The Armory Show

The Armory Show of 1913, officially known as the International Exhibition of Modern Art was the first large exhibition of such works in America. The exhibition challenged and changed attitudes towards art. The show altered all history and all the past styles and works that had been done. It was the starting point of a massive art movement and changed the foundation of art institutions all over the world, especially America. The event went from February 17 to March 15th and on the opening night had an outstanding audience of 4,000 guests to view its amazing collection of paintings and sculptures from over 300 artists.

The show was held in the 69th Regiment Armory  in New York City and was an absolute public explosion. It was criticized by the public and the press as a circus of freaks and clowns. The main organizers of the show were Walt Kuhn, Arthur B. Davies and Walter Pach, who also had created the Association of American painters and sculptors. At the time the National Academy of Design was the power house of all art that mattered, and they were not happy with the idea of change. They were scared of the evolution the show was trying to awaken and felt threatened that they are trying to change everything that they had represented and done. They opposed a new possibility of freedom in art. Critics harassed the show with multiple critical articles. They continuously bombarded the artists and the show itself. However, since the work was impressive, and it reinforced the styles of cubism, fauvism, post-impressionism and symbolism. It also fostered ideas about the working class, cultural relativism, primitivism and Native American culture in art.

While the Armory Show did not significantly influence the styles greatly of the painters themselves, it brought modern art to the attention of a greater public, inspire collectors and patrons, and helped create a larger American art market in which galleries could survive.