ARLIS/NA
30th / VRA 20th
Session IV: Women Artists of St. Louis: Past and Present
Moderators
Laura Schwartz, University of Texas at Austin
Ellen Petraits, Washington University
Laura-
Introduction- Taste of the local flavor at National Conference
Experience
work not seen before, Women artists of St. Louis
Karen-Goering,
Vice-President, Missouri Historical Society
Curator
of Art, 1818-1945- Women Artists of St. Louis in 1984.
Tradition
of Women in the Arts- Courageous but support of collectors, St. Louis Fine Art
Academy School. Some became professional, but if they were not part of artistic
family, their art was still mostly still life and portraiture
St.
Louis Artist Guild by 1885 open to women by 1900 many found new opportunities
1818-
watercolor and drawings by Ms. von pool, saw art as a hobby
in
Female School Lexington KT subjects include landmarks, buildings, people, and
every day life
Sarah
Peale to 1878, studied under uncle, 1820s opened own studio in Baltimore, not
content with background 1876
Portrait
painting and still life, realism
Participated
in 1859-60 won awards
Benefit
of family PAFA 1824 gained portrait commissions, but supported herself in St.
Louis, not under influence of family.
Portrait
of Thomas Hart Benton Senator by
Gingham as statesman
Peale-
Portrait of Thomas Hart Benton Senator 1842 softer
Peale-
Portrait of Mr. Darby- MO Governor- softer
Sarah
Peale died at 84 in St. Louis.
Eline
Subee professional artist in later
life, immigrate, taught school, by
1859 listed as professional artist and portraitist
financially supported herself. Did
not self-promote but advertised for portrait commissions
Harriet
Hosmer- sculptor, female “by accident of birth”. .Moved from Massachusetts
to St. Louis 1830s wanted to go to Medical school for academy
1851- 1st woman to Grad- Wash School of Med.
Then to Rome, Wayman Crowe
as patron allowed her to stay and work there and receive commissions.
Criticized
for her forwardness as a women-
“Strength
will not be strange for women in the future”
Her
work crew in Rome- all male
Thomas
Hart Benton 10 ft bronze- largest sculpture by a women,
1868 dedication
Early
books on sculptors- i.e. 1903 Hosmer is included
Art
organization in St. Louis 1904-7 joined together, The Potter’s Wheel- one issue, poetry, hand painted, and
personally written, Wilhemina
Parish, Grace Parish
Caroline
Risk, potter and educator
Nancy
Cunsman Hahn, studied under Zolney , also became Potter and Educator- famous
work- Memorial to Pioneer Women and
also Lucas Park commission fountain, benches, with children as supports
Amy
Goldstin Heid has hand in founding St. Louis City Art Museum and found Ste
Genevieve Summer School of Art
In
1930s, group of 15- Independent Art
Guild, painting in the style of social realism in 1930s, 40s
St.
Louis Artists Guild and Sunday Club supported women artists, brief overview of
early St. Louis Artists
NEA
grants- teaches at Webster University Public
works
Spoke
of her progression from private works to public works
Showed
samples of her art from early works to new explorations
Her
Undergrad degree in ceramics- found objects and pottery
More
physical than painting more
textural
Allowing
for discovery with clay and objects
Alfred
U. MFA
Used
fragmentation and her environment along with Death/rebirth,
laws
of chance rather than planned works
Catherine
took inspiration from Dubuffet-that professional art is too watered down
Discovery
and invention- collage and reassembled
Liked
outsider art- she found children’s painting sincere. She began to look for her
inspiration while making rather than start with idea
New
Haven CT first studio, reassemble broken pottery, and then purposely broken her
own
Ceramics-
she want to take ceramic out of craft, so make large size work
More
images and dissimilar things. Moved on to receive grants, love use of color,
Then
earthbound figures and also winged figures
Banff
artist in residence, influenced her work, She began looking for organic forms
and painting with clay
2d
and 3d combined and also sense of humor
now
in St. Louis is doing drawing, and working with metal
Participated
in Ceramic Work Center in Holland- opportunity to work with world wide artists
Took
shape of papers which could not be toughed, and made them in ceramic
Transformation
is a theme now and installation work too-with suggestions of movement
Her
work has also helped with close friend’s death
Her
current projects-
Public
Art Muni project, life size, largest amphitheater in world, paint large and
quickly, for theater
Tile
Link- used working with people at Muni and worked with children, to make tiles
to line walkway from Metro-Link and parking,
Help neighborhoods and children’s collective. This project is very
creative and gives her an opportunity to link children with art- benches and
also found objects. This has
re-formed her idea of public art
Clayton-
deer bench,
Trailmen-
200 feet to involve community and she designed,
Did
renderings, of creatures and tiles made by Americore. The Adult students working with her earn college money. The
project also incorporates children’s work, and tiles made by blind
This is a 2 year project
Nancy-Kranzberg,
Private Collector and Volunteer,
St.
