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A New Age Dawning
Twentieth Century Kentucky Women Painters in the First Floor Gallery
By: Robin L. Wallace
Special Collections Assistant
 While many women have found an outlet for their creativity in the thriving craft industry of Kentucky, the region has also produced a plethora of fine artists working in the traditional milieus of painting and sculpture. The Filson Historical Society’s collection contains an excellent representation of Kentucky women artists. Our most recent exhibit focuses on 20th century female artists from the Ohio Valley region, featuring the works of Patty Thum (1893-1926), Enid Yandell (1871-1934), Ann Troutman (1897-1989), Nellie Schanzenbacher (1866-1961), Carrie Dudley Douglas Ewen (1894-1982), Margaret Myers (active mid-20th century), Margaret Sanders Huenergardt (1910-2001), Lu Ann Weinstein (active mid-20th century), and Mary Cobb (1925- ). These pieces represent a variety of genres, including portraits, still lives, commercial illustrations and sculptures.
Many early 20th century Kentucky female artists were self-taught, or learned their skills from relatives or acquaintances, while others were fortunate enough to have  the benefit of professional instruction. Almost all were challenged by the boundaries set by family duty and attitudes concerning women who dared to pursue an artistic career. Active in the Ohio Valley region, most of these women were also well known throughout the United States and Europe, participating in national exhibitions and competitions, and marketing their work through more accessible venues. Louisville’s Patty Thum was first tutored in drawing by her mother, and later studied art at Vassar College under Henry Van Ingen, at the New York Art Students League with William Merritt Chase, and with Henry Mowbray, and Lemuel Wiles. Louisville sculptor Enid Yandell attended Hampton College in Virginia and the Cincinnati Art Academy, and later journeyed to Europe to study sculpture with Frederick W. MacMonnies and Auguste Rodin. Flemingsburg native Carrie Douglas Dudley Ewen attended the illustrious School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Although she excelled in painting portraits and still lives, she supported herself as a commercial artist, illustrating children’s books and designing greeting cards for Henri Fayette, NuArt and Chrysons card companies. Ewen felt compelled to assume a male pseudonym during her career and used “Doug Ewen” as her professional name. Mary Cobb, who continues to work into the 21st century, has collaborated with well-known feminist artists such as Judy Chicago, while continuing to reflect the spirit of Kentucky and her local community in her work.
 Women’s roles in the fine arts have always included a unique, creative reflection of society, self and history. However, their quest for artistic expression has also involved overcoming the difficulties of obtaining training, finding a market for their work, and achieving the recognition most often afforded to male artists. The early 20th century brought about more opportunities for education and career advancement for women in the arts, leaving us with an intriguing visual legacy of women finding their voice and vision in a new century.
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