{{Short description|American artist and designer}} {{Infobox artist | name = Bertha Schaefer | image = Craftsman's World Bertha Schaefer-134.jpg | imagesize = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth year|1895}} | birth_place = Yazoo City, Mississippi, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1971|5|24|1895|mf=y}} | death_place = New York City, U.S. | education = Mississippi State College for Women, <br> Parsons School of Design | field = Design | training = | movement = | works = | patrons = | awards = | spouse = | partner = | website = }}
'''Bertha Schaefer''' (1895–1971) was an American designer and gallery director, she was known for her furniture designs, and as an interior designer.
==Biography== Schaefer was born in [[Yazoo City, Mississippi]] in 1895. Her father Emil Schaefer was a refugee from Germany and worked as a board of trustees for a public school.<ref name="Archive-2011">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/interviews/oral-history-interview-bertha-schaefer-11791|title=Oral history interview with Bertha Schaefer, 1970 April 20–22|last=|first=|date=|website=www.aaa.si.edu|publisher=Archive of American Art|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628212935/http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/interviews/oral-history-interview-bertha-schaefer-11791 |archive-date=2011-06-28 |access-date=2020-03-16}}</ref> She attended [[Mississippi State College for Women]] and [[Parsons School of Design]].<ref name="Jewish Women's Archive">{{cite web |last1=Tuchman |first1=Miriam |title=Bertha Schaefer |url=https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/schaefer-bertha |website=Jewish Women's Archive |accessdate=10 March 2020}}</ref> She briefly traveled to Paris after graduation from school and after she returned to New York City to work with interior designer Helen Criss for a few months.<ref name="Archive-2011" /> Schaefer died in [[New York City]] on May 24, 1971.<ref name="NYT">{{cite web|date=26 May 1971|title=Bertha Schaefer, an Art Dealer And Interior Designer, 76, Dies|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/05/26/archives/ertha-schaefer-an-art-dealr-4nd-interior-designer-76-dies.html|accessdate=14 March 2020|website=The New York Times}}</ref> Her paper are in the [[Archives of American Art]] at the [[Smithsonian Institution]].<ref name="Archives of American Art">{{cite web|title=A Finding Aid to the Bertha Schaefer papers and gallery records, 1909–1975, bulk, 1940–1965|url=https://sova.si.edu//record/AAA.schabert|accessdate=14 March 2020|website=Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution|language=en}}</ref> The [[Sheldon Museum of Art]] was the recipient of paintings, prints, sculpture, and ceramics from her estate.<ref name="Sheldon Museum of Art">{{cite web|title=Selections from the Bertha Schaefer Collection|url=https://sheldonartmuseum.org/exhibitions/selections-from-the-bertha-schaefer-collection|accessdate=14 March 2020|website=Sheldon Museum of Art}}</ref>
== Design == In 1924 Schaefer founded ''Bertha Schaefer Interiors''. Her company designed [[Bauhaus]]-inspired furniture and interiors for both residences and businesses.<ref name="Mid-Century Modern Finds">{{cite web|title=Designer Spotlight: Bertha Schaefer|url=https://www.midcenturymodernfinds.com/blog/2016/10/24/designer-spotlight-bertha-schaefer|accessdate=14 March 2020|website=Mid-Century Modern Finds|date=24 October 2016 }}</ref> In 1952 Schaefer's work was included in [[MoMA]]'s exhibition ''Good Design''.<ref name="MoMA">{{cite web|title=Good Design – Master Checklist|url=https://www.moma.org/documents/moma_master-checklist_325862.pdf|accessdate=14 March 2020|website=Museum of Modern Art}}</ref> The same year she won a design award from MoMA.<ref name="Jewish Women's Archive" /> From 1950 through 1961 Schaefer designed furniture for M. Singer and Sons Furniture Company.<ref name="Archives of American Art" /> Schaefer was a member of the Decorators Club of New York, serving two terms as president and, in 1959, receiving their design award.<ref name="Jewish Women's Archive" />
