Berence Berkman-Hunter and Ethel Spears

Madron Gallery is pleased to present Bernece Berkman-Hunter and Ethel Spears, an exhibition of two Depression Era artists whose work appears to be in a state of juxtaposition rather than a melding of the minds. The exhibition focuses on the time when both artists were living and working in Chicago (1930s and early 1940s) and is meant to be a starting off point for Madron Gallery into further research of this era.  The twenty artworks exhibited include paintings and lithographs that are rarely seen publicly. Madron Gallery thanks the generosity of The Estate of Kathleen Blackshear and Ethel Spears, Illinois State Museum, The Koehnline Museum of Art, Clifford Law Offices, Charlie and Kim Hankins, and Bernard Friedman for loaning artwork towards the exhibition. Bernece Berkman-Hunter and Ethel Spears opens September 3rd and will run through November 22, 2024. A public reception will be held Thursday November 14, 2024, in conjunction with Lincoln Park Art Night.

At first glance, the pairing of Bernece Berkman-Hunter and Ethel Spears may raise more questions than answers. Bernece Berkman-Hunter (1911-1988) a political activist and social realist artist, combined the techniques of Cubism and Expressionism, creating vivid colors, broad lines, and angular forms to capture the struggles of life faced by laborers and immigrants.  Ethel Spears (1903-1974), a humorist, often used watercolors, pastel palettes, and illustration to capture society at large, on the streets, at work, and in their homes. There is no evidence that suggest these two female artists knew each other, socialized in the same circle, or were aware of each other’s work. Yet for all their differences, Berkman-Hunter and Spears have more in common than the two known exhibitions where both their work was exhibited.

Born and raised in Chicago only eight years apart, Berkman-Hunter and Spears each first studied at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, were employed by the Illinois Federal Art Project, had backgrounds in textiles, work consistently in graphic design and printmaking, continued their studies in New York City, and had romantic life partners that broke through social barriers.  Today proof of their influence and humanity is scattered across American archives and libraries.  Their names and works are referenced in oral histories, newspaper clippings, directories, exhibition catalogs, and historical publications.

Bernece Berkman-Hunter was born to an American mother and Russian immigrant father. Starting in 1927, Berkman-Hunter briefly studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago before running out of money.  She continued her studies in the studio of Todros Geller (1889-1949), under whose guidance her Jewish and activist identities became more intertwined and apparent in her art.  Berkman-Hunter exhibited publicly for the first time in 1934. She often exhibited with radical and Jewish artist groups in Chicago and was one of fourteen artists chosen to contribute a print to the Biro-Bidjan Portfolio (c. 1937-1938). Berkman -Hunter’s art was included in the American art exhibition at the 1939 New York World's Fair. During the 1940’s Berkman-Hunter studied with Stuart Davis (1892-1964) at The New School for Social Research in New York City.  In 1945, Berkman-Hunter moved to New York City, where in 1946 she married Oscar Hunter, a black writer. They lived and worked in New York, running a successful wallpaper company together, Berk-Hunter Associates, until 1970, divorcing in 1976. Berkman-Hunter died penniless as a squatter in a studio in NYC.  Today her artwork can be found in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, Museum of Modern Art, NY, Whitney Museum of American Art, NY, The Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., The Art Institute of Chicago, IL, Seattle Museum of Art, WA, Baltimore Museum of Art, MD, Illinois State Museum, IL Krannart Art Museum, IL,  Koehnline Art Museum, IL and several private collections.

Ethel Spears initially studied textile design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago but upon graduating decided to do the entire SAIC program over again, this time in the painting department, under the guidance of John Norton (1876-1934). Spears recorded that her first solo exhibition was at the art school in 1923, at the age of 21. While studying under Norton, Spears was commissioned and finished two murals for the Tea Room at the Art Institute of Chicago. Around 1925, Spears traveled to Woodstock, New York, to take up studies with sculptor Alexander Archipenko (1887-1964), believing he could push her art in a more modern direction. After nine months in Woodstock, Spears moved to New York City where she lived, worked, studied, and exhibited her artwork. In 1929, Spears travelled to Paris to further her artistic exposure and education but had resettled in Chicago by 1930.  In 1937, Spears was back at SAIC once more, though this time as an instructor of design and painting, as well as silk-screening and enamel (departments she herself established). Spears exhibited her work often in Chicago and New York, won awards from the Art Institute, and had work in collections of the Union League Club of Chicago and the University of Illinois. Sometime in the 1950s Spears fell ill, potentially the result of lead poisoning from working with enamels so extensively. She lived out her final years in Navasota, Texas, with her longtime partner and fellow artist, Kathleen Blackshear. Today her work can be found in The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. The Art Institute of Chicago, IL, The Smart Museum of Art, IL, Illinois State Museum, as well as various educational and cultural institutions where her murals are displayed, and several private collections.

Madron is home to Madron Gallery, Madron Press, and the Skolnik family’s private art collection. The Skolnik family, the founders of Madron, is committed to supporting Chicago artists, celebrating Jewish heritage, and acting as stewards of the legacy of American art. Through scholarship-informed programming and the en suite exhibition of artwork available for purchase alongside pieces from the private collection, Madron has carved out a unique place in Chicago’s artistic landscape, sparking dialogue about the ongoing significance of nineteenth and twentieth-century art in today’s world and fostering a dynamic community for Chicago’s culture-makers, shapers, and appreciators.

Image: Ethel Spears (1903 - 1974), Railway Station, Beverly Hills, c. 1930, watercolor on paper, 11 1/2 x 17 inches. Image courtesy of Madron Gallery.