Despite a 100+ year relationship with new art, Pittsburgh has sometimes had an awkward relationship with the avant-garde. In the early 1940s, Outlines Gallery was way ahead of the Carnegie International (abstract art wasn’t really shown in the Internationals until the 1950s).
In 1941, 21-year-old Elizabeth Rockwell opened a gallery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This little gallery, Outlines, showcased the works of now iconic artists such as Alexander Calder, John Cage, Maya Deren, Merce Cunningham, and more. Outlines featured performances, lectures, music, and film, and it hosted many exhibits before it was finally forced to close its doors in 1947 due to lack of support. With the recent discovery of the gallery chronology and two scrapbooks kept by Elizabeth Rockwell, we embarked on a journey four years ago and have ever since been Tracing Outlines! @outlinesfilm
