A must-see exhibition celebrates the work of one state’s historic women artists from 1880 to 1940.
With a lovely range of portrait, figural, still life, and landscape painting, The Irvine Museum in Irvine, California, is spotlighting significant women artists who called the Golden State home in an upcoming exhibition. In addition to the variety of subjects, “Independent Visions: Women Artists of California, 1880–1940” will offer viewers an exciting array of styles from the Classical to Impressionism, from Art Deco to Modernism.
Donna Schuster, “Los Angeles Harbor,” oil on canvas, (c) The Irvine Museum 2015
The museum reports, “Far from being limited to a dilettante role, women artists in California were important figures in the early part of the 20th century and excelled in landscape painting, as well as portrait, figural, and still life. Moreover, they set the standard in such diverse media as oil painting, watercolor, and sculpture.” Artists to be featured in the exhibition include Mabel Alvarez (1891–1985), Eliza Barchus (1857–1959), Loren Barton (1893–1975), Elizabeth Borglum (1848–1922), Jessie Arms Botke (1883–1971), Alice Chittenden (1859–1944), Elanor Colburn (1866–1939), Meta Cressey (1882–1964), Euphemia Charlton Fortune (1885–1969), Anna Hills (1882–1945), Mary Hobart (1873–1946), Grace Carpenter Hudson (1865–1937), Reva Jackman (1892–1966), Evelyn McCormick (1862–1948), Louise Nimmo (1899–1959), Julie Morrow (1882–1979), Elsie Palmer Payne (1884–1971), Mary Curtis Richardson (1848–1941), Ruth Peabody (1893–1966), Donna Schuster (1883–1953), Henrietta Shore (1880–1963), Luvena Vysekal (1873–1954), Marion Wachtel (1876–1954), Julia Bracken Wendt (1870–1942), Blanche Whelan (1889–1974), and Edith White (1855–1946).
A highpoint of the show is Jessie Botke’s “Mural,” which displays a gorgeous scene of the Everglades, populated with a number of exotic birds set in a space of gold leaf. In a work that rivals the accuracy of a John James Audubon lithograph, the birds display amazing naturalism with a variety of in-flight, feeding, and standing poses. The variety and accuracy of the plant life is noteworthy as well, with a number of identifiable species included, such as palm and fern.
“Independent Visions: Women Artists of California, 1880–1940” opens on October 3 and will be on view through January 21.
To learn more, visit The Irvine Museum.
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