Helen Kiner McCarthy (1884–1927), was an American painter. She was an original member of the

Philadelphia Ten The Philadelphia Ten, also known as The Ten, was a group of American female artists who exhibited together from 1917 to 1945. The group, eventually numbering 30 painters and sculptors, exhibited annually in Philadelphia and later had traveling exh ...

Helen Kiner McCarthy 101 Portrait Red and White

Biography

McCarthy was born in 1884 in Poland, Ohio. In 1904, she began her studies at the Philadelphia School of Design, studying under

Elliott Daingerfield Elliott Daingerfield (1859–1932) was an American artist who lived and worked in North Carolina. He is considered one of North Carolina's most prolific artists.Johnson, Lucille Miller (1992). ''Hometown Heritage, Volume II'', p 2-3. Taylor Publi ...

, and

Henry B. Snell Henry Bayley Snell (September 29, 1858 – January 17, 1943) was an American Impressionist painter and educator. Snell's paintings are in museum collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Albright–Knox Art Galle ...

. She graduated in 1909. After graduation, she shared a Philadelphia studio with

Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton (March 25, 1889 – July 26, 1971) was an American artist, author, educator, ethnographer, and curator. She is one of the principal founders of the Museum of Northern Arizona. She was a member of the Philade ...

for several years and then with

Edith Lucile Howard Edith Lucile Howard (1885–1959) was an American landscape artist. She was born in Bellow Falls, Vermont, and died of cancer in Moorestown, New Jersey, in 1959. Philadelphia Ten Edith Howard was a founder and member of the Philadelphia Ten. ...

. From 1910 through 1926, McCarthy exhibited her work at the

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.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 mil ...

, the Plastic Club, and the

National Association of Women Artists The National Association of Women Artists, Inc. (NAWA) is a United States organization, founded in 1889 to gain recognition for professional women fine artists in an era when that field was strongly male-oriented. It sponsors exhibitions, awards ...

. In 1917, she participated in the first exhibition of the Philadelphia Ten at the

Art Club of Philadelphia The Art Club of Philadelphia, often called the Philadelphia Art Club, was a club in Philadelphia, founded on February 7, 1887, to advance the arts.

. McCarthy was a member of several art groups that focused on promoting women's art; the Plastic Club, and the National Association of Women Artists and its predecessor the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors. She was also a member of the International Society of Arts and Letters and the New York Society of Painters. McCarthy died in 1927.

Legacy

In 1930, National Academy of Design began awarding "Helen K. McCArthy Memorial Prize" for best landscape by a woman artist, forty years old or younger. The first award went to Janet Reid Kellogg.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCarthy, Helen Kiner 1884 births 1927 deaths 20th-century American women artists Philadelphia School of Design for Women alumni