 1960-1965," running from November 6 to December 13, 2025. The exhibition focuses on a transformative period in Mitchell's career, showcasing paintings and works on paper from public and private collections, including the Joan Mitchell Foundation, that trace her shift from structured abstractions to centralized, swirling forms inspired by travels along France's Côte d'Azur.
This exhibition matters because 2025 marks the centennial of Joan Mitchell's birth, and it is part of a series of tributes across the United States, France, and Australia honoring one of the most celebrated abstract painters of the postwar era. The loan from Hofstra University Museum of Art also highlights the museum's community partnerships under its Hofstra 100 strategic plan, bringing significant works from a university collection to a major commercial gallery for broader public engagement.