Louis Opera, radio show, arts and community service
Women
Artist all not local
Lawmeyer
Sculpture Park- more women than men
She
and her husband became Art collectors of local artists and never said “This
work is by a woman lets buy”. However,
¼ are by women though.
St.
Louis has fine Universities that gave education and opportunity for women
She
serves on arts council and awards are now given in her name.
She
supports local gallery as well, the mixture of all arts fields, hangs the works
in her home
supports
the Washington area loft area of St. Louis for artists
St.
Louis Arts Guild juried show new
artists, they buy from this show
too
Craft
Alliance- Loop district, organization to show artists work
Docent
at St. Louis Art Museum
Washington
University Print Market- from all over the world
Missouri
Arts Council member and choose artist to represent Missouri
A
prize in her name at St. Louis Art Museum in honor of their donation
She
showed slides of the work by women that she owns, or women artists in St. Louis
who’s work she promotes to others. The
following is a list of the artists she spoke about.
Norma
Minkowitz-basketmaker- not local
Alison
Ferring- St. Louis painter
Sabina
Ott- Washington Univ. professor, now in San Francisco
Jeri
Au- St. Louis ceramic artist
Dawn
Guernsey- St. Louis artist in painting and drawing
Ernestine
Bettsburg- St. Louis painter
Sue
Eisler- St. Louis mixed media
Deb
Touhill- St. Louis mixed media
Betty
Woodman- clay- not local
Marianne
Baer- St. Louis- clay
Barbara
Rose Okun- weaver- not currently St. Louis
Yvette
Dubinsky- St. Louis photographer
Mary
Ann Simmons- St. Louis-Printmaker
Judy
Child- St. Louis- mixed media
Jennifer
Bartlett- not local- mixed media
Louis
Bourgois, not local- mixed media
Joan
Hall- St. Louis- paper maker and printmaker
Jane
Sauer- basketmaker- former St. Louis
Sissy
Lacks- photographer – St. Louis
Hollis
Sigler- not local- painter
Belinda
Lee- St. Louis- painter
Nancy
Rice- St. Louis- painter
Joan
Hall, Professor of Art, Washington University, St. Louis
Print
maker and paper maker, 1st woman as endowed Professor at Washington
University
NEA
grant recipient
Knowledge
of the past helps her chart the present
Guerilla
Girls still needed
Physical
changes also give her energy
Purchased
building- 6 x 10 ft press and her living space
Makes
paper large and draws with pulp
Push
the limit of handmade paper- not craft to her but an art- unexpected
1980s
Printmaker but sick of it, so started to make paper and began installation
pieces
glass,
metal and paper combined
installation-
each paper object is a word out of a sentence- hand formed paper and then
assembled like puzzle, printmaking on large paper became her drawing for made
paper in large size
rearrange
the works depending on the space to make it more interesting
drawing
on glass, combined with paper objects
Denmark
installation- Heart of the Sea
1990s,
single large pieces of free form
1995
changed to merge paper, painting, sculpture
cast/etched glass, found objects, metal, on paper
works
based on exodus from Cuba by rafts
painting
on the handmade paper
1999
one woman show, made large scale work but more subtle in color
using
Japanese paper in a sculptural way. Layer
paper and then paint. These layers move with air currents
create
layers that can’t see all the way through, based on her diving and seeing
underwater
artists
cover over layers as they work, in
the thin layers, you kind of see the underneath but still can’t see all of it
now
adapting computer program to transfer designs to vinyl in a signmaking technique
using
knots as forms- it is as ancient as paper making itself
new
works with layers are more delicate
she
is glad to be in St. Louis since she can work in the large studio.