Mary Wolf Wilkinson Streep (July 30, 1915 – September 29, 2001) was an American
fine-artist and
art editor. Her daughter is actress
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...
.
Life and career
Born Mary Wolf Wilkinson in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
,
New York, the daughter of Mary Agnes (née Wolf; 1886-1976) and Harry Rockefellow Wilkinson. She grew up in
Madison, New Jersey
Madison is a borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 16,937.
Located along the Morris & Essex Lines, it is noted for Madison's historic railroad station becoming on ...
, graduating from
Madison High School Madison High School may refer to:
* Madison County High School (Alabama), Gurley, Alabama
* Madison High School (Idaho), Rexburg, Idaho
* Madison Consolidated High School, Madison, Indiana
* Madison High School (Kansas), Madison, Kansas
* Kentuc ...
, she then studied
fine art
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...
at the
Art Students League
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 ...
in New York.
Streep trained as a fine artist and became the art-editor for
Home Furnishings Magazine and also did commercial artwork on a freelance basis. Mary had an art studio in the back of her home. She married pharmaceutical company executive Harry Wilbur Streep Jr. (1909-2003) They had a daughter,
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep, and two sons, Dana Streep and Harry Wilbur Streep III (husband of actress
Maeve Kinkead). She is also the grandmother of Streep's children, musician
Henry Wolfe, actresses
Mamie Gummer
Mary Willa "Mamie" Gummer (born August 3, 1983) is an American actress. She starred in the title role of The CW series ''Emily Owens, M.D.'' (2012–2013), and played the recurring role of Nancy Crozier on '' The Good Wife'' (2010–2015) and its ...
and
Grace Gummer
Grace Jane Gummer (born May 9, 1986) is an American actress. She received a Theatre World Award for her Broadway debut in the 2011 revival of '' Arcadia''. Her television work includes recurring roles in '' The Newsroom'' and '' American Horror ...
, and model
Louisa Gummer. Her son-in-law,
Don Gummer
Don Gummer (born December 12, 1946) is an American sculptor. His early work concentrated on table-top and wall-mounted sculpture. In the mid-1980s, he shifted his focus to large free-standing works, often in bronze. In the 1990s, he added a var ...
, is also an artist, a sculptor.
Her daughter Meryl Streep has often stated in interviews that her mother has been the inspiration for some of her characters she has played on the screen. Mary enrolled her daughter in voice lessons at the age of twelve after noticing her daughter's need to perform.
Death
Streep died at
Cornell Medical Center from complications of heart disease after a short illness. Her husband died two years later on July 22, 2003, aged 92. They were residents of
Mason's Island
Mason's Island (Algonquin: ''Chippachaug - meaning: a separated place'') is an inhabited island at the mouth of the Mystic River, in Stonington, Connecticut. The island was named after Major John Mason who was granted the island in recognition ...
,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
.
References
External links
Mary Wilkinson Streepon
Find A Grave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Streep Wilkinson, Mary
1915 births
2001 deaths
Art Students League of New York alumni
American magazine editors
20th-century American painters
20th-century American printmakers
20th-century American women artists
American women painters
American women printmakers
Artists from Brooklyn
Painters from New Jersey
Painters from New York City
People from Madison, New Jersey
Women magazine editors
Madison High School (New Jersey) alumni
Meryl Streep