Adopted by J. Earl and Minnie W. Feinberg and re-named Idelle Lois Feinberg
1937-40
Moves to Wilmette, IL. and attends Central Grammar School
Visits Art Institute of Chicago and Field Museum every week, especially the Miniature Room and works of Edward Hopper
1941-46
Moves back to Chicago and attends Swift School. Father purchases first set of oil paints
Moves to Beverly Hills, CA
Attends Hawthorne Grammar School, Beverly Hills
Enters a program for young students under Ms. Frances Nugent, director of education at the Los Angeles County Museum
Takes private lessons with artist Elsye Palmer Payne
1946-50
Private art lessons with artist Theodore Lukits
Attends and graduates Beverly Hills High School. Art instructors of influence: Mrs. Lucille Roberts and Mrs. Marjorie Vie. Writes high school thesis on Edward Hopper and Jackson Pollock
Introduced by gallery owner Frank Perls to Edward G. Robinson. Views first Cezanne painting at his home
Studies with Millard Sheets at Oatis School and takes figurative classes at Chinouard Art Institute
Writes letter to Isabel Bishop (featured on a cover of American Artist magazine and first contemporary woman artist known to Idelle) stating her admiration for her work
Enters Scholastic Art Awards; awarded regional and national Gold Keys; enters many juried shows
Carmel Art Association, 1st prize, Carmel, CA
The Marquis Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA (juried show): 3rd prize
Attends Scripps College, Claremont, CA on a Scholastic Art Award and studies with Henry Lee McFee and (informally) Millard Sheets.
The 50s
1950-51
Exhibits figurative imagery in group show at Scripps
Visits the Metropolitan Museum, the Frick Collection, and others on first trip to NYC
Attends UCLA and studies with: William Brice, Jan Stussy, Fredrick Wright, S. McDonald Wright, Gibson Danes, Karl Vith, Laura Anderson, and Tony Rosenthal; occasional private critiques from Rico Lebrun
Shares studio off San Vicente Blvd, Brentwood, CA, with Craig Kauffman. Walter Hopps sleeps in the back of studio
Takes a drawing class at Arts Center with Mary Vartikian
Awarded student teaching assistantship
1953-55
Attends Aspen Design Conference Aspen, Colorado. Participants include Herbert Bayer, Harry Bertoia, S. I. Hayakaw, Victor Gruen, and Arthur Drexler
1956
Receives MA degree from UCLA. Solo show, thesis on Odilon Redon, and oral exams completed
Receives Califonia teaching certificate
Student teaches at Los Angeles High School and Emerson Junior High School.
1957
Drawing, Observation of Sound, included in show Recent Drawings U.S.A. at the Museum of Modern Art, a competition juried by Bill Lieberman and Elaine Johnson. Gertrude Mellon purchases drawing
Second visit to NYC to view drawing at MoMA accompanied by portfolio of drawings to try to secure gallery affiliation. First night in NYC, baby-sat Mark Rothko's daughter Kate. As he walks Idelle to her boarding house, Rothko suggests galleries to contact
Remains in NYC, paints and takes temporary office jobs in New York
The art historian, Frederick Wight, writes a letter about Idelle's work to Alfred Barr
Sam Hunter arranges for her to meet Horst Janson, who likes the work but says he doesn't include women painters in his books
Shows portfolio of drawings to Charles Allen, owner of the Allen Gallery. He indicates his policy of not showing women
Marries Julian L. Weber. Lives in Brooklyn Heights and uses living room as studio
Awarded 3rd prize in Bodley Gallery juried show; Andy Warhol also wins a prize
Included in New Talent U.S.A. issue of Art in America
Included in 152 Annual Exhibition of Watercolors, Prints, Drawings at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (juried show) and 38th Annual Jury Exhibition at the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts; awarded Century Foundation Award
Charcoal drawing included in American Federation of Arts traveling exhibit
Illustrations commissioned by Scholastic and Esquire magazines
Attends an illustration and design class taught by Alexander Lieberman at School of Visual Arts
Requests to audit Robert Motherwell’s class at Hunter College, denied by the artist, who stated he believed that married women with children should not audit classes because they would not continue painting
1958
Son, Jonathan Todd Weber, born
Attends classes at Brooklyn Museum of Art
Exhibits early paintings in Brooklyn Museum Show. Jurors: Ruben Tam and G. Peck
Attends Art Students League and works with Theodore Stamos (whose assistant was Ralph Humphries). Also, took classes with Robert Beverly Hale. Investigated color, by making gray, thickly painted, impasto, abstract expressionist paintings. Created silhouette drawings and sketches of nudes and business men
Spends part of summer, and subsequent summers, in Santa Monica, CA
Rents a studio at Ovington Building in Brooklyn Heights.
1959
Steven Raditch, director of Widdifield Gallery, visits studio; exhibits Idelle in group drawing show
Tibor de Nagy visits studio and suggests contacting J. Meyers the following fall
Included in juried shows in NYC: City Center Group Show; Art Directions Gallery group show; and NY Art Students' League show
The 60s
1962
Danny Robbins, assistant curator at the Guggenheim, buys Cherubs/silhouettes and What's Big, Black, and Blue?
