Ivars Hiršs (1931–1989) was a

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

n-born American painter.

Life and work

Hiršs was born in

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

, into an extremely wealthy Latvian family of Roberts Hiršs, a textile mill owner. Contrary to his father's wishes that he become a businessman, Hiršs pursued a career in art. The family left Latvia in the late 1930s and moved to Sweden, before emigrating to the United States. There Hiršs graduated with a Masters from the

Rhode Island School of Design The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase th ...

in 1954. He continued his studies at the California College of the Arts and Crafts, later moving to

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, where, by the early 1960s he had made a name for himself in graphics, as well as within the greater

art community. He had several successful exhibits, including one at the Triangle Gallery (San Francisco) in 1962 and another in 1967 at the

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is a modern art, modern and contemporary art museum and nonprofit organization located in San Francisco, California. SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art ...

. His work often included a bright primary color upon which other colors were then superimposed. It also often included Latvian decorations or ornaments. Hiršs died in 1989 from complications related to alcoholism. With the revival of modernist aesthetics, Hiršs' art has received renewed interest from scholars.

Exhibitions

*1962 Thesis (M.F.A.)--

California College of Arts and Crafts The California College of the Arts (CCA) is a Private university, private art school in San Francisco, California. It was founded in Berkeley, California in 1907 and moved to a historic estate in Oakland, California in 1922. In 1996, it opened ...

"The serigraphs of Ivars Hirss", San Francisco, CA *1967 January 17-February 12, "Serigraphs by Rolf Eiselin and Ivars Hirss: San Francisco Museum of Art. CA *1971 January 15-February 28, "

San Francisco Art Institute San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) was a Private college, private art school, college of contemporary art in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1871, SFAI was one of the oldest art schools in the United States and the oldest west of the Mis ...

centennial exhibition", San Francisco CA

Selected major collections

*The Janet Turner Print Museum at

California State University The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a Public university, public university system in California, and the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, largest public university system in the United States ...

, Chico. CA (in others as well as many private collections)

List of works

*Untitled, 1962, Serigraph / color Collection of The Janet Turner Print Museum at

, Chico CA. *My Window Facing East, Serigraph/color, Collection of The Janet Turner Print Museum at

, Chico CA.

References

Additional reference

*American artist, Vol 28, P 63 1964 *S.F. Art Clippings v.4: 122 - exhibit

External links

San Francisco Public Library, Artists File : Hirss, Ivars (1931- ) b. Riga, Latvia S.FThe Janet Turner Print Museum at California State University, Chico. Collection: Ivars Hirss.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hirss, Ivars 1931 births 1989 deaths Artists from Riga Latvian painters Latvian male painters American contemporary painters Modern artists 20th-century American painters American male painters Painters from California 20th-century American male artists Latvian emigrants to the United States