“Irving made it possible for us to buy that work of art, pure and simple,” said Glenn D. Lowry, MoMA’s longtime director. Born Dec. 1, 1930, in New York, where his father owned furniture stores, Blum moved to Phoenix when he was 10. Blum met the collectors who came to visit galleries in the area. Blum came back with a painting by Josef Albers — a pioneer of color in abstract art — and he was on his way. Then in 1956 the gallerist David Herbert took Blum to meet Ellsworth Kelly.

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Persons: “ Irving, ”, Glenn D, Lowry, MoMA’s, Warhol, ” Blum, Ellsworth Kelly’s, Frank Stella’s “, Blum, Hans Knoll, Betty Parsons, Sidney Janis, Eleanor Ward, Martha Jackson —, “, Sam Kootz, Florence Knoll, Josef Albers —, David Herbert, Ellsworth Kelly Organizations: Museum of Contemporary Art, Air Force Locations: Frank Stella’s “ Ctesiphon, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, Tucson, German, Knoll, Midtown Manhattan, Connecticut