The Grey Art Museum at New York University is hosting "Shooting from the Heart," the most comprehensive retrospective to date of the late artist June Leaf, who died last summer at 94. The exhibition, on view through December 13, features her drawings, paintings, and sculptures spanning 75 years, including her theatrical puppet show "Street Dreams" (1968). Originated by the Addison Gallery of American Art, the show will travel to the Allen Memorial Art Museum in Ohio in January 2026. A catalogue co-published by Rizzoli Electa includes contributions from artists Kara Walker and Joan Jonas, and film screenings at Anthology Film Archives explore her New York studio and her life with photographer Robert Frank in Nova Scotia.
This retrospective matters because it finally gives long-overdue recognition to an artist who spent decades creating bold, genre-defying work largely outside the mainstream spotlight. Leaf's playful experimentation across media—from colored pencil to twisted wire—and her refusal to conform to artistic categories make her a compelling figure for contemporary audiences. The exhibition, supported by major institutions and artists, signals a broader re-evaluation of overlooked women artists and affirms Leaf's place in American art history.