On April 20th, 2024 celebrated gallerist Ellen Sragow passed away at her home in New York City at the age of 80. Born in Manhattan in 1943, Sragow would spend her long career representing many of the most important artists of the 20th century including Elizabeth Catlett, Jeff Koons, Richard Prince, and Alice Neel. After receiving her masters degree from NYU Sragow became an assistant curator for NYU’s collection before establishing her first gallery “Prints on Prince Street” on West Broadway in Soho during the early 1970s. During this period she had her first major showing of work by Richard Prince. This included a performance piece called “Match” which featured a ping pong game between Prince and ping pong “Masters Champion” Richmond Marcom. 

One of Sragow’s most fruitful and significant relationships was with Master Printer Irwin Hollander. Ellen and Irwin met in California at the Tamarind Institute in the 1980s. Hollander was known for his print studio on 9th Street where he engaged the most important names in abstract expressionism. This included artists such as Willem De Kooning, Sam Francis, Philip Guston, Louise Nevelson and Ellsworth Kelly. Together they worked to create prints which Ellen eventually would represent, creating an important market for abstract expressionist prints and works on paper. 

Another facet of Sragow’s legacy is her work representing prints by African American artists of the 20th century. At a time where this important work was under-represented, Sragow worked tirelessly to create interest amongst black print makers such as Dox Thrash, Sam Gilliam and James Wells. However, her biggest contribution to black printmaking was her work with Elizabeth Catlett. In addition to representing Catlett’s print studio for over 25 years, they shared a personal and important friendship. 

Through her connections with collectors, Sragow became increasingly interested in the work of the Works Progress Administration or WPA. This movement of American Art was funded by the New Deal and stimulated creation of American art work. Through her work with Mitchell Wolfson Jr. of the Wolfsonian Museum in Florida, Sragow began to represent the print estates of many famous WPA artists such as Leonard Pytlak, David Fredenthal, and Harry Gottlieb. 

Ellen was a beloved figure in the arts community for over 50 years. Many of her closest clients were also her closest friends. She was noted for her unique vision, her quirky humor, and her distinct curiosity. She is survived by her husband of 24 years, Dutch artist Alphonse van Woerkom, and her sister Joan Yelles Sragow. The Sragow Gallery will continue to operate at its current location on West 30th Street.