Geneva Mercer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Geneva Mercer
|
|
|---|---|
Geneva Mercer with a model sculpture for the Gran Teatro de la Habana in Havana, Cuba. Taken circa 1911-1914.
|
|
| Born | January 27, 1889 |
| Died | March 2, 1984 (aged 95) |
| Resting place | Jefferson Cemetery, Jefferson, Alabama |
| Known for | Sculpture, painting |
Geneva Mercer (born January 27, 1889 – died March 2, 1984) was a talented American artist from Alabama. She was most famous for her sculptures, but she was also a skilled painter later in her life. Many of her early works were created with Italian sculptor Giuseppe Moretti. However, she also made many famous pieces on her own. These include Joyous Boy, Pied Piper, and the Flimp Fountain. She also created several sculptures of Julia Tutwiler. These can be found at the Alabama Department of Archives and History, the University of Alabama, and the University of Montevallo. After her death, she was honored by being added to the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1989.
Contents
About Geneva Mercer
Geneva Mercer was born in a small town called Jefferson. This was in Marengo County on January 27, 1889. Her parents were Thomas Barton Mercer and Emma Elizabeth Berry.
Early Life and Talent
When Geneva was nine years old, she went to the local village school. There, she made her very first sculpture. It was a simple bust (a sculpture of a head and shoulders) made from red clay. Her teacher quickly saw that Geneva had a special gift for art. The teacher helped her get modeling wax and a book about sculpting.
After finishing high school in 1904, Geneva went to the State Normal School at Livingston. Today, this school is known as the University of West Alabama. The school's president, Julia Tutwiler, was very impressed by Geneva's artistic skills. Ms. Tutwiler arranged for an art teacher from Chicago to come to the college. This teacher gave special lessons in modeling to Geneva.
Working with Giuseppe Moretti
Later, Julia Tutwiler took some of Geneva's sculptures to Birmingham. She showed them at the Commercial Club of Birmingham. A famous sculptor named Giuseppe Moretti saw Geneva's work. Moretti was known for creating the huge Vulcan statue for Birmingham. He immediately recognized Geneva's talent.
Moretti asked Geneva to work in his studio. She became his apprentice from 1907 to 1909. An apprentice is someone who learns a skill by working with a master. Geneva then became his assistant and worked with him until he passed away in 1935.
Travels and Major Projects
In 1909, Geneva left Alabama with Moretti and his wife, Dorothea. They moved to New York City. For the next thirteen years, they lived in different cities. These included New York, Pittsburgh, Florence (Italy), and Havana (Cuba).
One of their biggest projects during this time was for the Gran Teatro de la Habana. Together, Moretti and Mercer completed ninety-seven sculptures for this famous theater.
From 1923 to 1925, they returned to Alabama. Moretti built a home and studio near his marble quarries in Talladega County. However, the quarries did not do well. Because of this and other reasons, they moved back to Moretti's home country, Italy.
In Italy, the Morettis and Geneva lived in a large villa and studio in Sanremo. There, they finished three of Moretti's last major projects for America. These included the Governor Brown Memorial in Atlanta, the Battle of Nashville Monument in Nashville, and the John Henry Patterson Memorial in Dayton.
Around 1930, Moretti was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away in 1935. Geneva continued to manage his studio for some time after his death. During this period, she created many of her own sculptures.
Later Life and Legacy
Geneva Mercer eventually returned to the United States. She settled in Demopolis, Alabama, which was close to where she was born. She passed away there on March 2, 1984. She was buried in the Jefferson Cemetery.
Selected Works
Here are some of Geneva Mercer's notable sculptures:
- The Swing, a bronze free-standing sculpture, made in 1916
- The Perfect Drive, a bronze free-standing sculpture, made in 1916
- Pied Piper, a marble free-standing sculpture, made in 1917
- Joyous Boy, a bronze free-standing sculpture, made in 1923
- Julia S. Tutwiler, 1841-1916, a marble bas-relief sculpture, made in 1933
- Flimp Fountain, a bronze free-standing sculpture, made in 1937
- Innocenza, a terracotta bas-relief sculpture, made in 1938
