Thomas Hart Benton

Carol Craven Gallery, now in its 15th year on Martha's Vineyard, is dedicated to presenting an extraordinarily high level of artwork by local and nationally acclaimed artists working in a variety of mediums.The focus of the gallery is on representational art. An eclectic selection of paintings, drawings, sculpture, ceramics and photography, are united by the common thread of mastery of the craft regardless of the medium in which it is expressed. The gallery vision is a highly personal one reflecting the taste of its owner/director, Carol Craven, who has been an art dealer in NewYork City since the early 1970's. 

Ms. Craven likes to show works of art mixed together in the way they might hang in someone's home.  She delights in hanging the work of a young unknown, although highly accomplished artist, next to a Benton, an Avery or a Porter.  Mixing generations is very exciting as the collector can often begin to see the references a young artist has used.  Her passion and devotion to art and artists is evident to all who visit this unique gallery.

The gallery prides itself on the collection of American Modernist works by such established names as  Benton, Marsh, Walkowitz, and many others. Kib Bramhall, Derek Buckner, Mariana Cook, Charles Burchfield, Richard Diebenkorn, Barbara Kassel, Dale Haven Loy, David Levine, Edward Henry Potthast, David Hollowell, Christie Scheele, Rita Stern, and Susan Swartz are among the many well-known contemporary artists shown.

Same Time, Different Stories for Black Artists

There are changing  exhibitions at the gallery throughout the summer months. See Schedule for Sunday night (from 5-7pm) openings.  The list of events for 2010 can be found on our  Exhibition Page.

Craven's New Home Martha's Vineyard Times Article

In addition, the Carol Craven Gallery offers comprehensive Art Advisory Services for private and corporate collectors throughout the year.  The gallery will help in building a specific collection or in helping the collector find the"perfect" work of art.  We work closely with a myriad of art dealers and galleries throughout the country, as well as with architects and builders, in selecting and/or commissioning artwork.

Carol Craven lives in West Tisbury and New York City.  Her late husband, Richard Craven, was the son of the noted art historian, art critic, and writer, Thomas Craven, who first came to the Vineyard in 1918 with his friend, artist Thomas Hart Benton. Their friendship spanned over fifty years.