Michael Loew

The Life and Career of Michael Loew

Michael Loew was an American abstract expressionist painter and teacher who was active in New York City. Born in New York, United States, his artistic journey included studying at the Art Students League of New York and the Académie Scandinave in Paris. During the 1930s, he contributed to New Deal art projects, creating murals for U.S. post offices, high schools, and the Hall of Pharmacy for the 1939 New York World's Fair. His travels to Mexico and the Yucatán provided inspiration for his future work, and during World War II, he served as a Battalion Painter in the U.S. Navy Seabees on Tinian Island, where he documented airbase work in dozens of watercolors.

Following the war, Loew studied with Hans Hofmann and Fernand Léger. He became a member of several groups, including the American Abstract Artists, The Artist's Club, and The Spiral Group. His work was exhibited in numerous prestigious institutions, such as:

Teaching and Recognition

Beyond his studio practice, Loew was a dedicated educator. He held teaching positions at the University of California, Berkeley, and spent nearly three decades as a teacher at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His contributions to the arts were recognized through several prestigious honors, including a fellowship grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation. His legacy is preserved through the Michael Loew Papers, which are held in the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution.