The Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College (CCS Bard)’s Hessel Museum of Art will present "Betty Parsons: An Expanded World" from June 27 to October 18, 2026. It is the first major retrospective to examine Betty Parsons (1900-1982) as both a pioneering abstract artist and a trailblazing gallerist who launched the careers of Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, and Jackson Pollock. Organized by curator Kelly Taxter with artist Amy Sillman, the exhibition features approximately 80 works spanning painting, sculpture, and works on paper, alongside a new film by G. Anthony Svatek and Kaija Siirala about the Betty Parsons Gallery.
This exhibition matters because it corrects a long-standing imbalance in art history: while Parsons is celebrated for championing Abstract Expressionism, her own artistic practice has been largely overlooked. By centering her output as a painter and sculptor while also revisiting the radical history of her gallery—which supported women, queer artists, and outsiders decades ahead of institutional norms—the show offers a more complete understanding of her influence on 20th-century American art. It also highlights CCS Bard’s curatorial approach and the ongoing impact of Parsons’ vision on contemporary art-making.