b. 1929 d. 2023

Site Affiliation: The Strong-Cuevas Sculpture Foundation

Born January 22, 1929, to Margaret Rockefeller Strong and Chilean ballet promoter George de Cuevas, Strong-Cuevas explored philosophical, psychological, and cosmic themes in sculpture. She trained under John Hovannes at the Art Students League, was exhibited early by Alexander Iolas, and later collaborated with sculptor Marcel “Toto” Meylan on the Heads I-V series. Her work, subject of three books and several documentaries, has been called “imaginative brainwaves of the archetypes” by critic Donald Kuspit. Based in New York and Amagansett from the 1960s until her death in 2023, she was a central figure among peers including Max Ernst, Willem and Elaine de Kooning, Lee Krasner, and Alfonso Ossorio. Her final year included a major Southampton Arts Center exhibition, a new documentary, and two shows at Grounds for Sculpture. Her work resides in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian-affiliated Long Island Museum, the Bruce Museum, and Kykuit, among others.