Georgia+O'Keefe

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Biography Georgia O’Keeffe

Georgia O’Keeffe was born on November 15, 1887 in a farmhouse near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Her parents were dairy farmers and she was one of seven children.

O’Keeffe’s mother was an educated woman and she wanted her daughters to be also. She encouraged them to take art class and when Georgia showed promise in that area, her parents wanted her to enroll in art school. She enrolled in the School of the Art in Chicago in 1905. Two years later, Georgia attended the Arts School League. She won a prize there for some of her work, which gave her the opportunity to study at yet another art school.

Tired of painting, Georgia quit what she loved. From 1908-1911, she did not paint at all. She lived in Chicago and Texas during these years and was eventually inspired to paint again in 1912. In 1916, a friend of Georgia’s showed her drawings to Alfred Stieglitz. He owned a gallery and was a critic. He decided to show Georgia’s work, but she didn’t know about it. When she found out, she went to talk to him. They reached an agreement and Georgia said that he could show her work. She achieved much success through his gallery and later became his wife.

Georgia O’Keeffe became a well-known American artist. In 1928, six of her paintings were sold for $28,000. No living American artist had ever made that much! This brought a lot of attention to her and her work. Around this same time, Georgia felt the need to travel. She thought that she needed inspiration for her work. She spent time in New York and New Mexico.

In 1946, her husband died. This left her with the responsibilities of managing her own career. Her reputation continued to grow. She bought a house and moved to New Mexico. She spent the remainder of her life there continuing to paint. In 1971, she began to lose her eyesight, but still continued with the arts through pottery. President Ford awarded her the Presidential Award of Freedom in 1977.

Georgia O’Keeffe lived a long life and passed away at the age of 98 on March 6, 1986. She left a beautiful legacy in the paintings that she created.