Jack Cowart

Jack Cowart (born 1945) is the current head of the Lichtenstein Foundation. He has held leadership positions at numerous American art museums including the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the National Gallery of Art in addition to being an expert on Henri Matisse and Roy Lichtenstein.

Biography

Dr. Jack Cowart has played a major role in the art community for more than thirty years. In 1972, he received his Ph.D. in the history of art from Johns Hopkins University and then went on to serve in curatorial posts at The Wadsworth Athenaeum and Saint Louis Art Museum.^[1] Cowart then assumed the position of head of the department of 20th-century art at the National Gallery of Art (1983-1992), where he helped Herb and Dorothy Vogel find a home for their collection,^[2] supervised the transfer humorously portrayed in the film Herb and Dorothy, and laid the groundwork for their donation of 50 works each to 50 states. Cowart was then deputy director/chief curator and executive director at the Corcoran Gallery of Art.^[3] After seven years at the Corcoran, Cowart became the head of the Lichtenstein Foundation.^[4]

Throughout his career, Jack Cowart has mounted numerous exhibits such as “Henri Matisse Paper Cut-Outs” in 1977 and “Roy Lichtenstein 1979-1980” that opened in St. Louis in 1981 and then traveled to the [Whitney Museum] in New York under the title “Lichtenstein Insights/Oversight.”^[5] He has published widely on Henri Matisse, Roy Lichtenstein, and other American and European 20th century modern and contemporary artists. In 2001, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication awarded him a Chevalair de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.^[6]

Books

• Matisse in Morocco: The Paintings and Drawings, 1912-1913
• Henri Matisse: the Early Years in Nice, 1916-1930
• Georgia O'Keeffe: Art and Letters
• Roy Lichtenstein, 1970-1980
• Roy Lichtenstein (German edition)
• Lichtenstein in Process
• Expressions: A New Art from Germany: Georg Baselitz, Jörg Immendorfl, Ardem Kiegler, Markius Liperlz, A.R. Peneck
• Thomas Rozkovski: Twenty-Four Paintings
• Address, Battle of Monmuth
• Henley Southeastern Spectrum: Seventh Annual Jurored Exhibitions
• ROCI: Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange
• Proof Positive: Forty Years of Contemporary American Printmaking

References

• “Conversations with Artists Series’’ National Gallery of Art. 14 Oct. 1981
• "Jack Cowart Papers 1969-1991" Baltimore Museum of Art
• Joanna Shaw-Eagle, "Curator Shapes Unique View of Lichtenstein's Art Cowart to Head Artist's Foundation in New York" 10 Jul. 1999Washington Times,D5.
• Jo Ann Lewis, "Corcoran Picks Top Curator;National Gallery's Jack Cowart to Run Museum" 31 Jul. 1992 The Washington Post,B01.
• Jo Ann Lewis, "Jack Cowart & the Century's Trove; A National Gallery Curator, Winning through Innovation" 24 Feb. 1987The Washington Post,C01.
• "Lichtenstein Foundation" <http://www.lichtensteinfoundation.org/frames.htm>

External links

• "Arts Update" 7 Sept. 1997Daily Press,T3.
• Jo Ann Lewis, "A 300-Proof Show; At the Cororan, Prints with Plenty of Kick" 16 Mar. 1997 The Washington Post, G05.
• Jo Ann Lewis, "A Treasure Hunt for America's Finest; Corcoran Mixes its Best with Beauties from N.Y.'s Century Club" 2 Aug. 1993 The Washington Post, B01.
• Jo Ann Lewis, "Modernity, but Modestly; The NGA, Setting its Acquisition Sights Carefully" 18 Dec. 1988 The Washington Post,G05.
• Martha Baker, "Southwestern Bell Underwrites O'Keefe Exhibit" 23 Mar. 1987 7:26 St. Louis Business Journal,15A.