The sky was unleashing buckets of rain with intermittent salvos of sleet as my husband and I were driving to Milwaukee. It was the perfect day for the mission we were on. We were headed to the Warehouse Art Museum and the exhibit entitled, Rediscovering Ruth Grotenrath: All Things Belong To The Earth. We knew the artwork of this amazing artist could light up even the gloomiest of March days.
Ruth Grotenrath was born in Milwaukee in 1912 and was a leading figure in the Wisconsin art scene for over 50 years. However, the current exhibition is the first comprehensive, solo retrospective of her work. During her lifetime, Ruth’s artwork was frequently displayed but was shown in conjunction with the work of her husband, Schomer Lichtner.
Ruth was introduced to her future husband by their mutual drawing teacher in college. They married the year after her graduation in 1934, the height of the Depression. During those tough times, they were employed by the Works Progress Administration to paint murals in Post Offices across the Midwest.
Over the years, both artists developed unique styles and each worked in separate studios. Schomer’s dominant themes were cows and ballet dancers. Ruth’s art was greatly influenced by the Fauves and their vivid colors. She was especially intrigued by the work of Matisse. After frequent visits to Taliesen and conversations with Frank Lloyd Wright, Ruth became fascinated with the arts of Japan. Both she and her husband spent two months in Japan in the 1960s. That trip provided her with inspiration for the rest of her career.
Ruth Grotenrath died in 1975. She was a pioneer, a woman who succeeded as an artist in a time when men dominated the art world.
Feast your eyes on these exuberant works. Ruth has left a legacy of great beauty and joy.
ME TOO!
Thanks for the art work. Never would have seen her lovely paintings. Do you own any?
Congratulations on the newish car. Hope it’s the same color…RED!
MARILYN
Yes, we do have a painting and a print of Ruth Grotenrath.
The new (used) car is black. We had no choice on the color, but are happy with it.
Hope you are doing well and taking care of California.
Oh, they are wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
evie
These are quite lovely!
We are lucky enough to have two of her artworks. We were in Door County and stopped at Abe Cohen’s Pottery studio. It had closed and the remains of his studio were being sold. The prices for two of Ruth’s pieces were like a fire sale and we bought both of them. We have always thought that it was a tragedy that the Pottery Gallery was not turned into a Museum. In our opinion, it was one of the best art sites in Door County and right next to the Peninsula Art School.