Mary Gehr facts for kids

Mary Gehr (1910–1997) was an American artist known for her paintings and prints. She was also a talented dancer and illustrated many books for children.

Early Life and Education

Mary Gehr was born in Chicago, Illinois. She loved art and learning from a young age. She studied at several well-known schools. These included Smith College, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Her teachers included famous artists like Paul Wieghardt and Misch Kohn.

A Career in Dance

Before becoming a full-time artist, Mary Gehr had an exciting career as a dancer. After college, she danced with the Chicago Opera Company for four seasons. That's four years of performing! She also spent three years with the Ruth Page-Stone Ballet. She even had a special role in the first performance of the ballet Frankie and Johnny.

Artistic Work

Mary Gehr was a very versatile artist. She specialized in two unique art forms:

• Batik: This is a method of dyeing fabric. Artists use wax to block out parts of the fabric. When they dye it, the wax areas stay the original color. Then, they remove the wax and can repeat the process with different colors.
• Intaglio: This is a printmaking technique. The artist carves or etches a design into a surface, usually metal. Ink is then rubbed into the lines, and the surface is wiped clean. When paper is pressed onto the plate, the ink from the lines transfers to the paper, creating the image.

Illustrator and Author

Mary Gehr also worked as an illustrator. She created pictures for more than two dozen books for Children's Press. Imagine drawing all those pictures! She even wrote some of these books herself. Her work helped bring stories to life for young readers.

Where to See Her Art

Mary Gehr's artwork is displayed in several important places. You can find her pieces in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her art is also held by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and the Library of Congress. This shows how important and recognized her work was.

Personal Life

Mary Gehr was married to a designer named Burt Ray. They had a daughter together.