The Magical City: George Morrison’s New York at The MET

Through May 31, 2026

Born in Chippewa City, a remote Native American village on the shore of Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, George Morrison (Wah-wah-ta-ga-nah-gah-boo and Gwe-ki-ge-nah-gah-boo, Grand Portage Chippewa, 1919–2000) overcame innumerable challenges—poverty, a life-threatening childhood illness, social isolation, racial and cultural barriers—to become a leader of the Abstract Expressionist movement, which he collaboratively defined both publicly and behind the scenes.

Morrison’s influence as an abstract expressionist painter began in 1943 when he traveled from rural Minnesota to New York City to study at the Art Students League on a scholarship. Immersing himself in the city’s vibrant cultural scenes, he studied painting and drawing, contributed to numerous exhibitions and publications, and openly challenged the mainstream art establishment of his generation.
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