Philadelphia Ten Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
The Philadelphia Ten
Members of the Philadelphia Ten at their Art Club of Philadelphia exhibition, January 28 – February 11, 1928.
Formation	1917
Dissolved	1945; 80 years ago (1945)
Purpose	arts organization for women to promote members' works
Headquarters	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Philadelphia Ten, also known as The Ten, was a special group of American women artists. They showed their art together from 1917 to 1945. This group grew to include 30 painters and sculptors. They held yearly art shows in Philadelphia. Later, their exhibitions traveled to museums across the East Coast and the Midwest.

Why the Group Was Formed
History and Impact of The Ten
Artists of The Philadelphia Ten
Gallery
See also

Why the Group Was Formed

The Philadelphia Ten was created to help women artists. In the early 1900s, many people saw women's art as just a hobby. This group wanted women to be seen as professional artists.

One main goal was to let women control how their art was shown. They could decide how many artists were in a show. This allowed each artist to display more of their work. Usually, in art contests, artists could only show a few pieces.

The group also offered a supportive place for creativity. Members could talk about their art and get advice. They also had access to models and professional art lessons. Many members made strong friendships within the group.

The artists often made unusual choices for their time. Many never married. Others who did marry chose not to have children. Some even kept their maiden names. These choices showed their strong dedication to their art.

History and Impact of The Ten

The first art show by The Philadelphia Ten happened in February 1917. It was held at the Art Club of Philadelphia. This show featured 247 paintings by 11 artists. Nine of these artists trained at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women (now Moore College of Art and Design). The other two studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Over the years, more women joined the group. In total, 30 artists took part in 65 exhibitions. The very last show of the group was in April 1945. It took place at the Woodmere Gallery in Philadelphia.

The art they showed was influenced by teachers like the Impressionist Henry B. Snell. Their works included landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and sculptures.

In 1998, the Moore College of Art and Design celebrated its 150th anniversary. For this, they organized a special exhibition of The Philadelphia Ten's art. This show traveled to museums all over the country. It included 81 paintings and 9 sculptures.

In 2010, Moore College displayed older pieces from the 1920s to 1940s. These were by seven of the first eleven members of The Philadelphia Ten. They also showed new works by The Other Woman art collective. This new group was also formed by former students of the college.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many women's art groups were created. Examples include The Ladies' Art Association in New York and The Plastic Club in Philadelphia. The National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors in New York was another. However, The Philadelphia Ten is known for showing their art more widely and for a longer time than other groups.

Artists of The Philadelphia Ten

All the artists in The Philadelphia Ten went to art school in Philadelphia. The group started with 11 painters. Over time, it grew to include 23 painters and 7 sculptors.

Their art was generally not considered "cutting edge" modernism at the time. You might not find many of their works in big museum collections today. However, their art was very popular in the 1920s and 1930s. This was a time when artists like Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse were not yet well-known in the United States.