Margaret Sutton’s Untitled (stage with eye, fish), watercolor on paper, c. 1940, 30 x 48 inches, is part of the student-curated exhibition.
In 1993, Mary Washington received an extraordinary gift from an extraordinary benefactor, the New York painter Alfred Levitt. It included more than 3,000 works of art from his personal collection. These included works not only by Levitt, but also by his dear friend Margaret Sutton ’26.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Mary Washington, Sutton moved to New York City where she met Levitt and his wife, Gertrude, a lawyer. The three lived together in a Greenwich Village apartment from 1939 until Gertrude Levitt died in 1983. Alfred Levitt and Sutton remained together there until Sutton’s death in 1990.
The exhibit Margaret Sutton, Life and Art examines a rich moment in American art through Sutton’s work and long career. Most importantly, the exhibit represents what is best in the UMW Department of Art and Art History – students learning, creating, and contributing.
Students in Professor of Art History Marjorie Och’s Laboratory in Museum Studies class are curating the exhibition in collaboration with UMW Galleries. As they do so, they are not only learning about 20th-century American art and Margaret Sutton, but also are preparing for their futures as museum professionals.