Bertha Schaefer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bertha Schaefer
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| Born | 1895 Yazoo City, Mississippi, U.S.
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| Died | May 24, 1971 (aged 75–76) New York City, U.S.
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| Education | Mississippi State College for Women, Parsons School of Design |
| Known for | Design |
Bertha Schaefer (1895–1971) was an American designer and art gallery owner. She was famous for her furniture designs and for creating beautiful interiors for homes and businesses.
Contents
Who Was Bertha Schaefer?
Early Life and Education
Bertha Schaefer was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi, in 1895. Her father, Emil Schaefer, was a refugee from Germany. He worked on the public school board. Bertha went to college at Mississippi State College for Women. She also studied at the Parsons School of Design.
After finishing school, Bertha traveled to Paris for a short time. When she returned to New York City, she worked with another interior designer, Helen Criss, for a few months. Bertha Schaefer passed away in New York City on May 24, 1971.
Her Legacy and Collections
Bertha Schaefer's important papers are kept at the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution. This means people can learn about her life and work. The Sheldon Museum of Art received many artworks from her collection. These included paintings, prints, sculptures, and ceramics.
Bertha Schaefer's Design Work
Founding Her Design Company
In 1924, Bertha Schaefer started her own company called Bertha Schaefer Interiors. Her company created furniture and interior designs. These designs were inspired by the Bauhaus style, which focused on simple, useful, and modern looks. She designed spaces for both homes and businesses.
Awards and Furniture Designs
In 1952, Bertha Schaefer's work was shown in an important exhibition called Good Design at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). In the same year, she won a design award from MoMA. From 1950 to 1961, Schaefer designed furniture for a company called M. Singer and Sons Furniture Company. She was also a member of the Decorators Club of New York. She served as president twice and received their design award in 1959.
Bertha Schaefer's Art Gallery
Opening the Gallery
In 1944, Bertha Schaefer opened the Bertha Schaefer Gallery of Contemporary Art in New York City. This gallery showed modern American and European paintings and sculptures. It was a place where new and exciting art could be seen.
Artists Featured at the Gallery
The gallery represented many talented artists. Some of them included 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, and Irwin Rubin.
The gallery also showed works by Eric Beynon, Manuel Felguerez, Zvi Gali, Mimmo Rotella, Eusebio Sempere, Glen Michaels, Sheldon Machlin, and Karin Van Leyden.
Special Exhibitions
In the early 1960s, the gallery held special group exhibitions. These shows focused on young artists from different countries who were creating art that mixed painting and sculpture.
- One exhibition was called "Six Techniques: Six Nationalities" (September 12 - October 1, 1960).
- Another was "The Wall" (January 2-20, 1962).
These shows featured unique artworks. For example, there were "Relieve Luminoso Movil," which were plastic artworks with electric lights by Spanish artist Eusebio Sempere. There were also colorful carved wood sculptures by New York artist Irwin Rubin.
After Bertha Schaefer's Death
After Bertha Schaefer passed away in 1971, the gallery was renamed the New Bertha Schaefer Gallery in 1972. It continued to show modern art.