== Gallery == In 1944 Schaefer founded the Bertha Schaefer Gallery of Contemporary Art in New York City, which exhibited contemporary American and European painting and sculpture.<ref name="Archives Directory">{{cite web|title=Schaefer, Bertha, 1895–1971|url=https://research.frick.org/directory/detail/495|accessdate=14 March 2020|website=Archives Directory for the History of Collecting|language=en}}</ref> The gallery represented [[Will Barnet]], [[William Clutz]], [[Robert Cronbach]], [[Elisabeth Frink]], [[Terry Frost]], [[Patrick Heron]], [[Morris Kantor]], Joseph Konzal, [[Charles Green Shaw]], Raymond Rocklin, [[Joop Sanders]], John von Wicht,<ref>{{Cite journal|date=1964|editor-last=Mellow|editor-first=James R.|title=New York: The Art World|journal=Arts Yearbook|publisher=The Art Digest, Inc.|publication-place=New York, NY|volume=7|pages=111}}</ref> and [[Irwin Rubin]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Chaet|first=Bernard|title=Artists At Work|publisher=Webb Books|year=1960|isbn=|location=Cambridge, MA|pages=72}}</ref> They also exhibited works by Eric Beynon, [[Manuel Felguérez|Manuel Felguerez]], Zvi Gali, [[María Luisa Pacheco]], [[Mimmo Rotella]], [[Eusebio Sempere]],<ref name="Preston-1960">{{Cite news|last=Preston|first=Stuart|date=September 17, 1960|title=Art: Opening Salvos|page=47|work=The New York Times|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1960/09/17/99804325.html?zoom=14.36}}</ref> [[Glen Michaels]],<ref name="Canaday-1962">{{Cite news|last=Canaday|first=John|date=January 7, 1962|title=Sculpture Coming Up|page=131|work=The New York Times|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1962/01/07/96033093.html?zoom=14.25}}</ref> Sheldon Machlin, and [[Karin Van Leyden]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=December 1, 1963|title=Gallery Shows, Museum Exhibits|page=214|work=The New York Times|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1963/12/01/105228470.html?zoom=14.02}}</ref> In the early 1960s, the gallery presented group exhibitions that focused on young,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=E.|first=N.|date=October 1960|title=Six Techniques: Six Nationalities|journal=Art News|volume=59|issue=6}}</ref> international<ref name="Preston-1960" /> artists working with hybrid forms between painting and sculpture,<ref name="Canaday-1962" /> such as "Six Techniques: Six Nationalities" (September–October 1960),<ref name="Preston-1960" /> and "The Wall" (January 1962).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Adams|first=Alice|date=March 1, 1962|title=The Wall|url=https://digital.craftcouncil.org/digital/collection/p15785coll2/id/2943/rec/99|journal=[[Craft Horizons]] |volume=22|issue=2|pages=41|via=craftcouncil.org/digital/}}</ref> Examples include “Relieve Luminoso Movil," electrically illuminated, plastic reliefs by Spanish artist, [[Eusebio Sempere]], as well as carved, colorfully painted wood constructions by New York based [[Irwin Rubin]].<ref>{{Cite journal|date=September 1960|editor-last=Gueft|editor-first=Olga|title=For Your Information: Art and Trade Shows Worthy of Note|journal=Interiors|publisher=Charles E Whitney|volume=CXX|issue=2|pages=20}}</ref>
In 1972, following Schaefer's death, the gallery was renamed the New Bertha Schaefer Gallery.<ref name="Archives Directory" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.artnet.com/artists/bertha-schaefer/ images of Schaefer's work] on Artnet.com *[https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Bertha-Schaefer/17F575F042194477 images of Schaefer's work] on MutualArt *[https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/interviews/oral-history-interview-bertha-schaefer-11791 Oral history interview with Bertha Schaefer, 1970 April 20–22], in the [[Archives of American Art]], Smithsonian Institution *[https://sova.si.edu//record/AAA.schabert A Finding Aid to the Bertha Schaefer Papers and Gallery Records, 1909–1975, bulk 1940–1965], in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution *[https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/schaefer-bertha Bertha Schaefer entry] from the Encyclopedia of Jewish Women
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Schaefer, Bertha}} [[Category:1895 births]] [[Category:1971 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century American women artists]] [[Category:People from Yazoo City, Mississippi]] [[Category:Artists from Mississippi]] [[Category:Parsons School of Design alumni]]