Susan (Susie) deRenne Coerr (1939-2007) was an American artist, educator and co-founder of the Northern California Chapter of the
Women's Caucus for Art.
Early life
Coerr (pronounced "core") was born December 9, 1939, in
New York City to Wymberly, a diplomat, and Janet (nee Stanton Hill), a native of
Cuernavaca, Mexico. Her father's work took them to Uruguay and Ecuador in the 1960s, and as a result, Coerr spent much of her youth abroad, graduating from
George School, a Pennsylvania boarding school, in 1958 at age 19.
Throughout her life, she preferred to go by "Susie", but used her middle name, deRenne, in professional contexts and in publications.
Education
After finishing her secondary education, Coerr graduated in 1962 with a B.A. in fine art from
Carlton College
Carleton College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. Founded in 1866, it had 2,105 undergraduate students and 269 faculty members in fall 2016. The 200-acre main campus is between Northfield and the 800-acre Cowling ...
, a small, private liberal arts school in Minnesota. In 1966, she completed her M.A. with a concentration in print making at the
University of Maryland. In 1968, she received her Standard Teaching Credential from
San Francisco State College
San Francisco State University (commonly referred to as San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a public research university in San Francisco. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers 118 different b ...
.
Career
Beginning in 1964, Coerr taught art and printmaking in Maryland and at
Clarion State College
Pennsylvania Western University, Clarion, also known as PennWest Clarion, is a public university campus in Clarion, Pennsylvania. Part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), the institution was founded in 1867 and offers ...
in Pennsylvania.
After moving to
San Francisco, in the early 1970s, she worked for 10 years as a registrar at the
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the largest public arts institution in the city. During this time she continued teaching and, in 1973, co-founded that Northern California Chapter of the
Women's Caucus for Art, serving as the national organization's fifth president from 1980-1982.
In 1984, Coerr became a member of the American Society of Indexers, and founded a indexing business that specialized in books about architecture, design, media, popular culture, museums, history, education, Latin America and women's studies. She remained an active member of the Society until her death, writing and teaching seminars about indexing and editing.
Her archive is held at the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the
National Museum of Women in the Arts
The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), located in Washington, D.C., is "the first museum in the world solely dedicated" to championing women through the arts. NMWA was incorporated in 1981 by Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay. Since openin ...
, and contains correspondence, clippings, photographs and printed matter.
References
Citations
Bibliography
# Coerr, S. D. R. (1966). ''Thesis exhibition: printmaking, etching and lithography'' (dissertation).
# History of Graphic Arts Workshop: oral history interviews. (1987). https://umaryland.on.worldcat.org/oclc/78132581
# Kenney, E.R. (1973-1988). ''Graphic Arts Workshop artists portraits.'' https://umaryland.on.worldcat.org/oclc/68803177
# Moe, L., ed. (1975). ''Female artists, past and present: International Women's Year 1975 supplement.'' Berkeley, California: Women's History Research Center.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coerr, Susan DeRenne
1939 births
2007 deaths
20th-century American printmakers