Milton Avery and Family in Woodstock

The legacy of Milton Avery (1885-1965) is being showcased at the Kleinert-James Center for the Arts in Woodstock, featuring works by four generations of the Avery family, who have found inspiration in the area for more than 75 years.

 

The family is made up of Milton Avery and his wife, artist Sally Michel Avery (1902–2003), their daughter, artist March Avery (b. 1932), her husband, scholar and educator, Philip G. Cavanaugh (1931-2022) who photographed the family’s time in Woodstock, the Avery’s  grandson, artist Sean Cavanaugh (b. 1969) and their great-granddaughter Delilah Cavanaugh (b. 2006), who is currently completing a BFA in Graphic Art.

 

The Avery’s apartment in NYC was a place where many young artists visited and where the Avery’s found inspiration for their works. Mark Rothko and Adloph Gottlieb not only visited the Avery’s in Manhattan, they also joined them during their vacations upstate. 

 

 

Milton Avery’s work had a profound impact on American art and artists and Sally Michel impacted and encouraged their friends and family.

 

Going Upstate: The Avery Family in Woodstock will be on view at the Byrdcliffe’s Kleinert James Gallery through October 25, 2026.

 

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The Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, Massachusetts is currently exhibiting works by Milton Avery, Adoplh Gottlieb (1903-1974) and Mark Rothko (1903-1970). The exhibit features more than 82 works from the 1920s to the 1960s, many of which have never been shown in a public exhibition before.

 

 

The influence of Avery on the younger artists, and their influence on Avery, can be seen in the fluid timeline of the exhibit.

 

 

Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea will be on view at the Cape Ann Museum through September 27, 2026 and will then travel to the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. from October 24, 2026, through January 24, 2027.

 

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References:

Taliesin Thomas. 10 Art Shows to See in Upstate New York This September. Hyperallergic. September 3, 2026.

Alexandra Pecci. The Cape Ann Museum’s Newest Exhibition, Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea, Coincides With the Reopening of the Museum’s Main Campus. Northshore Magazine. May 12, 2026.

Andrea Shea. Cape Ann summers inspired lifelong ‘bromance’ between painters Rothko, Avery and Gottlieb. WBUR. June 30, 2026.

September 10, 2026