Emily Parker Groom facts for kids

Emily Parker Groom (1876–1975) was an American artist. She was born in Wayland, Massachusetts. Emily was a painter for a very long time. She kept painting until she was 97 years old! She spent almost her whole career in Wisconsin. She passed away in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Emily's Early Life and Learning

When Emily was a child, she took art lessons every week. Her teacher was Miss Alida Goodwin. Miss Goodwin taught at South Division High School. Emily also graduated from All Saints Cathedral Institute. At the same time, Emily's father gave her private painting lessons.

These early experiences gave her a special art education. Most other artists in her area spoke German. Emily studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. There, she learned from John Vanderpoel. She also went to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Her teacher there was Edmund Tarbull. Emily also joined the Art Student's League in New York. She worked with Birge Harrison there. Later, Parker Groom also trained in London with Frank Brangwyn.

Emily's Art Career

Emily Parker Groom became an art teacher. She taught at Milwaukee Downer College. In 1902, she even started the art department there. She also taught at the Layton School of Art in Milwaukee.

Emily stopped teaching for a while. From 1917 to 1945, she focused on her painting. In 1917, she built an art studio. She named it "Windover." She built it with her sister, Mary Groom, in Genesee, Wisconsin.

She was part of the Public Works of Art Project. This project was started by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. It helped artists find work during tough times. Emily helped plan the project. She also showed her own art in it.

During the Great Depression, it was hard for artists. There were not many big art shows. Emily did not show or sell many paintings then. While teaching at the Layton School of Art, she helped students. She took part in "Grab Bag" sales. These sales raised money for Layton students. In these sales, small artworks were shown for a week. Then, they were sold for just one dollar.

In 1952, Emily Parker Groom and Marian Bode started something new. They co-founded the Wisconsin Watercolor Society. This was the first art group in Wisconsin. It was only for watercolor painting.

Emily was also a member of many other art groups. These included the Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors. She was also in the American Watercolor Society. Other groups were the Chicago Gallery Association and Artists’ Equity. She joined the National Association of Woman Painters and Sculptors. Emily was also part of the Concord Art Association. She joined the Philadelphia and New York Watercolor Club.

Her Unique Art Style

Emily Parker Groom's early art looked like English paintings. This was different from other Wisconsin artists. They often used a German style. Later, Groom used an impressionistic style. She painted city and country landscapes of Wisconsin.

She worked with many different art materials. A special show at the Charles Allis Art Museum displayed her art. It had 34 pictures. These were made with chalk, charcoal, graphite, pastel, and watercolor. Her paintings showed many things. These included flowers, city scenes, and country views.

Emily used a special painting method. It was called the wet-on-wet technique. This method makes art look fresh and modern.

She also found a clever way to use watercolor paper. She used its texture to make buildings look like they had stucco walls.

In the 1920s, Groom focused more on watercolor. She also started painting en plein air. This means painting outdoors, right in front of the scene.

Where Emily's Art Was Shown

In 1904, Emily showed a painting. It was at the Tenth Annual Exhibition of Art Students League of Chicago. The painting was called A Portrait of Mrs. Rollin B. Mallory.

Here is a list of places where Emily Parker Groom had her own art shows:

• F.H. Bressler Gallery (1917)
• Milwaukee Art Institute (1925)
• Thomas Dunbar Galleries (1926)
• Chicago Galleries Association (1929)
• Layton Art Gallery (1929, 1933, 1935, 1941)
• Milwaukee-Downer College (1936, 1947, 1955)
• Bressler Gallery (1937)
• Chapman Memorial Library (1938, 1943)
• Oshkosh Public Museum (1945)
• Paine Art Center (1958)
• Charles Allis Art Museum (1972)
• Lawerence University
• Wriston Art Center Galleries (2001)
• Charles Allis Art Museum (2002)