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Born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania to German immigrant parents, George Luks (1867-1933) was exposed to art at an early age by his mother, who was an amateur painter. Luks briefly studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia in 1884 before leaving the country to travel and study abroad in Berlin, London, and Paris. He did not return to the United States until the early 1890s, and in 1894, he began working as an illustrator for the Philadelphia Press, where he met fellow artists John Sloan, Robert Henri, and William Glackens. In 1896, Luks began working for the New York World in New York City, illustrating news stories as well as comic strips. Read More

Elisha Kent Kane Wetherill (1874-1929) was born into a wealthy and prominent Philadelphian family, descended from one of the founding members of the Free Quakers, a society formed by men expelled from the Quakers due to their involvement in the American Revolution. His father, Samuel Wetherill, was a successful industrialist and chemist who invented a method for producing zinc oxide from zinc ore, thereby drastically reducing costs associated with paint production and facilitating the development of ready-made paint. Read More

Visions of America, an exhibition currently on view at the Everson, explores how artists depict life in the United States, from idyllic scenes of the American landscape to critical studies of the country’s history. Surrounded by works in the exhibition that are bold and saturated with color, Lena Gurr’s Evening at Home provides an intimate commentary on modern living. Gurr’s scene is familiar and domestic, but the tone is heightened by the palpable intrigue of friendly competition. Lena Gurr (1897-1992) was an American painter and printmaker of Russian-Jewish descent. Originally trained as a teacher, Gurr turned her attention to art in 1919, when she began taking classes at Educational Alliance Art School. She studied under John Sloan at the Art Students League in the early 1920s, and for the next several decades split her time between teaching art classes in New York City public schools and advancing her own art career. Read More

Henry Chapman Mercer established Moravian Pottery and Tile Works in 1898 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Mercer originally studied to become a lawyer, but after completing school, chose to dedicate his life to his true interests: archaeology and anthropology. Mercer was an avid collector of artifacts, developing a love for ceramics and pottery tools, and was greatly inspired by the Pennsylvania Germans, also known as the Moravians, from whom he drew the name for his company. Production began at his family estate in 1899 and transferred to the factory in 1912. Mercer designed all of the tiles produced at Moravian Pottery, and subscribed to the tenets of the Arts and Crafts movement, believing that the use of machines to create pottery led to the loss of character and uniqueness. Read More

Edward Kienholz (1927-1994) was an American installation artist, sculptor, and early pioneer of assemblage art. Born in Fairfield, Washington, Kienholz grew up on a wheat farm, where he learned carpentry, metalwork, and mechanics. He studied briefly at Washington College of Education while simultaneously working various odd jobs, but left school before earning a degree, deciding instead to move to Los Angeles in 1953 to launch his career as an artist. In 1956, Kienholz established NOW Gallery, a space for California artists to present their work without discrimination of medium or style. For the next several decades, he created installations and assemblages of found objects that pushed the boundaries of creativity while commenting on everything from racial and gender stereotypes to the hypocrisy of American consumerism. Read More