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 (aged 75–76) New York City, U.S. |
| Known for | Design |
Biography
Schaefer 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
In 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
In 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
External links
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