The Drawing Center

The Drawing Center serves as a singular institution in New York City because it operates as the only non-profit museum in the United States dedicated exclusively to the medium of drawing. Founded in 1977 by Martha Beck, a former assistant curator at the Museum of Modern Art, the center was established to challenge the idea that drawing was merely a preparatory step for painting or sculpture. Instead, it elevates the act of making marks on paper to a primary and vital art form. The center preserves this focus today by showcasing everything from historical masterpieces to contemporary works, often highlighting how drawing remains essential to architecture, literature, and science.