Shirley Julian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shirley Julian
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Staschen, c. 1930
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Shirley Staschen
July 29, 1914 Oakland, California, U.S.
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| Died | November 26, 1995 (aged 90) San Rafael, California, U.S.
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| Other names | Shirley Staschen Triest, Shirley Julian Staschen |
| Education | San Francisco Art Institute, California College of Arts and Crafts |
| Known for | Painting, printmaking |
| Spouse(s) | Valentine White Julien, Al Podesta, Frank Triest |
Shirley Julian (1914–1995) was an American artist. She was also known as Shirley Staschen and Shirley Triest. Shirley Julian helped start the San Francisco Artists and Writers Union. She also worked for a special government program called the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Shirley Julian believed in peace and was against war.
Contents
Early Life and Art Training
Shirley Staschen was born in Oakland, California, on July 29, 1914. She loved art and went to two important art schools. She studied at the San Francisco Art Institute. She also attended the California College of Arts and Crafts. This school is now called California College of the Arts.
Working as an Artist
In the early 1930s, Shirley got a job with the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP). This was a government program that hired artists during a tough economic time. She married another artist named Valentine Julien around this time.
Murals and Strikes
In 1933, Shirley Staschen joined a team of artists. They were led by Bernard Zakheim. Together, they painted one of the famous Coit Tower murals in San Francisco. These murals showed scenes of everyday life.
The next year, Shirley took part in the San Francisco General Strike. She joined others who were protesting at Coit Tower. This strike was a big event where many workers stood up for their rights.
Art and Activism
Shirley Staschen also helped start the San Francisco Artists and Writers Union. She met with other artists and writers like Zakheim and Kenneth Rexroth. This group worked to support artists and their rights.
Later in the 1930s, Shirley helped artist Richard Gentry Ayer. They worked on murals for the Aquatic Park in San Francisco. After that, she got a job showing how to do lithography. This is a special printing technique. She demonstrated it at the 1939 World's Fair.
Later Life and Legacy
Shirley Staschen was interviewed twice about her life and art. In 1964, she shared her story for a project about the New Deal and the Arts. This project is kept at the Archives of American Art.
She was interviewed again later in her life. This interview became a big part of a book published in 1997. The book was called A Life on the First Waves of Radical Bohemianism in San Francisco.
Shirley Julian's artwork is now in many famous museums. You can find her pieces in the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Modern Art. Her work is also at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other important collections.
