https://openvalley.org/items/show/1103
description: A portrait of a woman looks off, away from a light source igniting the glaze on the canvas, casting a white glow across the surface: below her sits a still life layout of like-colored objects. In the shadow rests a cut-open orange sitting on the stem of a tulip of a similar hue. Beside it is an off-white bowl, holding unidentifiable fruits. About the Artist: Born in Staatsburg-on-Hudson, NY, Cole was named after two renowned painters of the Hudson River School: Thomas Cole (1801-1848) and John William Casilear (1811-1893). He attended school at the Riverview Military Academy in Poughkeepsie, NY (1900-04) and Harvard University (1905) before turning his attention to painting studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (1905-11) and Académie Julian, Paris (1912). In 1909, he published a history in New England Magazine on Old St. Mary’s Church at Newton’s Lower Falls, illustrated by his own paintings. Cole served in the US Navy between 1917 and 1919, and beginning in May 1918 worked under William Andrew Mackay in a special unit for the camouflage of ships and submarines at the Bureau of Construction and Repair. During the final eight months of World War I, more than 1,200 US ships were painted with so-called “disruptive coloration”. After the war, he showed his talents at a Knoedler Gallery exhibition of Allied Commander portraits, Cole’s praised as “having a personality all their own with the dark rich coloring in the figures and the well-modeled faces contrasted against the dark background” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle 19 Oct. 1919: 77). He went on to exhibit his work widely, including the National Academy of Design, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the Art Institute of Chicago. A reviewer of his 1927 exhibition of 33 portraits at Ainslee Gallery wrote: “In all cases the portraits are distinguished by a sincerity and a happy achievement of the most difficult of all painters’ problems, that of satisfying both sitter and himself (Brooklyn Daily Eagle 13…
creator: Cole, Thomas Casilear, 1888-1976

https://openvalley.org/items/show/1102
description: Half a dozen lily flowering tulips are depicted in a milk glass vessel known as a “hand vase,” a popular design during the 1870s-80s. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Bowler’s composition is how a soft opalescence is carried across a conch shell, the vase, the flowers, and even the wall behind his still life. Note: for several decades this painting had been mislabeled as Bowler’s Lilies and Shell. About the Artist: Born in Syracuse, NY Bowler attended the Syracuse University College of Fine Arts and there received a postgraduate award for study in Paris. He was best known for painting official portraits of prominent political, military, and theatrical figures such as dancers Ruth St. Denis and Michel Fokine; humorist Will Rogers, actor Vincent Price, and explorer/author Richard Halliburton. Bowler also traveled to Washington, D.C. to paint portraits of Secretary of State Cordell Hull and Vice President John Nance Garner, among others. But Bowler also was passionate about landscapes and still lifes. A 1940 newspaper article implies that his two works at NDG were part of “a series of flower paintings done for all the tuberculosis hospitals in New York” (Allentown, PA Morning Call 31 Mar. 1940: 16). During World War II, Bowler served as Director of Design for a camouflage section of the 909th Air Force Engineers, organizing a 1943 show of their work at Macy’s Department store. It was after a 32-mile training hike that he painted a well-known image entitled “After the Hike”—a picture of his worn pair of army shoes—that was exhibited in the Library of Congress. Bowler also served as director of an arts program for the American Red Cross and as a USO portrait artist during the war (Syracuse Herald-Journal 23 July 1965: 14). After 1945 Bowler continued to live and work in Bucks County, PA. A critic attending the Phillips’ Mill Art Exhibition wrote that he had “all the majesty and power of great people who see great movements and think great things. A realist, his ‘Li…
creator: Bowler, Harold

https://openvalley.org/items/show/1101
description: Coffey's painting is very busy and has a lot of movement going on within it: sweeping, shoveling, sledding, throwing snowballs, and simply talking. Thirty-one distinct individuals, each in motion, give the scene great vitality despite a "Store to Let" sign acknowledging the Great Depression. Another sign advertises "Sobol Bros" and their SOCONY gas station. The painting features many bright colors, particularly reds and greens, which can be seen both on the buildings and on the clothing that people are wearing. About the Artist: We haven’t located much reliable information about this artist. Her known works include a 1932 painting of the East River and an undated gouache entitled “View of Beach.” 5 works at National Gallery, which were created for the Index of American Design. 4 more images as “Neva Caffey” at FAP.
creator: Coffey, Neva

