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Meta Cressey
(1882-1964)
Meta Louise Gehring was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 3, 1882, the daughter of Charles E. Gehring and Anna B. (Lang) Gehring. Raised in Cleveland, she graduated from West High School in 1900 and then attended the Cleveland School of Art. In 1911 she moved to New York and enrolled in the National Academy School and received instruction under the artists William Merritt Chase, Frank Dumond, and Robert Henri. It was during her studies in the studio of Henri that she met fellow student Herbert C. Cressey. In 1912, she and Cresset were among a group of student who traveled with Henri to Europe for a period of study. While in Europe, the couple became engaged, and upon their return to the United States, they were married on May 19, 1913, in Lakewood, Ohio.
Soon after their marriage, the couple moved to Herbert's family's ranch in Southern California. The ranch, located in Compton, became their home and the site of their first joint art studio. Frequently appearing together in exhibitions throughout California, they are first mentioned as exhibitors at the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in San Diego. It was also in 1915 that Meta began her association with the California Art Club, exhibiting with the group in the years 1915-1918, 1926-1928 and 1930-1931. In 1916, she, along with her husband and eleven other area artists, became founding members of the Los Angeles Modern Art Society, established to promote and convey the growing enthusiasm for modern art ideas in Los Angeles. The group's inaugural exhibition was held that same year at the Brack Shops in the Bronson building at 7th and Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles.
In 1920, the Cresseys moved to the Hollywood section of Los Angeles on a ten-acre parcel with lavish and colorful gardens that became the setting for many of Meta's paintings. She continued to exhibit her work throughout the 1920s and the early 1930s. Sadly, the house was sold, and with the loss of her home and beloved gardens, she ceased painting around 1936.
Meta Gehring Cressey passed away on May 4, 1964, in Los Angeles, California, and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California.
Member: The California Art Club; Los Angeles Modern Art Society (co-founder).
Exhibited: The California Art Club, 1915; Women's Club of Hollywood, 1927; Oakland Art Gallery, California, 1927; Artists Fiesta, Los Angeles, 1931; and various other gallery exhibitions in the Los Angeles area.
Works Held: The Irvine Museum, California.
Source:
Hughes, Edan M. "Artists In California 1786-1940." 3rd ed. Vol. 1. Sacramento: Crocker, Art Museum, 2002. N. pag. 2 vols. Print.
St. Gaudens, Maurine. "Emerging from the Shadows: A Survey of Women Artists Working in California, 1860-1960." Vol. 1. 2015.
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