Happy birthday to Esther Gottlieb, co-founder and first President of the Adolph & Esther Got

Happy birthday to Esther Gottlieb, co-founder and first President of the Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Foundation, Esther Gottlieb! Born April 15th, 1907 in Danbury, Connecticut.

Happy birthday to Esther Gottlieb, co-founder and first President of the Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Foundation. Esther Gottlieb! Born April 15th, 1907 in Danbury, Connecticut. 

Adolph and Esther were a team in many of their lives’ endeavors. At different times Esther helped in the studio, was the self-taught registrar of Adolph’s art, and organized dinner gatherings at their home for their many friends in the art world such as Barnett and Annalee Newman, Mark Rothko, David Smith, Dorothy Dehner, Milton and Sally Avery. Esther even learned to work a sailboat when Adolph became involved in racing them. 

During the Great Depression, the salary from Esther’s full-time job salary was often loaned or given to several friends in times of need through Adolph. This generosity on the part of both Adolph and Esther was the seed of what later became the Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Foundation. 

After Adolph’s death, Esther guided the formation of the Foundation. For twelve years, from the time of its incorporation until her passing in 1988, Esther Gottlieb served as President of the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation, leaving a legacy of assisting artists for decades to come.

Learn more about the grant programs Esther Gottlieb helped to establish.

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