"The first thing to realize about the study of color in our time is its uncanny ability to evade all attempts to systematically codify it," writes Charles A. Riley in this series of interconnected essays on the uses and meanings of color.

The first volume to showcase both Lincoln Center's fabulous public art and the List Poster and Print collection, Art at Lincoln Center begins with a tour of the campus and the art that has been collected since its inception. A brief history of how the pieces were selected and brought to Lincoln Center follows (featuring Frank Stanton, David Rockefeller, and Philip Johnson who were the leading figures in building the collection) with charming anecdotes about the artists and the politics behind the selections of the artists and their works. The story of the creation of the List collection, with a focus on Vera List's formidable role, close the text portion of the book. The last portion is a complete catalog of the List print and poster collection.