Author talk: 'Inventing the Modern' at Cornwall Library

On Saturday, Feb. 22, at 5 p.m., co-authors Ann Temkin and Romy Silver-Kohn will discuss “Inventing the Modern: Untold Stories of the Women Who Shaped The Museum of Modern Art” at the Cornwall Library. This collection of essays highlights the often-overlooked women — founders, patrons, curators, and directors — who played a crucial role in MoMA’s early success.

Temkin, MoMA’s chief curator of painting and sculpture, and Silver-Kohn, a longtime researcher in the field, will explore the museum’s uncertain beginnings and the revolutionary efforts of these women. Their book offers fresh insights into MoMA’s history, shifting focus from its first director, Alfred H. Barr Jr., to the visionaries who laid the foundation for one of the world’s most influential modern art institutions.

Temkin, a familiar presence in Cornwall, previously spoke on Monet’s gardens at the 2024 Books & Blooms event. Silver-Kohn has a home in Sharon