As a young photographer in New York in the 30’s and 40’s, Helen Levitt recorded the transitory nature of life in the street by focusing on the drawings and messages she found on sidewalks, girders, and walls-marks that remained only as long as the weather permitted. Looking at these images, in which calligraphic curves and lines call to mind the human gestures of her more well-known street pictures, one is reminded of the key element of Helen Levitt’s work: the ability to capture that moment when poetry is made.

The exhibit will feature vintage and recently printed photographs and large-scale murals. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of these pictures, viewing them after 60 years, is how truly contemporary they feel. Murals such as "Poster Girl" and "5-Cent Soda" call to mind Pop Art of the 60’s and Conceptual Art from the 80’s, revealing a photographer who was ahead of her time from early on in her career.