Frances Farrand Dodge facts for kids

Frances Julia Farrand Dodge (born November 22, 1878 – died January 12, 1969) was a talented American artist and teacher. She created beautiful paintings and illustrations throughout her life.

Who Was Frances Farrand Dodge?

Her Early Life and Learning

Frances Farrand was born on November 22, 1878, in Lansing, Michigan. She was the oldest of four sisters. Her father, Hart Augustus Farrand, owned a grocery store in Lansing. Her mother, Effie Ann Shank, was a very skilled wood carver. She even made a lot of the furniture for their family home!

Frances loved art from a young age. She studied art at several famous schools. These included the Art Academy of Cincinnati and Michigan State University. She also attended Syracuse University and the Art Students League of New York. Some of her teachers were well-known artists like Frank Duveneck and Joseph Pennell.

In 1907, Frances married Arthur Charles Dodge in Lansing. They moved to Chicago, where she continued her art studies. She learned special watercolor techniques from Frederic Milton Grant. He was a student of the famous artist William Merritt Chase.

Her Art Career and Legacy

In the 1920s, Frances Dodge lived in St. Paul, Minnesota and Ohio. She kept learning and improving her art skills. She studied with another artist named Herman Henry Wessel.

Frances was a leader in the art community. In 1920, she became the president of the Cincinnati Art Club. This was a big achievement for an artist at that time.

She also won awards for her work. In 1921, she earned second prize at the Fine Arts Competition at the Minnesota State Fair. Her art was shown in many important exhibitions. She displayed her etchings, which are a type of printmaking, in Chicago. These shows were organized by the Chicago Society of Etchers and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Her paintings were also shown at the Art Institute of Chicago. She exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy and the National Association of Women Artists.

Even today, Frances Farrand Dodge's art is celebrated. In 2011, the Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame in Lansing featured her works. This exhibition showed pieces from their own collection. In 2014, Olivet College in Michigan included her in a special art show. It was called "Beautiful Things: Still Life Paintings by American Women 1880–1940." This exhibition highlighted talented female painters who were sometimes overlooked.

You can find her artworks in many places. They are in private collections and in museums across the United States. Some of these include the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Cincinnati Art Museum.