'Surrealism USA' — Who knew?

Not me and, I'll bet, not you.

Turns out American Surrealism was a school of its own, alive and well in the 1930s, long before Matta met Gorky.

A new show, curated by Isabelle Dervaux, formerly of the National Gallery of Art in Washington and entitled "Surrealism USA," attempts to shine a bright light on this little-known area of American art.

The show, at the National Academy Museum in New York, features 120 works of over 60 American artists and fills five good-sized galleries.

Among those artists whose names you'll recognize are Joseph Cornell, Isamu Noguchi, David Smith, and Philip Guston.

Some you might not: Charles Howard, Malcolm Roberts, Peter Blume, Walter Quirt, Boris Margo, Lucien Labaudt, Knud Merrild, George Ault, Charles Rain, Federico Castellon, and John Wilde.

Roberta Smith wrote a useful, informative review which appeared in this past Thursday's New York Times.

The museum is at 1083 Fifth Avenue (89th Street); tel: 212-369-4880.