https://openvalley.org/items/show/1100
description: The Old North Church towers over a dismal, darkened street. A break of sunlight gradually illuminates the peaks of the buildings, sidewalk near the church, and the almost nonvisible side of the church’s steeple. There is a hazy quality to the painting; it blurs the figures moving down the road, who appear to be shadowy splotches blending in with the sidewalks and cold, bland buildings. Each structure is simple; the only discernible details are the spires, lantern, and belfry of the steeple. About the Artist: Born in Staatsburg-on-Hudson, NY, Cole was named after two renowned painters of the Hudson River School: Thomas Cole (1801-1848) and John William Casilear (1811-1893). He attended school at the Riverview Military Academy in Poughkeepsie, NY (1900-04) and Harvard University (1905) before turning his attention to painting studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (1905-11) and Académie Julian, Paris (1912). In 1909, he published a history in New England Magazine on Old St. Mary’s Church at Newton’s Lower Falls, illustrated by his own paintings. Cole served in the US Navy between 1917 and 1919, and beginning in May 1918 worked under William Andrew Mackay in a special unit for the camouflage of ships and submarines at the Bureau of Construction and Repair. During the final eight months of World War I, more than 1,200 US ships were painted with so-called “disruptive coloration”. After the war, he showed his talents at a Knoedler Gallery exhibition of Allied Commander portraits, Cole’s praised as “having a personality all their own with the dark rich coloring in the figures and the well-modeled faces contrasted against the dark background” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle 19 Oct. 1919: 77). He went on to exhibit his work widely, including the National Academy of Design, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the Art Institute of Chicago. A reviewer of his 1927 exhibition of 33 portraits at Ainslee Gallery wrote: “In all cases the portraits are distinguished by…
creator: Cole, Thomas Casilear, 1888-1976

https://openvalley.org/items/show/1099
description: We see a table with a satin table cloth covering it; on it there is a vase of flowers, all with bright warm colors--red, yellow, and orange. To the left of the vase is a single blue book while on the right there is a pile of brown books. In the foreground of the painting to the right of the vase is a bookcase with neatly filed bound books. In the foreground, on the right side of the vase, is a reflection of the scene in a mirror. The mirror seems to be resting on the table and through the mirror the viewer or the painting is able to see the other part of the room. This painting invokes a feeling of an appreciation for art as it has many books and paintings within the scene. About the Artist: Born in Gardony, Hungary, Csoka—his name sometimes spelled as Csóka István—studied at the Budapest Royal Academy of Art (1922-27) before immigrating to the US in 1934 and then working his first seven years as a house painter. Gradually he gained recognition via awards at various exhibitions, including the Society of American Etchers, Library of Congress, Corcoran Gallery, and Art Institute of Chicago. Beginning in 1935 and continuing for fifty anniversaries he gave a painting to his wife, Margaret, about the “Marital Milestones” of that year. He taught at the National Academy of Design, Hunter College and the Fashion Institute of Technology. In 1962 Csoka published an instructional book entitled Pastel Painting. Get ahold of Endless is the Way Leading Home. 3 works at the Whitney Museum of American Art. 1 work at New York State Historical Society. 3 works at the Chrysler Museum of Art. 1 more image at FAP. His papers are at the Archives of American Art.
creator: Csoka, Stephen, 1897-1989

https://openvalley.org/items/show/1098
description: It's likely that Cheney's painting depicts the Virginia Canyon Road near Idaho Springs, Colorado, also known as the "Oh My God Highway" for its hairpin turns and precipitous cliffs. It had been created in the 1800s to access dozens of gold mines in the area; three of those mine shafts (and their tailings) can be seen in an idealized red. Mountains emerge in the distance, creating the perspective of a viewer standing upon a hill overlooking the landscape. The addition of roads throughout the mountain dates to a time when transportation was becoming a vital part of American society. The painting’s impressionist style and proper use of perspective illuminate the artist’s academic training. If one looks closely, one may see the brush strokes used to paint in a muddled yet meticulous way. The style of painting may have easily been influenced by the previous impressionist movement in Europe. Cheney's use of greens and his ability to paint shadows gives viewers a truly natural and realistic portrayal of a mountainous landscape. About the Artist: Born in Brookline, MA, Cheney attended Harvard University, where he trained with the Harvard ROTC. During 1918-19 he enlisted as a pilot specializing in aerial navigation, a background that seems to have influenced his art’s sometimes creative vantage points. Most of Cheney’s work was in lithography, often of western landscapes. He exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, City Art Museum of St. Louis, National Academy of Design, Los Angeles Museum, Paris Salon, and the Society of Independent Artists. In 1940 his lithograph “Winter Afternoon” was chosen to represent Vermont in the traveling exhibit “Contemporary Art of the United States,” which included contributions by artists Grant Wood, Georgia O’Keefe and N. C. Wyeth. 10 works at the National Gallery of Art. 7 works at Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. 1 work at Detroit Institute of Arts. 1 work at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. 2 more images at FAP.
creator: Cheney, Philip Loring, 1897-1992
source: New Deal Gallery, Genesee Valley Council on the Arts Object #FA18132
publisher: Federal Art Project
date: 1937-08-24
contributor: Ritz, Abigail (photography) Evenden, Elana (biography) Cooper, Ken (biography)
format: jpeg, 692 KB jpeg, 10 MB
type: Still image

