Martha Simkins facts for kids

Martha E. Simkins (born 1866, died 1969) was an American painter. She lived in Texas for much of her life. Martha was famous for painting pictures of rooms with people in them. She also painted still lifes (pictures of objects like fruit or flowers) and portraits (pictures of people). Her art style was influenced by late Impressionism.

Martha Simkins' Life Story

Martha Simkins was born in 1866 in Monticello, Florida. Her parents were Eliza Trescott and Judge Eldred J. Simkins. In 1871, when Martha was five years old, her family moved to Corsicana, Texas.

Learning to Paint

Around 1893, Martha traveled to Manhattan, New York. She went with her mother and three brothers and sisters. Martha wanted to study art at the Art Students League of New York.

At the League, she learned from famous American Impressionist painters. Some of her teachers were Kenyon Cox, Emil Carlsen, and William Merritt Chase. By 1901, she moved back to Texas. She taught art at North Texas Normal School in Denton for several years.

By 1906, Martha returned to New York City. She wanted to study with William Merritt Chase again.

From about 1906 to 1915, Martha worked on her art in Europe. She became friends with Mary Cassatt, another American painter. She may have even studied with Cassatt. Martha also met the American painter John Singer Sargent. His style clearly influenced her paintings. However, there is no official record that she formally studied with either artist.

From 1915 to 1924, Martha spent her winters in Dallas, Texas. She spent her summers at the Woodstock Art Colony in Woodstock, New York. She had art studios in both places. She also showed her artwork in New York City. Her paintings were displayed at the Corcoran Gallery, the National Academy of Design, and the Paris Salon.

In 1925, more people wanted her to paint their portraits. So, she stayed in the Northeast all year. She spent winters in New York and returned to Woodstock each summer.

Martha moved back to Texas for good in 1934. She received more requests to paint portraits. She also taught art students, including James Brooks. Her work was shown in art exhibitions there.

Later Years

Martha stayed in Texas because her mother was sick. She also had other family duties. She continued to be an active artist in the Dallas area for most of her long life. Martha Simkins died at 103 years old. This was on April 15, 1969, in Los Angeles County, California. She is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Corsicana, Texas.

Art Shows and Exhibitions

• The Fort Worth Annual Exhibitions of Selected Paintings by Texas Artists in 1926-1928, 1930, and 1936
• The Klepper Club Exhibition in 1951
• "Martha Simkins Rediscovered" traveling exhibition in 2002 and 2003

Groups She Joined

• The Pen and Brush Club (1918), New York
• National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors