Otis Oldfield

Otis William Oldfield (July 3, 1890 – May 18, 1969)[1][2] was a San Francisco painter, printmaker and art educator.

Otis William Oldfield
Born(1890-07-03)July 3, 1890
Sacramento, California, U.S.
DiedMay 18, 1969(1969-05-18) (aged 78)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
EducationBest’s Art School,
Académie Julian
Occupation(s)painter, muralist, printmaker, educator
SpouseHelen Clark (m. 1926–1969; death)

Early life and education

Otis William Oldfield was born on July 3, 1890, in Sacramento, California.[1][3] He attended Sutter High School but at age 16 he dropped out of school in order to work.[4]

In 1908, he attended Best’s Art School in San Francisco,[5][4][6] operated by Alice Leveque Best and Arthur William Best. In 1911, he moved to Paris to attend Académie Julian.[5] He remained in France until 1924, then moved back to San Francisco.[5][6]

Career
Bay Area Map (1934), one of Oldfield's frescos at Coit Tower

In 1925, Oldfield had a successful solo show at San Francisco’s Galerie Beaux Arts, an exhibit of work made while he was living in France.[5] In 1929, Oldfield had two exhibitions of San Francisco water scenes at Montross Gallery in New York City.[5][7]

The following year in 1930, Oldfield worked with architect Timothy Pflueger to create painted windows for the bar at the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange.[5] In 1934, he was one of 26 artists selected to paint murals in the newly erected Coit Tower.[8] One of his frescos there is titled Shipping Activities Inside the Golden Gate.[2]

Teaching

Starting in 1925, he taught at California School of Fine Art (now San Francisco Art Institute) painting and drawing courses.[5] From 1946 until 1952 he taught at the California College of Arts and Crafts (now called California College of the Arts or CCA).[9]

Oldfield's students included Yun Gee,[10] Richard Diebenkorn,[5] and Nathan Oliveira.[5]

Death and legacy

Oldfield died on May 18, 1969, in San Francisco, California.[2] He was survived by his wife Helen Clark Oldfield, who continued to paint until her death in 1981.

His work is in public museum collections include at Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco,[5] Los Angeles County Museum of Art,[11] Crocker Art Museum,[12] National Gallery of Art,[13] Smithsonian American Art Museum,[14] Metropolitan Museum of Art,[15]

References
  1. "Oral history interview with Otis Oldfield, 1965 May 21". Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  2. Hughes, Edan. "Otis Oldfield". CalArt California and American Art. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  3. Wolpert, Martin; Winter, Jeffrey (2006). Figurative Paintings: Paris and the Modern Spirit. Schiffer Pub. pp. 212–213. ISBN 978-0-7643-2462-8.
  4. "White Dress (White Nightie), 1936". Crocker Art Museum. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
  5. "Otis Oldfield". FAMSF Search the Collections. 2020-06-02. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
  6. Burg, William (2014-09-02). Midtown Sacramento: Creative Soul of the City. Arcadia Publishing. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-62585-208-3.
  7. The Arts, Volume 16. Hamilton Easter Field, Forbes Watson. Arts Publishing Corporation. 1929. p. 269.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. Smith, Harvey L. (2014-10-13). Berkeley and the New Deal. Arcadia Publishing. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-4396-4767-7.
  9. "Otis Oldfield (1890-1969)". George Stern Fine Arts. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  10. Kim, Elaine H.; Machida, Margo; Mizota, Sharon (2003). Fresh Talk/Daring Gazes: Conversations on Asian American Art. Univ of California Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-520-23535-9.
  11. "Otis William Oldfield". LACMA Collections. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
  12. "American Art before 1945". Crocker Art Museum. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
  13. "Otis William Oldfield, American, 1890 - 1969". National Gallery of Art. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
  14. "Otis Oldfield". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
  15. "Bay Bridge Series, Aloft, 1935–43". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
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