''For the American sprinter, see

Mary Washburn Mary T. Washburn (August 4, 1907 - February 2, 1994) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the sprints. She attended DePauw University, graduating in 1928. She also graduated from NYU in 1929. She competed for the United States in t ...

.'' Mary S. Washburn (1868 – October 1932) was an American sculptor. Deaf from age sixteen, Washburn 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 ...

and built a successful career creating sculptures and medallions. Her most significant work is a 1909 bust of Charles Burlingame Waite, located at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Early life and education

Mary Washburn was born in

Star City, Indiana Star City is a census-designated place (CDP) in Van Buren Township, Pulaski County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 344 at the 2010 census. History Star City was originally called Scarboro, and under the latter name was laid o ...

, in 1868, and grew up in

Rensselaer, Indiana Rensselaer is a city located along the Iroquois River in Marion Township, Jasper County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,859 at the 2010 census, up from 5,294 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Jasper County. Saint ...

. She was deafened after a bout of

scarlet fever Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects childr ...

at age sixteen. Washburn returned to her public high school and graduated with her class. She attended Butler College in Indianapolis through her sophomore year in 1889. She struggled to adjust to college life and communicate with teachers and other students; she took lessons in lipreading and learned to use her residual hearing to the best of her ability.

Art education and career

Washburn took courses in drawing and commercial art in Cincinnati, then moved to Chicago. After traveling to Europe to study artistic classics, she began attending the

. At the Art Institute, she studied under Lorado Taft and

Charles Mulligan Charles J. Mulligan (September 28, 1866 – March 25, 1916) was an American sculptor. Born in Riverdale, County Tyrone, Ireland, Mulligan immigrated to America at the age of 17 and found work as a stone cutter in Pullman, Illinois, near C ...

. She spent many evenings practicing anatomy drawings in the library and sketching skeletons and musculature models in the art studios. Her first commissioned work was a sculpture of Union Civil War general

Robert H. Milroy Robert Huston Milroy (June 11, 1816 – March 29, 1890) was a lawyer, judge, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War, most noted for his defeat at the Second Battle of Winchester in 1863. Early life Milroy was born on a farm near ...

in her hometown of Rensselaer; the statue stands at the former site of his homestead. Many exhibits followed at the Art Institute and at exhibitions in Chicago, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, and other cities. Washburn decided to resign from taking commercial art orders so she could focus on sculpture. Washburn created the Waite Memorial for Charles Burlingame Waite and

Catharine Van Valkenburg Waite Catharine Van Valkenburg Waite (30 January 1829, Dumfries, Ontario, Canada – 9 November 1913, Chicago, Illinois) was a United States author, lawyer, businesswoman, and women's suffrage activist. Biography Born in Canada, Van Valkenburg ...

after his death in 1909. Located at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C., the memorial features a bronze bust of Charles and a circular bronze relief portrait of Catharine. During a third visit to Paris, Washburn studied under master sculptor Edwin Sawyer, learning to sculpt medals and medallions. One of her sketches was accepted at the Old Salon of Paris in 1913, and she exhibited her works at the Paris Allied Artists Association. At the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition, Washburn received an award. She also exhibited at the Oakland Art Gallery in 1927. Her artwork can be found in multiple institutions across the United States, including the Carnegie Institute. She died in October 1932.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Washburn, Mary S. 1868 births 1932 deaths 20th-century American women sculptors 20th-century American sculptors Deaf artists American deaf people American artists with disabilities