Alexander Raoul Stavenitz (31 May 1901 – 11 February 1960) was a Russian Empire-born American visual artist and educator. He was known for his paintings, and printmaking. He also worked as an industrial designer and architectural designer in his early career.

Early life and education

Alexander Raoul Stavenitz was born on 31 May 1901, in Kiev, Russian Empire (now Ukraine). He attended Central High School (now Central Visual and Performing Arts High School) in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.. Stavenitz received a

B.Arch. The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) is a bachelor's degree designed to satisfy the academic requirement of practising architecture around the world. Australia Architectural education in Australia varies depending on the university offering th ...

degree in 1925 from the

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

. In 1927, he studied at the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

; followed by study at the

Art Students League of New York The Art Students League of New York is an art school at 215 West 57th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may stu ...

from 1928 until 1931.

Career

Stavenitz moved to New York City around 1925, and began working as architectural and industrial designer. During this time period he is associated with George Cooper Rudolph. In 1931, Stavenitz was awarded a

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...

. He was a member of the American Artists’ Congress, a

Marxist Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...

organization for writers and artists in New York City. He taught at

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York. It has a satellite campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The school was ...

between 1945 and 1947. In 1949, Stavenitz was appointed

associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. Overview In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...

of art at

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...

. He also worked as an art instructor at MoMA’s People’s Art Center. He died at his home in Norwalk, Connecticut on 11 February 1960. Stavenitz's work is in museum collections, including the

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds o ...

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...

Philadelphia Museum of Art The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMoA) is an art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at the northwest end of the Benjamin Fr ...

Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–1942), ...

Davison Art Center Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...

, and

Yale University Art Gallery The Yale University Art Gallery (YUAG) is the oldest university art museum in the Western Hemisphere. It houses a major encyclopedic collection of art in several interconnected buildings on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. ...

Exhibitions

* 1930, "Living American Etchers",

National Arts Club The National Arts Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and members club on Gramercy Park, Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1898 by Charles DeKay, an art and literary critic of the ''New York Times'' to "stimulate, foster, and promote public ...

, New York City, New York * 1930, Brooklyn Society of Etchers, Brooklyn, New York City, New York * 1930,

Chicago Society of Etchers Chicago Society of Etchers was founded in January 1910, the first organization of etchers in the country. There were 20 members to start and by 1930 there were 150 members. Membership extended outside of the United States, including artists from En ...

, Chicago, Illinois * 1930, Philadelphia Society of Etchers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania * 1931, Brooklyn Society of Etchers, Brooklyn, New York City, New York * 1931, Chicago Society of Etchers, Chicago, Illinois * 1931, Philadelphia Society of Etchers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania * 1931, International Print Exhibition, Pasadena, California * 1931, International Print Exhibition, Cleveland, Ohio * 1931,

, New York City, New York * 1931, "Fifty Prints of the Year",

American Institute of Graphic Arts The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) is a professional organization for design. Its members practice all forms of communication design, including graphic design, typography, interaction design, user experience, branding and identity. T ...

, New York City, New York * 1941, "Twenty Lithographs: Graphic Art Processes",

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

(MoMA), New York City, New York

References

External links

* Image
Alexander Stavenitz and Barbara Burrage with their cat
from Archives of American Art {{DEFAULTSORT:Stavenitz, Alexander 1901 births 1960 deaths Artists from Kyiv Artists from New York City Artists from St. Louis Art Students League of New York alumni Washington University in St. Louis alumni School of the Art Institute of Chicago alumni City College of New York faculty Pratt Institute faculty American Marxists Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States