The Renegade Housewives of Pop Art

Through a rich collection of personal stories and an extensive private photographic archive, The Renegade Housewives of the 1960s offers insight into Joan Kron's life and the vibrant creative landscape of the 1960s in Philadelphia and beyond.

Joan Kron’s remarkable career spans from her early work as a costume designer at NBC Universal to her later roles as a reporter, writer, and editor for prominent New York publications, including the New York Times, New York Magazine, and Allure. In The Renegade Housewives of the 1960s, Kron’s voice—strong-willed, witty, and incisive—resonates on every page as she details her life. Alongside her business partner and close friend of the ‘60s, Audrey Sabol, Kron corresponded and collaborated with artists such as Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana, and Marisol Escobar. The two were known for their leadership at the Y Arts Council in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where iconic events and exhibitions shaped a local arts community. Drawing on a rich collection of personal stories and an extensive private photographic archive, this extraordinary written and visual memoir offers an intimate portrait of Joan Kron’s life while also illuminating the vibrant creative landscape of 1960s Philadelphia and beyond.