Witter Gallery shows works of namesake
By Mark C. Johnson, Journal correspondent | Posted: Monday, September 25, 2006
Ron Stevenson is the new Witter Gallery director in Storm Lake, Iowa. (Photo by Mark C. Johnson)
STORM LAKE, Iowa -- Artworks by the late Dorothy Skewis and Ella Witter, both were strong local supporters of the arts, are on display at the Witter Gallery through Saturday.
The exhibit consists of 45 works that are part of the permanent collection of the Witter Gallery and 10 of the pieces were recently newly framed and have never been exhibited before.
Included are watercolor, woodcut, oil on canvas and paper, lithography, and woodblock.
"For the last several years there has been an adopt-a-frame program where people can donate money or donate in the memory of a friend or loved one for the purpose of reframing artwork in the permanent collection," said Witter Gallery Director Ron Stevenson. "And so far a total of 29 pieces have been reframed and they are on display."
Ella Witter was born in 1882 in Storm Lake. She graduated from Storm Lake High School and then went to the Art Institute of Chicago. She later traveled to Germany to study with the famous artist and art critic Hans Hoffman. She also studied with Mexican muralist Diego Rivera in Mexico City. She then taught in various Midwest schools and after retiring returned to Storm Lake to continue as an artist and educator.
She donated funds for the establishment of the Witter Gallery, along with her sister, Frances, in honor of their father George. She died in 1970, before the gallery opened in 1972.
Dorothy Skewis was born in Inwood, Iowa, in 1900, and moved to Storm Lake at age of 11. She graduated from Storm Lake High School and then attended Morningside College in Sioux City. She taught in Greenville, Iowa, for one year before attending the Art Institute of Chicago. She then was the graphic arts instructor at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Mich., for 29 years. In 1954 she returned to Storm Lake where she taught at Buena Vista University before retiring in 1968. She played a large part in the development of the Witter Gallery before her death in 1983.
Skewis also indirectly affected a whole generation of American children. Skewis introduced her sister, Margo, to the world of puppetry when they were young. Years later her sister, along with her brother-in-law Rufus Rose, created the famous puppet "Howdy Doody."
"We have a total of around 100 pieces of artwork by Skewis and Witter in the permanent collection ranging from paintings to educational materials," said Stevenson.
"We are looking forward to having an appraiser from Omaha with the gallery this coming January to appraise the large amount of artwork and other items in the archives," said Stevenson.
Stevenson noted besides all the artwork by the two artists, there is also correspondence from Hans Hoffman to Witter including a signed note on a gallery announcement from Hoffman regretting that she could not attend his opening at a New York City gallery in 1949, another 1945 art show brochure from another Hoffman show, and a photograph of Hoffman.
"The archives also contain Mexican lithography prints, a Picasso lithograph, a Degas lithograph, a Kadinsky screenprint and five Howdy Doody prints, donated to the gallery by Skewis and more," he said.
Stevenson is the new Witter Gallery director, who started his duties Aug. 18. He is a 1992 graduate of Buena Vista University with a major in art and a minor in mass communications. He works in the morning at Silk Screen Ink and spend the afternoon in the gallery.
"My main goal is to add a chess club to the gallery's activities and start a year-round children's art program from toddler on up," he added.
The exhibit consists of 45 works that are part of the permanent collection of the Witter Gallery and 10 of the pieces were recently newly framed and have never been exhibited before.
Included are watercolor, woodcut, oil on canvas and paper, lithography, and woodblock.
"For the last several years there has been an adopt-a-frame program where people can donate money or donate in the memory of a friend or loved one for the purpose of reframing artwork in the permanent collection," said Witter Gallery Director Ron Stevenson. "And so far a total of 29 pieces have been reframed and they are on display."
Ella Witter was born in 1882 in Storm Lake. She graduated from Storm Lake High School and then went to the Art Institute of Chicago. She later traveled to Germany to study with the famous artist and art critic Hans Hoffman. She also studied with Mexican muralist Diego Rivera in Mexico City. She then taught in various Midwest schools and after retiring returned to Storm Lake to continue as an artist and educator.
She donated funds for the establishment of the Witter Gallery, along with her sister, Frances, in honor of their father George. She died in 1970, before the gallery opened in 1972.
Dorothy Skewis was born in Inwood, Iowa, in 1900, and moved to Storm Lake at age of 11. She graduated from Storm Lake High School and then attended Morningside College in Sioux City. She taught in Greenville, Iowa, for one year before attending the Art Institute of Chicago. She then was the graphic arts instructor at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Mich., for 29 years. In 1954 she returned to Storm Lake where she taught at Buena Vista University before retiring in 1968. She played a large part in the development of the Witter Gallery before her death in 1983.
Skewis also indirectly affected a whole generation of American children. Skewis introduced her sister, Margo, to the world of puppetry when they were young. Years later her sister, along with her brother-in-law Rufus Rose, created the famous puppet "Howdy Doody."
"We have a total of around 100 pieces of artwork by Skewis and Witter in the permanent collection ranging from paintings to educational materials," said Stevenson.
"We are looking forward to having an appraiser from Omaha with the gallery this coming January to appraise the large amount of artwork and other items in the archives," said Stevenson.
Stevenson noted besides all the artwork by the two artists, there is also correspondence from Hans Hoffman to Witter including a signed note on a gallery announcement from Hoffman regretting that she could not attend his opening at a New York City gallery in 1949, another 1945 art show brochure from another Hoffman show, and a photograph of Hoffman.
"The archives also contain Mexican lithography prints, a Picasso lithograph, a Degas lithograph, a Kadinsky screenprint and five Howdy Doody prints, donated to the gallery by Skewis and more," he said.
Stevenson is the new Witter Gallery director, who started his duties Aug. 18. He is a 1992 graduate of Buena Vista University with a major in art and a minor in mass communications. He works in the morning at Silk Screen Ink and spend the afternoon in the gallery.
"My main goal is to add a chess club to the gallery's activities and start a year-round children's art program from toddler on up," he added.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