Takes work to Martha Jackson and John Weber (no relation), who suggests showing silhouettes to Ivan Karp at Castelli, and Robert Elkon. John Weber sends John Gruen to review the work. John Weber would eventually become the director of Dwan Gallery, Los Angeles and include Idelle's work in exhibitions
Ivan Karp views work and returns a second time with Alan Solomon for a studio visit. Solomon responds favorably to the work
Danny Robbins shows black and white photos to Dick Bellamy in June, who suggests that he might show her work in the next season
Ivan Karp suggests starting an artists’ co-op gallery. Some artists included on the original list were Dan Flavin, Cora Ward, Ralph Ortiz, and Don Judd. Ivan suggests that the group visit other artists for possible inclusion in the coop.
Shown Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol's first paintings by Karp, who also introduces Weber to Lichtenstein, Warhol, Jasper Johns, and Jim Rosenquist. Most artists meet at Castelli Gallery for various show openings.
Beginning of friendships with Yayoi Kusuma, Lucas Samaras, Claes and Patti Oldendberg, and Steve Antonakos
Art historian Peter Seltz visits Ovington Studio
Bertha Schaefer visits Ovington Studio and takes three silhouette paintings with her
Signs with Bertha Schaefer Gallery in July
1963
Solo show at Bertha Schaefer Gallery of silhouette paintings in early January. Albright-Knox Museum purchases Reflection (1962)
Introduced to Lawrence Alloway by Danny Robbins
Rents studio on Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn
Visits Ivan Karp in Provincetown, MA. Shows a piece in Ivan's first OK Harris Gallery, Provincetown
Visits Agnes Martin at her cold-water walkup flat at Coentis Slip and purchases one of Martin's small watercolors. Martin gives Weber a 5” ruler for the background squares for the silhouette-figures painting in progress
Trades art work with Richard Artschwager
Portrait (1962) exhibited as part of the Pop Art, U.S.A. exhibit at the Oakland Art Museum, curated by John Coplans
Blue Monday Diptych (1962) exhibited as part of the Pop Goes the Easel exhibit at the Houston Contemporary Arts Museum, curated by Douglas MacAgy. The piece was purchased by John Murchison
Attends Allan Kaprow's TREE Happening
1964
Daughter, Suzanne Weber, born
Starts to keep a journal of studio time.
Invitation from Ivan Karp to the George Sugarman party at Al Held's loft celebrating Sugarman's Guggenheim award. Sugarman has used all his grant money to throw the party
Meets Barnett Newman
Second solo show at Bertha Schaefer of business men silhouettes.Following this exhibit, Idelle and Bertha Schaefer will not be able to agree on direction for a subsequent exhibit. It will be eight year until Idelle's next solo show (at Hundred Acres Gallery)
Moves residence to Livingston Street in Brooklyn Heights
Kiss Box (a plastic box filled with Hershey Kisses) exhibited in the Box Show at Dwan Gallery, Los Angeles. This piece was later exhibited at the Rhode Island School of Design Galleries and destroyed while being returned
Ben Casey Drawing (1962) exhibited in American Drawings at the Guggenheim, curated by Lawrence Alloway
Halloween party at Livingson Street apartment. Roy and Dorothy Lichtenstein dress as Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick, Julian dresses as Samaras, and Patti Mucha Oldenberg is in a baseball suit with a long, soft-sculpture bat made by the Oldenbergs
1965
Travels to England and Paris. Meets the Karps in Paris. After this trip, increases use of photographs and drawings to develop source material for future work
Rents studio in office building on Fulton Street, Brooklyn
Geometric Painter at Home (1963) exhibited in Dwan Gallery's Arena of Love
Hearts (1964) is shown in the New American Realism exhibit at the Worcester Art Museum, curated by Martin Carey
Munchkins I, II, III (1964) shown as part of Pop Art and the American Tradition exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Center, curated by Tracy Atkinson
1966
Begins to sketch and develop ideas and models for large scale Plexiglas silhouettes. Has conversation with Steve Antonakos about neon
Discusses idea of plastic silhouette cut-out exhibition with Bertha Schaefer. Schaefer dismisses the idea.
Travels to Italy, driving south from Milan to Rome
1967
Joins EAT (Experiments in Art and Technology) and attends all of their lectures. Meets Billy Kluver
Begins to trade work time with the model maker, Ed Geiger. He assists with 3-D Plexiglas silhouette wall sculptures
Returns to easel painting, starting with a series of small paintings of New York storefronts from slides taken from first days in NYC. Works on both silhouettes and realists paintings
Travels to Greece
1968
Shows Ivan Karp work on New York forefront paintings. He encourages her to continue with this subject matter.
