Dorothy Laverne Meredith (1906 – 1986)[1] was an American artist and educator. She was known for her fiber art and abstract watercolor paintings.

Dorothy Meredith
Born
Dorothy Laverne Meredith

(1906-11-17)November 17, 1906
DiedJuly 6, 1986(1986-07-06) (aged 79)
Washington County, Wisconsin, US
Alma materLayton School of Art, Wisconsin State College of Milwaukee, Cranbrook Academy of Art
Known forFiber art

Early life and education

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Dorothy Laverne Meredith was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on November 17, 1906, to Ida Simmerling and William Meredith.[2][3] Her mother was also an artist.[4] She attended Layton School of Art, and graduated in 1927, followed by Milwaukee State Teachers College (now known as Wisconsin State College of Milwaukee) and graduated in 1933 with a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.).[1] Additionally she got a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art, where she studied with Maija Grotell.[1][5] Meredith was active in the New Deal Federal Art Project in Wisconsin.[6]

Career

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Her early teaching roles included the Winnebago Day School in Menasha, Lincoln School in Highland Park, and Peckham Junior High School in Milwaukee.[1][7] For many years she was an art professor specializing in fiber arts and textiles at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.[8] In summers she taught at Ox Bow School of Art and Artists Residency in Saugatuck, Michigan.[1] She later was a professor emeritus at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.[1]

In 1965, Meredith traveled to 11 different countries to enhance the courses she taught, including travels to India, Pakistan, Japan.[8] She sought to learn traditional textile techniques in each international region, and she had travelled to rural locations to do so.[8]

She was the secretary and president of the Wisconsin Designer Craftsmen's organization (now known as the Wisconsin Designer Crafts Council).[1] Meredith was one of the founding members of the Wisconsin Watercolor Society.[9] She also was a member of the Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors, and Midwest Designer Craftsmen.[8]

In 1960, Meredith was elected a life fellow of the International Institute of Arts and Letters.[8] In 1975, Meredith was an American Craft Council (ACC) fellow.[10]

Meredith died on July 6, 1986, in Washington County, Wisconsin.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Dorothy Laverne Meredith". MOWA Online Archive, Museum of Wisconsin Art. 2002. Archived from the original on 2016-08-19. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  2. ^ "Dorothy Meredith - Biography". Askart.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  3. ^ "Dorothy Laverne Meredith in the Wisconsin, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1801-1928". Ancestry.com. State of Wisconsin. 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-02-14. FHL Film Number: 1305132
  4. ^ "Wisconsin Artists; Society of Milwaukee Artists Surnames starting with M-O - Milwaukee County Wisconsin". Linkstothepast.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-22. Retrieved 2021-02-06. Meredith, Mrs.William, 1935, 1936: Meredith, Wm (Ida)
  5. ^ "Milwaukee Art Museum Magazine 2020 Feb–May". Issuu. Milwaukee Art Museum. February 2020. p. 14. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  6. ^ "Archival Resources in Wisconsin: Descriptive Finding Aids: Additional Descriptive Information". Archival Resources in Wisconsin: Descriptive Finding Aids. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  7. ^ "Appoint Teacher To Fill Vacancy At Day School". Newspapers.com. Appleton The Post-Crescent. 12 February 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Program on Fabrics for Women's Club". Newspapers.com. Wausau Daily Herald. 7 October 1966. p. 8. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  9. ^ "Celebrating the Beauty of Watercolors, New Visions To Feature State Exhibition". Newspapers.com. Marshfield News-Herald. 3 October 1986. p. 18. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  10. ^ "College of Fellows". American Craft Council. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  11. ^ "Dorothy Meredith in the Wisconsin, U.S., Death Index, 1959-1997". Ancestry.com. Wisconsin Department of Health, State of Wisconsin. Archived from the original on 2020-09-21. Certificate: 016053