Bertha Schaefer (1895–1971) was an American designer and gallery director, she was known for her furniture designs, and as an interior designer.
Bertha Schaefer | |
---|---|
Born | 1895 Yazoo City, Mississippi, U.S. |
Died | May 24, 1971 New York City, U.S. | (aged 75–76)
Known for | Design |
Biography
editSchaefer was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi in 1895. Her father Emil Schaefer was a refugee from Germany and worked as a board of trustees for a public school.[1] She attended Mississippi State College for Women and Parsons School of Design.[2] She briefly traveled to Paris after graduation from school and after she returned to New York City to work with interior designer Helen Criss for a few months.[1] Schaefer died in New York City on May 24, 1971.[3] Her paper are in the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution.[4] The Sheldon Museum of Art was the recipient of paintings, prints, sculpture, and ceramics from her estate.[5]
Design
editIn 1924 Schaefer founded Bertha Schaefer Interiors. Her company designed Bauhaus-inspired furniture and interiors for both residences and businesses.[6] In 1952 Schaefer's work was included in MoMA's exhibition Good Design.[7] The same year she won a design award from MoMA.[2] From 1950 through 1961 Schaefer designed furniture for M. Singer and Sons Furniture Company.[4] Schaefer was a member of the Decorators Club of New York, serving two terms as president and, in 1959, receiving their design award.[2]
Gallery
editIn 1944 Schaefer founded the Bertha Schaefer Gallery of Contemporary Art in New York City, which exhibited contemporary American and European painting and sculpture.[8] The gallery represented Will Barnet, William Clutz, Robert Cronbach, Elisabeth Frink, Terry Frost, Patrick Heron, Morris Kantor, Joseph Konzal, Charles Green Shaw, Raymond Rocklin, Joop Sanders, John von Wicht,[9] and Irwin Rubin.[10] They also exhibited works by Eric Beynon, Manuel Felguerez, Zvi Gali, María Luisa Pacheco, Mimmo Rotella, Eusebio Sempere,[11] Glen Michaels,[12] Sheldon Machlin, and Karin Van Leyden.[13] In the early 1960s, the gallery presented group exhibitions that focused on young,[14] international[11] artists working with hybrid forms between painting and sculpture,[12] such as "Six Techniques: Six Nationalities" (September–October 1960),[11] and "The Wall" (January 1962).[15] Examples include “Relieve Luminoso Movil," electrically illuminated, plastic reliefs by Spanish artist, Eusebio Sempere, as well as carved, colorfully painted wood constructions by New York based Irwin Rubin.[16]
In 1972, following Schaefer's death, the gallery was renamed the New Bertha Schaefer Gallery.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b "Oral history interview with Bertha Schaefer, 1970 April 20-22". www.aaa.si.edu. Archive of American Art. Archived from the original on 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
- ^ a b c Tuchman, Miriam. "Bertha Schaefer". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
- ^ "Bertha Schaefer, an Art Dealer And Interior Designer, 76, Dies". The New York Times. 26 May 1971. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ a b "A Finding Aid to the Bertha Schaefer papers and gallery records, 1909-1975, bulk, 1940-1965". Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ "Selections from the Bertha Schaefer Collection". Sheldon Museum of Art. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ "Designer Spotlight: Bertha Schaefer". Mid-Century Modern Finds. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ "Good Design - Master Checklist" (PDF). Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Schaefer, Bertha, 1895-1971". Archives Directory for the History of Collecting. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ Mellow, James R., ed. (1964). "New York: The Art World". Arts Yearbook. 7. New York, NY: The Art Digest, Inc.: 111.
- ^ Chaet, Bernard (1960). Artists At Work. Cambridge, MA: Webb Books. p. 72.
- ^ a b c Preston, Stuart (September 17, 1960). "Art: Opening Salvos". The New York Times. p. 47.
- ^ a b Canaday, John (January 7, 1962). "Sculpture Coming Up". The New York Times. p. 131.
- ^ "Gallery Shows, Museum Exhibits". The New York Times. December 1, 1963. p. 214.
- ^ E., N. (October 1960). "Six Techniques: Six Nationalities". Art News. 59 (6).
- ^ Adams, Alice (March 1, 1962). "The Wall". Craft Horizons. 22 (2): 41 – via craftcouncil.org/digital/.
- ^ Gueft, Olga, ed. (September 1960). "For Your Information: Art and Trade Shows Worthy of Note". Interiors. CXX (2). Charles E Whitney: 20.
External links
edit- images of Schaefer's work on Artnet.com
- images of Schaefer's work on MutualArt
- Oral history interview with Bertha Schaefer, 1970 April 20-22, in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
- A Finding Aid to the Bertha Schaefer Papers and Gallery Records, 1909-1975, bulk 1940-1965, in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
- Bertha Schaefer entry from the Encyclopedia of Jewish Women