Mary Shepard Greene Blumenschein (1869–1958) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

artist, illustrator and jewelry designer.

Biography

Mary Shepard Greene was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, the second child of Rufus, a wealthy businessman from

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in some religions * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

, and Mary Isabel Shepard Greene. She studied at the Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn and then at the

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has an additional campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The institute was founded in 18 ...

Career

When she was only 17 years of age, she left for Paris in 1886 where she worked with

Raphaël Collin Louis-Joseph-Raphaël Collin (; 17 June 1850 – 21 October 1916) was a French painter born and raised in Paris, where he became a prominent academic painter and a teacher. He is principally known for the links he created between French and Ja ...

, an artist best known for establishing links with well-known artists working in Japan. Mary Shepard Greene Bluemenschein - The Princess and the Frog - Google Art Project

Mary Shepard Greene Bluemenschein - The Princess and the Frog - Google Art Project

From 1906 to 1946 she exhibited her paintings at the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Frederick Styles Agate, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, an ...

In Paris in 1905, she met and married

Ernest L. Blumenschein Ernest Leonard Blumenschein (May 26, 1874 – June 6, 1960) was an American artist and founding member of the Taos Society of Artists. He is noted for paintings of Native Americans, New Mexico and the American Southwest. Early life and educat ...

, also an artist. They moved back to New York in 1909 for the birth of their daughter, Helen. While there, they taught at Pratt and did work for various magazines such as McClure's, American and Century. Her husband had discovered

Taos, New Mexico Taos () is a town in Taos County, New Mexico, Taos County, in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Initially founded in 1615, it was intermittently occupied until its formal establishment in 1795 by Santa Fe ...

after an accident stranded him there in 1898. While he made annual summer trips there Mary stayed in New York. She made her first trip to Taos in 1913. After the sale of a house she had inherited made them financially independent, the Blumenscheins moved to Taos in 1919, eventually becoming part of the

Taos Society of Artists The Taos Society of Artists was an organization of visual arts founded in Taos, New Mexico. Established in 1915, it was disbanded in 1927. The Society was essentially a commercial cooperative, as opposed to a stylistic collective, and its foundation ...

. Mary's painting ''Acoma Legend'' was included in the "American Art Today" exhibition at the

1939 New York World's Fair The 1939 New York World's Fair (also known as the 1939–1940 New York World's Fair) was an world's fair, international exposition at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, New York, United States. The fair included exhibitio ...

. In the 1920s Mary returned to the Pratt Institute to study jewelry making. Her jewelry was exhibited in 1956 at the

Museum of International Folk Art The Museum of International Folk Art is a state-run institution in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. It is one of many cultural institutions operated by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. History The museum was founded by Flor ...

. Her paintings are part of the collection of the

Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 500,000 objects. Located near the Prospect Heig ...

. Shepard Greene was included in the 2018 exhibit ''Women in Paris 1850-1900''.

Honors

upleft, ''Un Regard Fugitif'' In 1900 she won third place at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

in Paris. At the 1902 Salon she received a gold medal, becoming the second American woman to do so. In 1904 she received a silver medal in St. Louis at the

Louisiana Purchase Exposition The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federa ...

. In 1915 she received the Julia A. Shaw Memorial Award from the

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Greene, Mary Shepard 1869 births 1958 deaths Artists from New York City Artists from Taos, New Mexico Pratt Institute alumni Pratt Institute faculty Taos Society of Artists American jewelry designers National Academy of Design associates American women academics American women jewellers