Collector Sara Roby was committed to the work of American realist artists and through a foundation she established in 1952, she created a premier collection of American figurative art that embodied traditional artistic values, technical virtuosity, and strong compositional principles.
American Realism: The Sara Roby Foundation Collection from the National Museum of American Art, provided an overview of the kinds of realism found in American Art between the end of World War I and 1983. The exhibition was composed of 60 works by 54 artists, and includes paintings, drawings, watercolors, and sculpture. Works in the show complemented and expanded upon the permanent collection of the Everson, which specializes in American Art.