Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground: A first-hand perspective

Millions are familiar with the late Andy Warhol through the art he has created.

And Hudson Valley residents can learn even more about him thanks to Warhol x 5 at Vassar College in the Town of Poughkeepsie; Bard College in Annandale and the State University of New York at New Paltz. 

A showcase of this artist’s work, Warhol x 5 is part of a national initiative involving rarely-seen Warhol works and the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar; SUNY New Paltz’s Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art; and Bard’s Center for Curatorial Studies.

WARHOL X 5: Warhol showcase spans five colleges

BARD COLLEGE: Neil Gaiman, Frances McDormand set for appearances

SPRINGSTEEN ON BROADWAY: A night to confront ghosts

But as we can get to know Warhol through his art, Martha Morrison of the City of Poughkeepsie can reflect on having known him personally.

“He was always very polite and pleasant,” said Morrison, who retired in 2010 from her job at Vassar College in the office of college relations, which is now the office of communications.

And what about his art?

“When I think of Andy’s work, I think of bold and bright and really ‘stop-you-in-your-tracks,’ ” Morrison said.

According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the rock band the Velvet Underground in 1966 “were taken under the wing of artist Andy Warhol ... The Velvets soon became the house band at Warhol’s studio, the Factory, and the centerpiece of his multimedia extravaganza, the ‘Exploding Plastic Inevitable.’ "

Among the Velvet Underground’s members were Morrison’s late husband, guitarist Sterling Morrison; and guitarist and vocalist Lou Reed.

In the band’s early days, Martha Morrison said, “They’d be playing two nights, every weekend. It was really a blast. Everyone danced. It was too much fun ... They weren’t thinking about money. They were just going to play.”

Martha and Sterling Morrison knew each other since high school. They both grew up in Levittown, on Long Island, and Sterling Morrison was a friend of Martha’s brother. 

They started dating when Martha was 19 and Sterling was 21. They got married in 1971 and they moved to Poughkeepsie in 1988, after Martha Morrison’s brother had moved here. 

“I like Poughkeepsie because it’s so real,” she said. "I'm fascinated by the old buildings and houses. It’s a nice community here. I have a great affection for Poughkeepsie.” 

So how did Martha Morrison enjoy the Warhol exhibit at Vassar?

“It brought me right back to the Factory days,” she said.

Warhol x 5 is at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, through April 15; at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz, through July 15; and at the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Annandale, April 8-May 27. 

Visit www.vassar.edu, www.newpaltz.edu and www.bard.edu for information. 

John W. Barry’s column appears every Friday: jobarry@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4822, Twitter: @JohnBarryPoJo