Travels to Spain
See Richard Estes first exhibit and feels an instant kinship with his work and the new direction her painting has taken
1969
Purchases and moves to brownstone townhouse at 35 Sidney Place in Brooklyn Heights. Studio is on top floor
Trades silhouette fan with Roy Lichtenstein for his Sunrise metal multiple
The 70s
1970
Continues to work on silhouette images, including Lever Building II, which will later be acquired by the Whitney Museum, whilst also painting Photorealist oils and watercolors of storefronts and fruit stands
Completes series of Business man plastic cubes, some of which will later be acquired by the Museum of Modern Art
1972
Travels to Israel, Istanbul, and Prague
1973-77
Joins Ivan Karp's Hundred Acres Gallery when Barbara Toll is director
Solo show at Hundred Acres of fruit-stand paintings. Doris and Charles Saatchi purchases a painting from this show
Work on fruit-stand paintings as well as some trash and litter
Accepts position teaching graduate drawing and painting at NYU
Forms friendships with Ralph and Shana Goings, Richard and Darlene McLean, John and Jean Salt, John Baeder, Richard Estes, John and Jane Clarke, Bob and Jane Cottingham, Duane and Liz Hanson, and John DeAndrea
1977
Travels to Greece and Crete
Solo show at Hundred Acres of trash and litter.
1978
Joins OK Harris Gallery after Hundred Acres Gallery closes
Works on edition of etchings of trash as subject matter
1979
Moves residence and studio to a loft on West Broadway, NYC
Solo show at OK Harris of trash paintings.
Travels to St. Martin in the Caribbean. Watercolors of resort scenes
The 80s
1982
Travels to Bermuda and Tortola, British Virgin Islands, to visit John and Jane Clem Clarke
Solo show at OK Harris of resort pieces
1983
Leaves OK Harris and joins Ruth Siegel Gallery
Begins work focusing on foliage, flower work, mirror images, and architectural elements
Trip to Japan: Kyoto, Tokyo, Okayama, Kirishiki. Travels to Hong Kong and Bali, Indonesia
1984
Trip to France—Giverney, Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomt, Villandry, Fontainebleu, Barbizon, and the Bagatelle in Paris—forms the basis for solo show at Ruth Siegel Gallery: Paintings and Works on Paper, 1982-1983, French gardens
Summers in Quogue, NY
1985
Solo show at Ruth Siegel Gallery: Paintings and Works on Paper, 1984-1985, grass, pebbles, water paintings
1986
Solo show at Arts Club of Chicago: Painting and Works on Paper,1982-1985 - garden and flower pictures
1989-92
Travels to England. Summers in Watermill, NY
Taught classes at Art Barge in Amagansett, NY
Leaves Ruth Siegel Gallery and joins Anthony Ralph Gallery
1989
Solo show at Anthony Ralph Gallery, Botanical References - flower watercolors and drawings
Appointed assistant professor of art at Harvard University.
The 90s
1990
Taught print class at Harvard and worked on monotypes. Interest in poetry is renewed
Introduced to Garner Tulis by Australian artist, Jan Senbergs. Landscape series with Tullis
Summers in Watermill, NY
Solo show at Anthony Ralph Gallery: East End Paintings - grass paintings and trash paintings
1992
Joins Schmidt-Bingham Gallery
Solo shows at Schmidt-Bingham in NYC; Jean Albano Gallery, Chicago; Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe; and Colorado State College
1995
Workshop with Richard Tullis in Santa Barbara, C
Solo show: Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, CA
Becomes artist-in-residence and teaches at Melbourne University, Victorian School of the Arts (VSA), Australia. Sketches and photographs New Zealand, Australian outback, Great Barrier Reef, and treks to Ayers Rock
Solo show at VSA: First Shots: Idelle Weber- landscape monotypes
Develops serious allergy to almost all solvents. Stops working in oils
1996
Head Room installation of over 500 heads installed at the Contemporary Gallery at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn, NY
Grandchild, Carlo Weber, born
1997
Solo show at Schmidt-Bingham, NYC: Shells
1998
Summers in Rhinebeck, NY
Solo show at Schmidt-Binghmam: Trees
The 00s
2001
Witnesses September 11th from West Broadway. Halts work for several months, needing to move because of air quality's effect on husband Julian's health
Begins work on first installation of over 500 paintings, drawings, watercolors, and prints of heads done between 1947 and 2002
2002: Grandchild Bianca Maria Weber born. Elected for membership in the National Academy of Design. Receives Elin P. Speyer Award in membership exhibition.
2002
Grandchild Bianca Maria Weber, born
Elected for membership in the National Academy of Design. Receives Elin P. Speyer Award in membership exhibition
2003
Solo show at Ruth Siegel Gallery: Paintings and Works on Paper, 1984-1985, grass, pebbles, water paintings
2003
Grandchild, Julia Duva, born
Serves as member of the National Academy Museum Council
2004
Head Room installation of over 500 heads installed at the Contemporary Gallery at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn, NY
Grandchild, Carlo Weber, born
2010
One month’s summer residency, Acadia Art’s Foundation, Mount Desert Island, MN
Sid Sachs, curator, installs Beyond the Surface: Women and Pop Art 1958–1968, Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 2010.
Catherine Morris organizes Seductive Subversion: Women Pop Artists, 1958–1968, at the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art and Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York, October 15, 2010–January 9, 2011.
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