Mary Callery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Callery
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Callery in 1952
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| Born | June 19, 1903 New York City, USA
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| Died | February 12, 1977 (aged 73) Paris, France
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| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Sculpture |
| Movement | Abstract expressionism; American Figurative Expressionism |
Mary Callery (born June 19, 1903 – died February 12, 1977) was an American artist. She was famous for her modern and abstract sculptures. Abstract art uses shapes, colors, and textures instead of realistic pictures. Mary Callery was part of the New York School art group. This group was active in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.
Her sculptures often showed figures like acrobats and dancers. These figures were thin and flexible, made from bronze and steel. She was a friend of famous artist Pablo Picasso. Mary Callery helped bring French modern art to America during World War II.
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About Mary Callery's Life
Her Early Life and Education
Mary Callery was born in New York City on June 19, 1903. She grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, James Dawson Callery, was a bank president. He also led the Pittsburgh Railways Company.
Mary studied art at the Art Students League of New York from 1921 to 1925. In 1930, she moved to Paris, France. She lived and worked there for ten years. During this time, she met many important artists. These included Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Alexander Calder. She also collected their artwork. Mary Callery also learned to be a modern sculptor. She studied with Jacques Loutchansky.
Her Art Career
When Germany took over Paris during World War II, Mary Callery returned to the United States. She brought many artworks with her. Someone from the Museum of Modern Art said she had "more Picassos than anyone in America."
Back in New York, Callery helped a lot with a company called ULAE. This company printed art. Many people believe Mary Callery was the first artist to print her own original work at ULAE. Her first printed artwork with them was called Sons of Morning in 1955. The special gray paper used for her second artwork is still used by ULAE today. It's called "Callery gray."
Mary Callery became good friends with architect Philip Johnson. He helped her meet important people in New York's art and business worlds. One of her most famous works is a sculpture for the Metropolitan Opera House. Architect Wallace Harrison asked her to create it. It sits above the stage. This sculpture is made of bronze shapes. It looks like a bouquet of sculpted lines. Some people at the Opera House call it "The Car Wreck."
Important art galleries showed her work. These included M. Knoedler & Co. and the Curt Valentin Gallery. She had more than twenty solo and group art shows. She also met artist Georgia O'Keeffe. In 1945, Mary Callery made a sculpture of O'Keeffe's head.
In 1945, she taught at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. She taught alongside other famous artists.
Her Personal Life
In 1923, Mary Callery married Frederic R. Coudert Jr. He was a lawyer. They had a daughter named Caroline in 1926. Mary later married Carlo Frua de Angeli in 1931. He was an Italian businessman and art collector. After World War II started, architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed an art studio for her. It was in Huntington, on Long Island, New York.
Later Years and Death
In her later years, Mary Callery had art studios in New York, Long Island, and Paris. She passed away on February 12, 1977, in Paris, France. She is buried in Cadaqués, Spain.
Mary Callery's Solo Art Shows
Mary Callery had many art shows where only her work was displayed.
- 1944, 1947, 1950, 1952, 1955: Buchholz Gallery, New York City
- 1946: Arts Club of Chicago
- 1947, 1949, 1950–1952, 1955: Curt Valentin Gallery, New York City
- 1949: Salon du Mai, Paris
- 1951: Margaret Brown Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts
- 1954: Galerie des Cahiers d'Art
- 1957, 1961, 1965: M. Knoedler & Co., New York City
- 1962: M. Knoedler & Co., Paris
- 1968: C. Holland Gallery, New York
Group Art Shows Featuring Mary Callery
Mary Callery's art was also shown in many exhibitions with other artists.
- 1939: Salon des Tuileries, Paris; The Museum of Modern Art, New York City; The Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC; The Art Institute of Chicago; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas
- 1946: The City Art Museum of St. Louis, Missouri
- 1947-52: Painting toward architecture (Miller Company Collection of Abstract Art) at the Wadsworth Atheneum and 24 other places
- 1949: 3rd Sculpture International at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 1956: Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, Utica, New York
- 1958: Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas; Brussels World's Fair
- 2000: The Enduring Figure 1890s-1970s: Sixteen Sculptors from the National Association of Women Artists at Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ (December 12, 1999 – March 12, 2000).
Where to Find Mary Callery's Art (Collections)
Mary Callery's sculptures are part of many important art collections.
- Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts
- The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, Connecticut
- CIT Corporation
- The Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio
- The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan
- Eastland Shopping Center, Detroit
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC
- Indianapolis Museum of Art
- Laughlin Children's Center, Sewickley, Pennsylvania
- The Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut
- The Museum of Modern Art, New York City
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
- New York University, New York City
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, California
- Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio
- The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City
- The Metropolitan Opera House, New York City
- The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Art Collection, Albany, NY
See also
In Spanish: Mary Callery para niños
