From a young age, Olga List was surrounded by the arts. Her mother, Vera List was a philanthropist whose causes included art, education and social justice. In 1996, Vera received the National Medal of Arts for her work which included establishing art-lending programs for students, creating the List Art Poster Program at the Lincoln Center, and helping Marcia Tucker establish the New Museum of Contemporary Art, among many other notable achievements. When her husband died, Vera donated works from their collection to several New York museums and sold others to help fund programming with missions for social change and education. Today, The Vera List Center for Art and Politics at The New School continues in her footsteps with a mission:
“to nurture, connect, and be a resource to diverse communities everywhere by catalyzing generative inquiry, creative practice, collaboration, knowledge, and cultural production focused on the intersection of art and politics.”
It is no surprise then, that Olga and her husband in turn collected art. Together, Olga List and George Mack amassed an incredible collection during their lifetimes. From works by Picasso and Henry Moore to Mary Bauermeister and Jim Dine, their collection included works by the most innovative and notable artists of the 20th century. Wright is honored to offer a selection from their estate here.
