Director’s Choice: Shirley Gorelick in Provincetown

Please join us on Thursday, July 31 for a Fredi Schiff Levin Lecture with PAAM CEO and exhibition curator Christine McCarthy and daughter of the artist, Jamie Gorelick. $15 Museum admission, free for PAAM members.

The Provincetown Art Association and Museum’s (PAAM) visionary commitment to the arts is perhaps best exemplified by the rich cadre of artists who make up the fabric of the oldest continuous arts colony in America. 

Since the nineteenth century, American artists, from the amateur to the avant-garde, have been drawn to Provincetown as a site of inspiration.  The reasons are many and complex; however, the lure of the landscape and the desire to experience its natural beauty are certainly in the forefront.

Shirley Gorelick’s connection to Provincetown is a key theme within the exhibition, highlighting works created during the late 1930s through the 1970s, as well as offering the viewer the opportunity to see the connections to Abstract Expressionism through her bold use of color and overlapping, interlocking geometric forms.

Shirley Gorelick (1924–2000) was a pioneering American artist whose work evolved from early explorations in abstraction to a profound commitment to humanist realism. Her brief yet impactful time studying with Hans Hofmann in Provincetown played a pivotal role in shaping her artistic trajectory. This essay delves into Gorelick’s artistic development during her time with Hofmann, examining how this experience influenced her transition from abstraction to a focus on psychological portraiture. 

Early Life and Artistic Foundations

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Gorelick was exposed to art from a young age, studying under notable artists with important ties to Provincetown such as Chaim Gross, Moses Soyer, and Raphael Soyer. She earned her B.A. from Brooklyn College in 1944 and her M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1947. During her time at Columbia, she briefly studied with Hans Hofmann in Provincetown, an experience that would significantly influence her artistic direction. 

Influence of Hans Hofmann

Central to Provincetown is the legacy created by Hans Hofmann and carried into the contemporary by his students.  Hans Hofmann was a German-born American painter and teacher renowned for his contributions to Abstract Expressionism. His teaching emphasized the use of color and form to create dynamic compositions. Gorelick’s time with Hofmann was transformative; she described herself as a “full-fledged cubist” after his instruction, focusing on the relationship between geometric forms and the space around them. This period marked a significant shift in her work, as she moved from nonobjective painting to a more structured, cubist approach. 

The legendary artist-teacher, whose abstract style had developed out of German Fauvism, arrived in Provincetown in 1932.  His school of art (Hawthorne Barn on Miller Road until 1944, then 76 Commercial Street) was a summer extension of his School of Fine Arts in New York City.  Hofmann loved the brilliant landscape, and his art school, which operated from 1935 until his retirement in 1958, promoted the idea of landscape and nature-inspired abstraction by encouraging students to work in direct response to the environment.  

Although brief, the outcome of Gorelick’s interactions with Hofmann resulted in her ability to see space and color, how color played a physical role in painting, and his influence on her stylistic evolution.  In her words, Shirley states:

So, I learned a great deal of seeing how one can see a variety of ways of seeing space and color. But I think I may have gotten from Hofmann the sense that color should not be arbitrary, that … it played a physical role in painting and one had to be very aware of it, whether it opened space or closed a space, whether it radiated light, … The criticism of me was that I was using too much color, it was too arbitrary, and it was – it was garish, in the sense that I could’ve taken any color out and it wouldn’t have made any difference.

Transition to Humanist Realism

Despite the influence of abstraction, Gorelick became increasingly uncomfortable with the distortion of the human figure in modern art. She sought to depict the human form with psychological depth and realism. Her early works, influenced by Cubism and Abstract Expressionism, gave way to large-scale acrylic paintings, silverpoint drawings, and intaglio prints that focused on human subjects. Notably, she painted psychological portraits of middle-aged couples, including a bi-racial couple and two psychoanalysts, challenging traditional representations in portraiture. 

Legacy and Recognition

Gorelick’s commitment to humanist realism garnered recognition in the art world. Her works were exhibited widely in the 1970s and early 1980s, with reviews in prominent publications such as the New York Times and Arts Magazine. She was actively involved in the feminist art movement, becoming a founding member of Central Hall Artists Gallery and participating in SOHO 20 Gallery in New York City. Her works are held in the collections of several museums, including The Brooklyn Museum and The National Museum of Women in the Arts and the Provincetown Art Association and Museum. 

Conclusion

Shirley Gorelick’s artistic journey reflects a deep engagement with the human experience, transitioning from abstraction to a focus on psychological realism. Her time studying with Hans Hofmann in Provincetown was a crucial period that influenced her artistic development, providing her with the tools to explore and depict the complexities of human subjects. Gorelick’s legacy endures through her powerful portrayals of human figures, challenging viewers to engage with the emotional and psychological depth of her subjects.

This exhibition is truly a collaborative effort whose success rests with the unfailing dedication of two individuals who have made this project a reality.  Jamie Gorelick, daughter of the artist, has been immensely generous in making the artworks available to me for selection while providing access to archives, ephemera and first-hand information of Shirley’s life and career.   Max Warsh has played a pivotal role in the realization of the exhibition and its accompanying catalogue through his incredible organization and knowledge.  To them, I owe my gratitude.

Thank you to Jean Wilcox, who produced a fitting and imaginative catalogue design; her expertise, patience, and enthusiasm are very much appreciated. 

The Shirley Gorelick in Provincetown exhibition, along with its publication and accompanying programs, has also benefited greatly from the dedication of the PAAM staff.  To them, especially Madeleine Larson, Bill Rigby and Jim Zimmerman, I would like to extend my warmest thanks.

Christine M. McCarthy, CEO and Curator, May 2025

Sources: Interview with Shirley Gorelick, 1968 August 20 by Dorothy Gees Seckler, audiocassette recording. Dorothy Gees Seckler collection of interviews with artists, 1963-1976, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.; Eric Firestone Gallery.; Shirelygorelick.com.; Andrew D. Hottle, Shirley Gorelick (1924-2000): Painter of Humanist Realism (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2014).; Wikipedia.

Image: Shirley Gorelick (1924-2000), Seated Blue Nude, c. 1960, oil on canvas, PAAM Collection, Gift of Jamie S. Gorelick and Steven M. Gorelick, 2014.