Alexander Kruse

1888-1972

Alexander Z. Kruse was born in New York, where he has lived, studied, and worked all his life. His art teachers were John Sloan, Robert Henri, and George Luks. Now close to seventy, Mr. Kruse sold his first painting when he was twelve years old

Alexander Kruse was Art Critic of the "Brooklyn Eagle" for many years. For the "New York Post", he conducted the column, 'Art with A Small "A", a series of self-instruction, and for the "Art Digest", did a feature, 'Art-To-Heart Talks'.

He is the author of "How to Draw and Paint" which has sold over 150,000 copies during the past eight years, the "ABC's of Pencil Drawing" and in "Two New Yorkers", the art of Mr. Kruse serves as companion pieces to the poetry of Alfred Kreymborg.

As instructor, Mr. Kruse has taught at Brooklyn College, Riverside Museum,Brooklyn Museum Art School where he founded the first class for Sunday Painters.

The Smithsonian Museum of American Art holds two of his works. The Asheville Art Museum in North Carolina has a collection of his paintings.

Retrospective in 1996"

NEW YORK.- The Educational Alliance Gallery presents “Alexander Kruse (1888 - 1972).” This exhibit celebrates the career of a distinguished alumnus of the Art School. Alexander Kruse studied at the Educational Alliance Art School in 1900-1904 and later returned to teach.

A painter of his neighborhood, he painted the lower east side. As he moved from the lower east side his subject matter included Coney Island, Fire Island and Pawling, New York.
His paintings and prints are in museums throughout the United States. In addition to his painting career, for over 20 years he was the art critic for the Brooklyn Eagle Newspaper.

The Educational Alliance Gallery is part of the Educational Alliance Art School. The gallery presents group exhibits of emerging and established artists. Exhibits are related to Lower East Side, the communities served by the Educational Alliance and the artistic traditions of the Art School.