History of the Sculptors Guild
During the 1930's American art had not yet been recognized as a significant force in the international Artworld. As the industrial world struggled through the Depression many American artists were dependent for their livelihoods on government art programs (WPA) while European artists were heavily favored by museums, galleries, and collectors. The founding of Sculptors Guild in 1937 was a seminal event for Modern sculpture in America. The primary objectives of the founders as stated in an early exhibition catalogue were: "to unite sculptors of all progressive aesthetic tendencies into a vital organization in order to further the artistic integrity of sculpture and give it its rightful place in the cultural life of this country." Sculptors Guild benefited from the generous support of notable sponsors and patrons such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Henry Morgenthau, Fiorello La Guardia, Conger Goodyear, Rockefeller Foundation, Directors of Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Museum and Whitney Museum of American Art.
