This talk will illuminate and celebrate the life of Dewald Strauss, portrayed by Alice Neel in her painting Fuller Brush Man. In this talk and book signing, Jerry Strauss will share the true story behind the painting of his father, a Holocaust survivor and door-to-door salesman. Book signing to follow.
This event is put on by the Public Programs team at the de Young Museum and is not a WNP event. It will be held in the Koret Auditorium at the de Young on May 21, 2022 at 1:00pm. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come first-served basis an hour before the lecture begins in front of the Auditorium. Free exhibition tickets will be available onsite. Seating is limited and unassigned.
Can't join us in person? You can watch the livestream on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfYMP1FoFPlxUwed1BkWz5Q
About the Speaker: Jerry Strauss has always loved music, art, and a good story. As a longtime employee of The Met, he had the chance to experience art on a daily basis. One day, during a TED event at the museum, he got an opportunity to tell the story of his dad, a Holocaust survivor, war hero, and subject of the very famous portrait Fuller Brush Man by Alice Neel. That story evolved into his book, Giving My Father Back His Name, which teaches us that there is a profound tale behind every picture.
About the Exhibition: Alice Neel (1900–1984) was one of the century’s most radical painters, a champion of social justice whose longstanding commitment to humanist principles inspired her life as well as her art. Alice Neel: People Come First is the first comprehensive West Coast retrospective of Neel’s work. The award-winning exhibition includes paintings, drawings, and watercolors, along with additional artworks and media exclusive to the San Francisco presentation.
Neel spent most of her life in New York City, and her work testifies to the diversity, resilience, and passion of the people she encountered there. The exhibition includes depictions of Neel’s neighbors in Spanish Harlem, political leaders, queer cultural figures, activists, and mothers, along with a diverse representation of nude figures, including visibly pregnant women. Neel's "pictures of people" embody a rare candor and irreverence. Together they emphasize her belief in the dignity and worth of all individuals, a view that remains critical to the social and cultural politics of our time.
COVID-19 Guidance: Masking is strongly recommended, but no longer required for members of the public or employees while in the museum.