https://openvalley.org/items/show/1097
description: A half circular table is placed against the wall. On top of the table is a pile of fruits,pairs, apples and lemons, spilling out of a wooden basket that is sideways. To the left of the basket and behind the fruit is a potted plant that appears to be a cactus. There is a clear reflection in the table of the objects on the table creating a shine to the table. There are visible brush strokes on the canvas which indicates that the painter had impressionist influences. About the Artist: The son of Lithuanian immigrants, Copen grew up in Coney Island, NY and worked in the family business. He showed his art at a 1939 WPA show at Federal Extension Gallery, Long Beach, NY with a theme of farms and country life; his watercolor was entitled “Curb Market.” Along with NDG artists Fred Adler and Ben Delman, Copen was chosen for a 1941 exhibit at the USDA’s Surplus Marketing Department, in New York City called “Market Scenes”; his paintings were entitled “Street Scene” and “City Markets.” At his death in 2002, Copen donated 2,700 pieces of African art to Colgate University’s Longyear Museum of Anthropology that he had collected during 1960s-90. 1 more image at FAP.
creator: Copen, Herman, 1908-2002

https://openvalley.org/items/show/1096
description: This landscape illuminates the life of farmers working in Long Island, New York. The painting represents a time period when suburbia begins to emerge, as viewers can see the juxtaposition between the cityscape in the background and the simplicity of the farming. Cheney uses an impressionist style to show the farmers working in the foreground, their cultivated land in the middle and the cityscape in the back. The painter demonstrates his formal training by his use of atmospheric perspective, our view becoming blurrier the farther we look into the distance. Looking more closely, we see brush strokes used to paint in a muddled yet meticulous way. Cheney's style of painting may have been influenced by the impressionist movement in Europe. About the Artist: Born in Brookline, MA, Cheney attended Harvard University, where he trained with the Harvard ROTC. During 1918-19 he enlisted as a pilot specializing in aerial navigation, a background that seems to have influenced his art’s sometimes creative vantage points. Most of Cheney’s work was in lithography, often of western landscapes. He exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, City Art Museum of St. Louis, National Academy of Design, Los Angeles Museum, Paris Salon, and the Society of Independent Artists. In 1940 his lithograph “Winter Afternoon” was chosen to represent Vermont in the traveling exhibit “Contemporary Art of the United States,” which included contributions by artists Grant Wood, Georgia O’Keefe and N. C. Wyeth. 10 works at the National Gallery of Art. 7 works at Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. 1 work at Detroit Institute of Arts. 1 work at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. 2 more images at FAP
creator: Cheney, Philip Loring, 1897-1992
source: New Deal Gallery, Genesee Valley Council on the Arts Object #FA18131
date: 1937
contributor: Abigail Ritz (photography) Elana Evenden (biography) Ken Cooper (biography)
format: jpeg, 898 KB jpeg, 10.8 MB

https://openvalley.org/items/show/1095
description: A table supports a toppled paper bag of fruit, strewn directly on the table or on a white cloth. In the background is an empty vase. The wooden furniture is so shiny that fruit reflects off of its surfaces The light source is unclear, but a curtain in the background suggests there is probably a window which could be partially unshaded, thus providing the scene with light. About The Artist: Born in Frostburg, MD, Abramson (whose first name sometimes is spelled Hirshel) studied at the Maryland Institute of Fine Arts and later in Paris with André L’hote. He painted in a Cumberland, MD studio before moving to New York City in 1931 where he showed at the Ainslee Galleries. A critic for the New York Times admired his work for incorporating “the best qualities of the L’hote Academy—architectonic composition and integrated color—into really fine canvases. His still-lifes, too, with the shimmering tones of cloth and fruit woven with contrapuntal into rich color fugues, justify the discipline of cubism” (New York Times 19 June 1932: 25). 7 more images at FAP
creator: Abramson, Hershel, d. 1969

https://openvalley.org/items/show/1093
description: The painting captures the open fields of Wallkill on a spring day. Abernathy’s thick brush strokes depict a tree on the left side of the midground with mountains in the background. Beyond the tree is a tan field, its color suggesting a recent harvest, separated from green fields by wooden fencing. The shadow the tree casts suggests there is sun, but with the multitude of clouds, the day could be partly sunny. About The Artist: Born in Summerville, AR, Abernathy studied at the Art Academy in Cincinnati and later in Europe. She supported herself by teaching art and elocution at Belmont College (TN), Stanford Female College (KY), Columbia Female Institute (TN), the University of Arkansas, and the Florida Female College. At this last institution, when a fire broke out Abernathy guided her students to safety rather than saving her own art and equipment; the Florida legislature passed a special bill to help compensate her loss (The Weekly True Democrat 29 Sept 1905: 1). She studied art for a period in Paris, and her painting “Reverie” was shown at the 1902 Salon des artistes français, described by one reporter as “the full-length figure of a girl seated, with a background of dull blues and yellows. A springtime freshness pervades the picture” (San Francisco Chronicle 26 Oct. 1902: 6). Her works were exhibited at the Academy of Fine Art, Philadelphia, and the National Academy of Design. Two more digital images from FAP
creator: Abernathy, Inez, 1873-1956