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By the Roadside
Barbara Goodspeed
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CLWAC History
The Club is named for Catharine Lorillard Wolfe (1828-1887), an American philanthropist, collector and scholar and the only woman represented among the 106 founding members of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. For many years she assisted her father, David Wolfe, with his charitable and educational enterprises. When she was middle-aged, she inherited a fortune from her father as well as millions through her mother's family, the Lorillards. After her father's death, she continued his philanthropic work. At her death in 1887, she left her painting collection, with an endowment for its maintenance, to The Metropolitan Museum. This was the beginning of the museum's European Painting Collection. |
Rocks
Holly Meeker Rom
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Ms. Wolfe also willed money to Grace Church in New York City, to promote "women's work." In 1896, a club was established whose aims were to aid, counsel and provide meeting and exhibition space for young women art students, who were often alone and in need. In 1925, when the fund had become exhausted and the students advanced to professionalism, the club was reorganized. Membership was restricted to residents of New York, and exhibitions were open to members only. In 1954, membership and exhibition opportunities were extended to all professional women artists, regardless of residence. Throughout the Club's existence, the beautiful Grace Church, one of New York City's historic landmarks, has continued to provide to the Club its regular meeting place and permanent mailing address. |
Birdhouses for Sale
Olive Reich
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Today's members number over 300 full members and nearly 300 associate members. Their media include oil, watercolor, pastel, graphics and sculpture, and they reside in 34 states and one foreign country. They are represented in museums, prestigious art collections and the Who's Who series in American Art. Numerous members have had articles written about them in American Artist magazine, The Artist's Magazine, and other important art publications. |
Cadmium Autumn
Eleni Traganas
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In keeping with the philanthropic spirit of the club's namesake, the Annual Exhibition opens with a Preview Benefit for a travel fund that supports the curators of The Metropolitan Museum as they research art collections across the country. Curators from The Metropolitan serve on the Jury of Awards for the Annual Exhibition, and give talks to exhibitors and their guests at the Preview and at the Awards Dinner.
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More about CLWAC:
General
Membership
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