Bernece Berkman facts for kids

Bernece Berkman (1911–1988), known as Bernece Berkman-Hunter after she got married, was an American painter. She was born in Chicago, Illinois. She was inspired by what she saw in Chicago during the Great Depression. She is best known for her paintings that showed the struggles of factory workers and people who were poor.

Bernece Berkman-Hunter's Artistic Journey

Berkman-Hunter was born in Chicago in 1911. She took evening sketching classes with Todros Geller. She also studied oil painting with him. Rudolph Weisenborn was another artist who influenced her early on.

Working with Geller and Weisenborn, Berkman learned about Cubism and Expressionism. Her art then started to show more political ideas. She also studied for a short time in New York. She attended Hunter College and The New School for Social Research. There, she studied with Stuart Davis.

Early Exhibitions and Recognition

In 1934, Berkman-Hunter's art was shown for the first time. It was part of a group show of Jewish artists. This exhibition took place at the Palmer House in Chicago. In 1939, she showed a painting at the New York World's Fair.

Her work was also featured in a 1940 show at the MoMA. This show was called American Color Prints Under $10. It was created to help make fine art prints affordable for everyone.

Personal Life and Later Career

In 1946, Bernece married Oscar H. Hunter. He was an African-American writer. In 1949, they started a wallpaper company together. It was called Berk-Hunter Associates. They divorced in 1976.

In 1947, her art was part of an exhibition. This show was at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts. It featured artists from the National Serigraph Society.

In 1972, she traveled to France and Italy. She kept a travel diary during her trip. This diary is now kept at the Library of Congress.

Berkman-Hunter was an active member of the art communities. She was involved in both Chicago and New York. She belonged to the Chicago Society of Artists. She was also part of the Chicago Women's Salon. She passed away in New York in 1988.

Important Exhibitions

Here are some of the places where Bernece Berkman-Hunter's art was shown:

• American Artists' Congress, 1937
• Denver Art Museum, 1938
• Springfield (MA) Museum of Fine Art
• WPA Exhibition, Art Institute of Chicago, 1938
• New York World's Fair, 1939
• International Water Color Exhibition, Art Institute of Chicago, 1940
• Chicago and Vicinity Exhibit, Art Institute of Chicago, 1940–41
• After the Great Crash: New Deal Art in Illinois, Illinois State Museum, Springfield (IL), 1983

Selected Artworks

You can see some of Bernece Berkman-Hunter's artworks online:

• Jews in Flight (1939)
• Untitled, Man in the City (1943)

Art in Collections

Bernece Berkman-Hunter's art can be found in these important collections:

• The Art Institute of Chicago
• Carnegie Museum of Art
• Evansville State Hospital
• Bernard Friedman Collection
• Seattle Art Museum
• Smithsonian American Art Museum
• University of Iowa
• University of Michigan
• University of Nebraska, Omaha