The art world is mourning the loss of Jay Milder, a beloved abstract painter based out of New York City.
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Eric Firestone Gallery announced his passing on Instagram.
“It is with great sadness that Eric Firestone Gallery announces the death of artist Jay Milder, at home in New York City on May 27, 2026,” the gallery wrote alongside a photo of Milder and images of his art.
According to HyperAllergic, the 92-year-old died after suffering a stroke.
New York City’s Schoelkopf Gallery also shared the news, adding, “his work is currently on view in our exhibition, ‘New York City Circa 1960: Works from the Collection of Robert A. Ellison, Jr.’ Milder’s distinctive figurative approach was informed by both spiritual inquiry and a continual focus on gesture and form.”
Milder Studied Art in Paris, Rubbing Elbows with Legends like James Baldwin
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1934, Milder moved to New York City after high school. In 1953, he relocated to Paris to study under artists Ossip Zadkine and André Lhote. While in Paris, he befriended artists Ed Clark and Yves Klein, and writers Richard Wright and James Baldwin. He also traveled to Morocco, Spain, and Mexico.
After returning to the United States, Milder studied at the Art Institute of Chicago with Isobel MacKinnon, a former student of Hans Hofmann. In the summer of 1958, Milder moved to Provincetown, where he befriended Bob Thompson, Red Grooms, and Mimi Gross. Along with Alex Katz and Lester Johnson, they showed their work at the Provincetown cooperative, the Sun Gallery. His circle also included Gandy Brodie, Jan Müller, and Emilio Cruz.
Upon his return to New York, Milder partnered with Red Grooms to establish the artist-operated City Gallery within their mutual Flatiron District loft. It was there that they hosted the inaugural New York exhibitions for both Claes Oldenburg and Jim Dine.
After Milder moved to a third-floor studio loft on the Lower East Side, the gallery was renamed the Delancey Street Museum and became an early venue for performance art “happenings.”
Art Lovers Mourn the Loss of Jay Milder
Meanwhile, Eric Firestone Gallery’s post was filled with comments from folks who loved Milder’s art.
“Jay, you will be so. missed, and then to think we have your magnificent paintings to be with. Joy!” one top comment read.
“Beautiful pic of him. Have much admiration for his work. Saw he and Irving Kriesberg as having a dialogue and learned that indeed they were friends. My condolences to Rifka and her family,” another comment read.
“Wonderful artist! Condolences to loved ones and friends,’ another onlooker added.
Milder is survived by his partner, Liza Renia Papi; his four children, Rachael Kosch, Rifka Milder, Joshua Milder, and Isobella Dow; five grandchildren; and his first wife, Sheila Schwid.