Communication was important and very important for both art historian Meyer Schapiro (1904-1996) and Phong Bui (born 1964), writer, curator and critic, and their influence on the art world is far-reaching. They combined art and history, politics, psychology, sociology and social criticism. The two first met in 1986 and quickly became best friends, along with Schapiro’s wife, Lillian. Schapiro, until his death 10 years later, was Bui’s mentor, including him in his circle of friends and colleagues (a combination that gave birth to Brooklyn Rail in 2000). To celebrate that relationship and as a testament to Schapiro, Bui organized an exhibition featuring the works of a number of well-known artists with whom Schapiro had a close relationship throughout his life.
“Singing in Harmony, Part 13,” now on display in two of the Brattleboro Museum’s main galleries, wonderfully demonstrates the breadth of the duo’s minds. On one of the main walls of the museum is Bui’s “Shrine to Meyer,” which is often mounted on the wall of Bui’s bedroom in Brooklyn. A large full-length mirror is surrounded by works that Schapiro collected over the years and gave to Bui, as well as Schapiro’s art. Bui said Meyer made art to understand art and the speed of making, to develop sensitivity in making art. The Meyer Shrine acknowledges Meyer’s intellectual curiosity and clearly reflects Bui’s love for his mentor and friend.
Additionally, the program is a Who’s Who of American art, featuring paintings by Philip Guston, Arshile Gorky, Grace Hartigan, Roberto Matta, Mercedes Matter, Pat Passlof, Robert Motherwell, Mark Rothko, Janice Biala, Stuart Davis, Hans Hofmann, Larry Rivers, Robert De Niro Sr., Wolfly Kahn and others. They may not be the most well-known works from the artist’s career due to insurance costs, but each piece is a testament to Schapiro’s reach in the New York art world. The collection of these works is a testament to Phong Bui’s commitment to long-term outreach and integration of the artisan community. Each artist was devoted to his craft, pushing himself throughout his moral life. The show is full of excitement.
Meyer Schapiro was born in Lithuania in 1904 and moved with his family to the United States when he was three years old. Bui was born in Vietnam in 1964 and came to the United States at the age of 16. The exhibition features émigré artists, including Gorky, Guston, Rothko, Hofmann, Samaras, Hélion, Kahn, Vicente, Müller and Seligmann—all seeking more freedom. Moving to another country is not easy: getting used to a foreign culture, learning a new language, making friends and understanding how people think. Artists find each other, as Bui found Schapiro, and communities are formed, something important to foreigners. New York City has been home to artists whose work you will see here.
What is impressive about both Schapiro and Bui is their deep knowledge of history, politics, poetry, literature, psychology and art. Bui continues to this day to be a proud connector of communities, bringing together people from all walks of life. His enduring commitment to the Brooklyn Rail—not only as a co-founder but also as artistic director for 25 years—is a testament to his extensive cross-pollination of art and history. “How do we keep it alive?” he asks, wanting to unite a divided country. He learned a lot from Schapiro, and his passing “left an impossible void. Every day, the images taken from his stories appeared and haunted me. What I realized, later, was that the only way I could honor him while releasing my desire for the past was to create my own. When I think of the most exciting periods of American intellectual life, especially the rise of the 1930s and the rise of the 1930s. bohemia, the very idea of bringing together artists and the writers in their struggle and the whole world was like my longing for an extended family, which includes people with the same desire.”
In 2022, Bui chose the first “Singing in Harmony” in that spirit, showing both veteran and new musicians, and then put together each subsequent show in its place. He brings together musicians, dancers, actors, inventors and artists to celebrate community, hope and love. An important and necessary law of Bui is, “Artists need to create to the same extent that society has the power to destroy.” It’s the right choice for an exhibition that shows the activities of many immigrants trying to transcend history.
“Singing in Harmony, Part 13: A Tribute to Meyer Schapiro” through February 15, 2026, at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Brattleboro, Vermont.
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