Skirting the Issue

Stories of Indiana’s Historical Women Artists

Judith Vale Newton & Carol Ann Weiss

Published By

Indiana Historical Society Press

*Winner Non-Fiction “Best Books of Indiana 2005”

*Winner “2005 Benjamin Franklin Award” in category of Arts

*Finalist Foreword Magazine’s “Best Book of the Year”

*Finalist Non-Fiction 2005 Great Lakes Book Award

According to the ethos of the late 1800s and early 1900s, a woman’s destiny was to be a wife, mother, and guardian of the virtues of hearth and home. Some women wanted more, however, and despite cultural expectations, chose to explore their creativity and seek training in art. Often, at considerable social cost, these women exchanged washboards, ovens, and mending baskets for the challenges of a piece of canvas or block of stone.

In Skirting the Issue, authors Judith Vale Newton and Carol Ann Weiss present dozens of women from Indiana who chose this route. The authors include a biographical dictionary detailing the lives of 100 of the state’s historical women artists, and single out nearly 40 artists for further examination in detailed essays. They describe the challenges, the sacrifices, and the varying degrees of success they met. While this first-of-a-kind book focuses on Indiana women in specifically, its stories offer excellent insights into the culture and values of the greater Midwest—and the nation at large—in the decades before and after the turn of the 20^th century.

400 pp • © 2004 • cloth •200+ full color illustrations • b&w photographs • ISBN: 0-87195-177-0

Skirting the Issue Bookmark

Ruth Pratt Bobbs. The Spanish Shawl. 1911.

Oil on Canvas. 52 X 34 In.

Swope Art Museum

Skirting the Issue Magnet

Rectangular 2 X 3 magnet featuring an image from the collection.

Constance Coleman Richardson. Streetlight. 1930.

Oil on Canvas. 28 X 36 In.

Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Gift of James W. Fesler

Skirting the Issue Boxed Mini Magnet

Boxed mini magnet puzzle includes 8 2 ¾ X 3 ¾ inch pieces that make up an image from the collection. Magnet comes packaged in a clear acrylic pinch lockbox for easy storage.

Mug Image

Leota Williams Loop. Autumn’s Offering. CA.1935

Oil on Canvas. 40X40 In.

Robert L. & Ellen E. Haan

Skirting the Issue Mug

Mug Image

Leota Williams Loop. Autumn’s Offering.

CA. 1935. Oil on Canvas. 40X40 IN

Robert L. and Ellen E. Haan

Skirting the Issue Pen

Pen Image

Elmira Kempton. The Little House.

CA. 1904-11. Oil on Canvas. 37 ½ X29 ¾  IN

Robert L. and Ellen E. Haan

Skirting the Issue Wood Pencil

Pencil Image

Ruth Pratt Bobbs, Woman in White, CA 1904-11, 37 ½ X 29 ¼ in.

Indianapolis Museum of Art

Gift of Eleanor Dickson & Otto N. Frenzel

Skirting the Issue Postcard

Postcard Images

Ada Walter Shulz. Wash Day. Undated

Oil on Canvas. 24 X 27 In.

Robert L. & Ellen E. Haan

Constance Coleman Richardson. Streetlight. 1930.

Oil on Canvas. 28 X 36 In.

Indianapolis Museum of Art

Skirting the Issue T-Shirt

100% Pre-Shrunk White Cotton T available in sizes Small through XX-Large.  Picture shown is the print on the front of the shirt.

Skirting the Issue Tote Bag

Tote is available in colors Black, Royal Blue, Grey, and Red.

Skirting the Issue Notecube

2 ¾ X 2 ¾ inch cube with 550 pages, featuring four images from the collection, and individually shrink wrapped.

Ada Walter Shulz.  WashDay. Undated. Oil on Canvas. 24 X 27 In.

Robert L. & Ellen E. Haan

Elmira Kempton.  The Little House. Undated. Oil on Canvas. 19 X 22 In.

Louise & Alan Sellars

Collection of Art By American Women

Hallie Pace Prow.  The Flower Garden. 1925. Oil on Board. 16 X 20 In.

Robert L. & Ellen E. Haan

Olive Rush. Undated. Oil on Canvas. 14 X 10 In.

Robert L. & Ellen E. Haan

Skirting the Issue Blank Journal Pen Set

Spiral bound, 100 pages with attached pen and packaged in a vinyl tote, featuring four-color image from the collection.

Constance Coleman Richardson.  Streetlight. 1930. Oil on Canvas. 28 X 36 In.

Indianapolis Museum of Art

Out of the Shadows DVD

Portraits of Historic Women Artists

Produced By

Lisa DeHayes

WFYI Productions

Indiana Historical Society

This compelling documentary explores the lives of women who followed their dreams and pursued careers as professional artists during the early twentieth century. These women exchanged washboards and mending baskets for canvas, stone, and other demanding mediums. Through interviews with an artist of the era, as well as historians, art curators, and specialists in the field, the artists’ stories unfold one-by-one. As a companion to the Indiana Historical Society Press’s book Skirting the Issue: Stories of Indiana’s Historical Women Artists, the tales of these Hoosier artists offer insight into the culture and values of the greater Midwest, and the nation, during this period.

Searchable Index Includes: • Indiana in the Early 1900s • Art Education • The Role of Women in the Early 1900s • Historic Women’s Art Today • Women Artists

Cover Image: Wash Day by Ada Walter Shulz, Undated. Oil on canvas. 24X27 inches. Courtesy of Robert L. & Ellen E. Haan

Feature Run Time • 44 Minutes • © 2005 • DVD