"A Valentine to New York City"
Elie Hirschfeld has donated 130 New York-themed art works to the New York Historical Society, with an exhibition planned for 2021. With works by Georgia O'Keeffe, David Hockney, Marc Chagall, Norman Rockwell, Robert Henri, Jacob Lawrence, Louise Nevelson, and many others, the donation marks a significant expansion for the New York Historical Society into 20th century art. The institution has previously been known for colonial portraiture, 19th century genre paintings, and Hudson River School landscapes. Said Sarah Hirschfeld of the choice to donate to the New York Historical Society rather than a traditional museum: "We would be able to make use of the works in a way that would be different from what an art museum would make of them. We would use them to tell history and to convey to people what New York is and has been, and what people have aspired to be."