The Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art (stylized as Palette & Chisel) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit association of representational artists, founded in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

in 1895 as the Palette and Chisel Club by a group of students from the

School of the Art Institute of Chicago The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a Private university, private art school associated with the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to an art students' cooperative founded in 1866, which gr ...

. Palette & Chisel is the oldest existing artist organization in Chicago.

Early years

The founding members were principally evening students at the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...

. Charles J. Mulligan, an assistant to sculptor

Lorado Taft Lorado Zadok Taft (April 29, 1860 – October 30, 1936) was an American sculptor, writer and educator. Part of the American Renaissance movement, his monumental pieces include, ''Fountain of Time'', ''Spirit of the Great Lakes'', and ''The ...

, was able to persuade Taft to rent the organization part of his seventh floor studio on Van Buren Street in Chicago. As the ''Inland Printer'' reported in June 1896:

An association of artists and craftsmen for the purpose of work and study—such is the Palette and Chisel Club of Chicago. The organization is unique in that its members are all wage-workers and busy during the week with pencil, brush or chisel, doing work to please other people. But on Sunday mornings, at 9 o'clock, they assemble in the studio of
Lorado Taft Lorado Zadok Taft (April 29, 1860 – October 30, 1936) was an American sculptor, writer and educator. Part of the American Renaissance movement, his monumental pieces include, ''Fountain of Time'', ''Spirit of the Great Lakes'', and ''The ...
, in the Athenaeum Building, and for five hours each amuses himself by working in his chosen medium, to suit himself. Two-thirds of the members are students in the "life class" at the
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...
night school, and a desire for opportunity to study from the model in daylight, so that color might be used, led to the organization of the club.

Early supporters of the organization included

Charlie Russell Charles Marion Russell (March 19, 1864 – October 24, 1926), also known as C. M. Russell, Charlie Russell, and "Kid" Russell, was an American artist of the American Old West. He created more than 2,000 paintings of cowboys, Native Americans, ...

and

George Bellows George Wesley Bellows (August 12 or August 19, 1882 – January 8, 1925) was an American realism, American realist painting, painter, known for his bold depictions of urban life in New York City. He became, according to the Columbus Museum of Art ...

. The Palette & Chisel served as the artistic home of

James Topping James “Jimmy” Topping (born 18 December 1974) is an Irish rugby former player and current coach. As a player, he won eight caps for the Ireland national rugby union team between 1996 and 2003, playing on the wing. Topping was born in Belfast ...

Walter Ufer Walter Ufer (July 22, 1876 – August 2, 1936) was an American artist based in Taos, New Mexico. His most notable work focuses on scenes of Native American life, particularly of the Pueblo Indians. Life and career Ufer was born in Germany ...

, and

Eugene Savage Eugene Francis Savage (March 29, 1883 – October 19, 1978) was an American painter and sculptor known for his murals in the manner made official under the Works Projects Administration. He also is known for his work on the Bailey Fountain i ...

. In 1921, with the help of founding member Fred Larson, who mortgaged his home for this purpose, the club purchased the William Waller House at 1012 N. Dearborn Street where it still resides. In 1933, the organization changed its name to the "Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art", as it became an educational, not-for-profit institution. Early members of note included: *Carl Brandner (1898-1961) * Benjamin Blessum (1877- 1954) *Walter Marshall Clute (1870-1915) * John Carl Doemling (1894-1955) *Frank Dudley (1868-1957) *J. Jeffrey Grant (1883-1960) *Oskar Gross (1871-1963) *

Victor Higgins William Victor Higgins (June 28, 1884 – August 23, 1949) was an American painting, painter and education, teacher, born in Shelbyville, Indiana. At the age of fifteen, he moved to Chicago, where he studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, A ...

(1884-1949) *Frank Holme (?-1904) *

Wilson Irvine Wilson Henry Irvine (28 February 1869 – 1936) was an American Impressionist landscape painter. Although most closely associated with the Old Lyme, Connecticut art colony headed by Florence Griswold, Irvine spent his early career near Chicago ...

(1869-1936) * Thomas A. O'Shaughnessy (1870-1956) * Karl Ouren (1882-1943) * Edgar Alwin Payne (1883–1947) *Emory Seidel (1881- ) *Joseph Tomanek (1889-1974) *

(1876-1936) * Nicola Veronica (1905-1979)

Recent years

Recent members of note have included: Fred Berger (1931-2006), Charles Vickery (1913-1998), and

Richard Schmid Richard Schmid (October 5, 1934—April 18, 2021) was an American realist artist. Early career Richard Schmid's maternal grandfather, Julian Oates, was an architectural sculptor. Richard's initial studies in landscape painting, figure drawing, ...

. Currently the academy offers over 60 hours of live model workshops per week, and several classes in traditional oil painting, watercolor, figure sculpture, figure drawing, and anatomy.

External links

Official WebsiteThis Old Palette blog sitePalette and Chisel Club records
at The Newberry

References

{{Reflist Artist groups and collectives based in Chicago Arts organizations established in 1895 1895 establishments in Illinois Arts organizations based in Illinois

Early years

Recent years

See also

External links

References