Alice Taylor Gafford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alice Taylor Gafford
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| Born | August 15, 1886 |
| Died | October 27, 1981 (aged 95) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Nurse Artist |
Alice Taylor Gafford (born August 15, 1886 – died October 27, 1981) was an amazing American woman. She was a nurse, a teacher, and a talented artist. Alice lived and worked in Los Angeles, California.
Contents
Early Life
Alice Taylor was born on August 15, 1886. Her hometown was Tecumseh, Kansas. She was one of ten children in her family! Her parents were Benjamin and Alice Armstead Taylor.
Her Amazing Career
Alice Gafford worked as a nurse for 25 years. After that, she started her career in art.
A Nurse and Teacher
As a nurse, she worked with the American Red Cross in Alaska. This was from 1915 to 1916. She also worked with a famous doctor, Daniel Hale Williams, in Chicago.
In 1922, Alice moved to Los Angeles. She studied art at Otis Art Institute. Today, it is called Otis College of Art and Design. In 1951, when she was 65 years old, she earned a teaching certificate. She got this from UCLA. After that, she taught art to adults.
Becoming an Artist
Alice was very active in the Val Verde community. She taught art classes there. She also held art shows. She led the Val Verde Women's Cultural Society.
Her artworks were mostly still life paintings. These are paintings of objects like fruit or flowers. She also painted landscapes, which are scenes of nature. Her art was shown often when she was older. When she was 81, she painted portraits of twelve important African Americans. These paintings were displayed in a bank in Los Angeles.
Community Leader
Alice Gafford helped start the Los Angeles Negro Art Association in 1937. She also helped create the Eleven Associated Artists gallery. This gallery was later called Art West Association. It was in downtown Los Angeles.
This art group included other African American artists. Some were Beulah Woodard and William Pajaud. A Chinese American artist, Tyrus Wong, was also part of the group.
People called her "the dean of black artists in Los Angeles." This was because she was a great leader in the art community. Her oil paintings were shown in an exhibit in 1953. This was for Black History Month at Doheny Library.
Personal Life
Alice Taylor married Louis Sherman Gafford in 1928. He was a veteran from World War I. Alice became a widow in 1959 when her husband passed away.
She stopped painting in 1975. This was because she developed cataracts, which affected her eyesight. Alice Taylor Gafford died in 1981. She was 95 years old. She was buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery.
Her Legacy
Alice Gafford is remembered for starting many art groups. She helped develop them in southern California. This included the yearly Val Verde art show. This show was later named in her honor.
She is known as an early African-American woman artist in Los Angeles. She also became very productive with her art when she was older. Her paintings are in important collections. These include Howard University, the Long Beach Museum of Art, and the Bowers Museum.
