Located in the historic studio of the Mt. Rushmore sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, the Yankell Legacy Gallery features the artwork of the American artist Stuart Yankell. Yankell’s work celebrates life and the common fabric of humanity. He combines abstraction with a kinetic approach rooted in classical lighting and form that both embraces historical convention and seeks to expand the language of art. For more than four decades Yankell has painted a multitude of musical and dance forms as well as figurative themes from a broad range of universal settings. Stuart Yankell’s work has earned a place in the vanguard of contemporary figurative painting and has been displayed in museums and galleries throughout the world.

In 1916, Borglum built an extraordinary studio along the banks of the Rippowan River with soaring oak beams, massive skylights and world-class granite, marble and limestone work . He said at the time, “I built a house for my soul”. Over the century, several prominent artists including most recently, Mort Walker, of Beetle Bailey fame, have lived and worked on this gorgeous property that is adorned with stone pathways and native and Japanese gardens.

Yankell descends from a fascinating artistic lineage, which follows in the generational American traditions of the Wyeth and Calder families. Stuart Yankell, his godfather, Leon Bibel, and his father, Samuel Yankell have all created extensive bodies of work and an enduring aesthetic language. Having the opportunity to weave these stories together in this world class historical structure is deeply inspiring. The Yankell Legacy Gallery is located just north of Manhattan in Stamford, Connecticut and is open by appointment. Please contact us for additional information and to schedule a visit.

Gutzon Borglum, 1916

Stuart Yankell, 2022