Aaron Berkman

Going to the Ball

Aaron Berkman was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1900. In 1916 Berkman attended the Connecticut League of Art Students, founded by Charles Noel Flagg. Beginning in 1919 he studied under Albertus E. Jones at the Hartford Art School. Berkman was influenced during this time by George Inness and John Singer Sargent and the Old Masters. He received a scholarship to the Museum Art School of Boston in 1921 and then traveled to Europe, remaining there from 1924 through 1925. He spent time in France, Italy, Spain, Holland and Belgium. In 1929 Berkman moved to New York City, continuing a friendship and painting relationship with Milton Avery. He was appointed by the W.P.A. as Director of the WPA Art Center at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Berkman helped established the A.C.A. Gallery in New York City at 52 West 8th St., the first Artist Cooperative Gallery in New York City. He spent summers on Monhegan Island in Maine, Cape Ann in Massachusetts, the Connecticut Shore, Vermont and the Adirondacks. When the WPA ended, the 92nd Street Y became the Y Art Center, with Berkman remaining as the Director. He also taught art classes and lectured on art history. Berkman had many one-man exhibitions and group shows. He wrote two books. Art and Space and The Functional Line and was a columnist for ARTnews. When Berkman retired from the position at the Y Art Center, he established Bercone Gallery, New York City where he continued to paint, teach and exhibit. His work appears in many corporate, private and museum collections.