Micaela "Kai" Martinez DuCasse (1913–1989) was an American artist, author, and educator, known for her murals and sculptures. She was the daughter of

Elsie Whitaker Martinez Elsie Whitaker Martinez (1 March 1890 – 31 January 1984) was renowned for her beauty in youth and old age, a muse of many famed writers and artists and an associate of most people in Northern California's Bohemian community of 1906 into the 1 ...

and painter

Xavier Martínez Xavier Timoteo Martínez (February 7, 1869 – January 13, 1943) was a California artist active in the late 19th and early 20th century. He was a well-known bohemian figure in San Francisco, the East Bay, and the Monterey Peninsula and one of ...

. From 1955 to 1978 she taught at the San Francisco College for Women.

Biography

Micaela Martinez was born on August 26, 1913, in San Francisco, California, to

and painter

Xavier Martinez Xavier or Xabier may refer to: Place * Xavier, Spain People * Xavier (surname) * Xavier (given name) * Francis Xavier (1506–1552), Catholic saint ** St. Francis Xavier (disambiguation) * St. Xavier (disambiguation) * Xavier (footballer, born ...

. Although her father was born in Mexico, he never spoke Spanish at home and never taught her. She started drawing at the age of 3, studying with her father. At the age of 7 she expressed wanting to become a religious painter. Neither of her parents were particularly religious but she was sent to attend classes at the Catholic convent. At age 14 she enrolled in classes at California School of Arts and Crafts (now known as the

California College of the Arts California College of the Arts (CCA) is a private art school in San Francisco, California. It was founded in Berkeley, California in 1907 and moved to a historic estate in Oakland, California in 1922. In 1996 it opened a second campus in Sa ...

or CCA) in Oakland. At CCA she studied sculpture with

Ralph Stackpole Ralph Ward Stackpole (May 1, 1885 – December 10, 1973) was an American sculptor, painter, muralist, etcher and art educator, San Francisco's leading artist during the 1920s and 1930s. Stackpole was involved in the art and causes of social realis ...

and showed natural talent. From 1955 to 1978, she was a Lecturer and taught

Liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

Art classes at San Francisco College for Women at Lone Mountain. She also served as a Lecturer at

Holy Names University Holy Names University is a private Roman Catholic university in Oakland, California. It was founded by and remains affiliated with the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. It was founded in 1868 and plans to close in 2023. History The ...

(previously College of the Holy Names) in Oakland. She had been active in the Regional Oral History Office at the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Death

Micaela died May 5, 1989, in Oakland, California at the age of 75. She is survived by two daughters and three grandchildren. Funeral services were held at the Carmelite Monastery in Carmel. She was buried at St. Andrew's Priory at the Benedictine Monastery at Valyermo, in the Mojave Desert.

Personal life

In 1944, she married artist Ralph DuCasse (1916–2003); however the marriage ended in divorce. Together they had two daughters, with their daughter Jeanne McCreary becoming an artist. She lived in her childhood home at 324 Scenic Avenue in

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, California until her death, and this was also where she maintained her art studio.

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:DuCasse, Micaela Martinez 1913 births 1989 deaths People from Piedmont, California Artists from the San Francisco Bay Area California College of the Arts alumni Holy Names University