Joseph LeBoit

Joseph LeBoit was an American printmaker, painter and social activist born in New York City. Born Joseph Leibowitz, he underwent a name change in the 1930s. The exact reason for this is unknown, but might have come as a result of mounting anti-Semitism.

LeBoit studied at the Townsend Harris High School and then the Art Students League, under Thomas Hart Benton and Kimon Nicholides. His involvement as a social activist resulted in many works of art depicting injustices of the day, and those he himself had faced. During the Great Depression, LeBoit worked for the WPA under the graphics division. When the U.S. inevitably entered World War II, he served as a director for Artists for Victory, a non-profit organization of artists wanting to use their talents to benefit the country. The group was made up of over 10,000 artists, many who never found employment through the WPA during the Depression. It was during his time with the group that LeBoit organized a national print exhibition known as "America in the War." The exhibition showed simulations at 26 museums across the country. LeBoit's own contributions included a series of Holocaust woodcuts.

After the war, LeBoit changed career paths becoming a certified psychologist and co-founding the Advanced Center for Psychotherapy in New York City. He continued to paint on the side for the rest of his life.