Pop Art Pioneer Joan Kron's Billboards and Beyond

Joan Kron, a 98-year-old journalist and former art curator, is set to release a memoir titled The Renegade Housewives of Pop Art this December. The memoir details her pioneering work in the Pop Art movement, including her role in commissioning Roy Lichtenstein's iconic 'Super Sunset Billboard' in 1967.

Kron's journey in the art world began in 1962 when she, along with Audrey Sabol, organized the first-ever Pop Art exhibition on the East Coast at the Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association (YM/YWHA) in Philadelphia. The exhibition, titled Art '63: A New Vocabulary, featured up-and-coming artists such as Jim Dine, Roy Lichtenstein, and Claes Oldenburg.

The exhibition was met with scorn from Philadelphia's conservative art world, but Kron and Sabol continued to push boundaries. They created the first 'multiples' by artists like Robert Indiana and Marisol and hosted the Velvet Underground's first concert in Philadelphia.

Kron's idea to exhibit art on billboards led to the commissioning of Lichtenstein's 'Super Sunset Billboard.' A remake of this billboard is currently on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art as part of its major retrospective Roy Lichtenstein: Like New.

Throughout her career, Kron has worked as a journalist for prominent publications such as New York Magazine, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. She has also served as a contributing editor at large for Allure. Currently, she is working on her second documentary.

CONTEXT: Joan Kron's contributions to the Pop Art movement and her pioneering efforts in art exhibitions and journalism highlight the significant role of women in shaping the art world. Her memoir provides a unique perspective on the evolution of Pop Art and the cultural impact of the movement.