Season's Greetings: Holiday cards by celebrated artists from the Monroe Wheeler Archive

As Director of Exhibitions and Publications at the Museum of Modern Art from 1939 to 1967, Monroe Wheeler heavily influenced typography, book design, and the development of the museum exhibition catalog. During his tenure at MoMA, Wheeler developed close relationships with many of the artists whose works he exhibited and published. 

From the 1940s through the 1950s, Wheeler corresponded with artists whose works he selected for reproduction as original MoMA cards and prints. And as a gesture of friendship, these artists sent beautifully and intricately designed holiday greetings that he cherished and kept.

In 1950, he wrote Nelson A. Rockefeller, a museum trustee since 1932:
“As our Christmas card business has been so successful and remunerative, we are now entering the field of year-round greeting cards with no printed message.”  

Season's Greetings features eighteen framed and 25 unframed cards selected from over 150 handmade art objects and limited printings that were sent to Wheeler from artists, many of which are never-before-seen works by such luminaries as Jean Cocteau, Ben Shahn, Miguel Covarrubias, Rufino Tamayo, Robert Andrew Parker, Roberto Montenegro, Herbert Bayer, and Max Weber. These unique handmade and printed limited edition Christmas and greeting cards come in dimensions that range from postcard to folio and can be adapted to many spaces with the use of vitrines to complement the framed art. Artist biographies and a catalogue listing are provided.

The publication Season's Greetings: Holiday cards by celebrated artists from the Monroe Wheeler Archive
(Daylight Books, October 2016) is available at a special price for for the venues. Please contact us for more information

Number of objects: 43 
Rental fee: $3,800 for 8 weeks 

Online Resources:
The Monroe Wheeler Archive and Reading Room
Daylight Books