1950s Art of Renee Radell
Artist Bio highlights. 1950s art for Renee Kaupiz was a time of transition from watercolor painting to oil painting, even while attending Detroit Society of Arts & Crafts. Similarly, the 1950s was also a period of maturation from youth into womanhood through marriage to Lloyd Radell. The young couple moved from Detroit to Michigan suburbs where they took on the challenges of family building, eventually reaching five children.
With the richness of oil painting, Radell embraced figurative art. Her subject matter effortlessly moved from Americana and family life, to religion and a growing concern and passion for societal issues. Her rising star in the 1950s art environment caused Edgar P. Richardson, Director of the Detroit Institute of Arts and Director of the Archives of American Art, to comment in his catalog forward for Radell’s first one person oil painting exhibition in 1959:
“Her art today is not a charming and “artistic” one; it is one of passion and power, which one looks at carefully and with the most serious attention.”
(scroll down for Renee Radell 1950s Art timeline)
1950
Invited to participate in Michigan Artists Exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the first of six inclusions in group exhibitions at the museum. • Shows at “5 Young Detroiters” exhibit, Detroit Artists Market. • Meets fellow art student, Lloyd Radell, at Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts.
1951
Wins 1st prize at Michigan Watercolor Society in Detroit, and 2nd prize at Jewish Community Center in Detroit for watercolor painting. • Teaches advanced painting for adults at Grosse Pointe Artists’ Association for next two years.
1952
Marries Lloyd Radell. • Has solo exhibition of watercolors at Detroit Artists’ Market, her first career one-person show. • Wins 1st prize award at Michigan Watercolor Society and 3rd prize award at Detroit Scarab Club for watercolor painting.
1953
Graduates from the Art School of Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts majoring in painting. • Wins 1st prize for watercolor painting at Detroit Scarab Club for watercolor painting, 2nd prize at Michigan State Fair for oil painting , and 2nd prize for watercolor painting at Michigan Watercolor Society. • Teaches life drawing and painting at Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts for next 2 years.
1954
Wins 1st prize for watercolor painting at Michigan State Fair, and 3rd prize for watercolor painting at Detroit Scarab Club. • Gives birth to Nerissa, first of five children over next 10 years. • Teaches art part-time at Cass Technical High School under the adult education program for next five years. • Admitted to Studio Arts program at Wayne State University in Detroit.
1955
Receives museum purchase award from Dearborn Museum or Art for watercolor painting.
1956
Wins 1st prize and purchase award for oil painting in National Religious Art Exhibition at Ecclesiastical Arts Guild of Detroit.
1957
Receives purchase award of watercolor painting from Detroit Institute of Arts. • Wins 1st prize at National Religious Art Exhibition and 2nd prize award at Michigan Watercolor Society, each for watercolor paintings. • Participates in group exhibition at The Butler Institute of American Art Annual, Youngstown, Ohio.
1958
Moves to Lake Orion, Michigan where she lives and works for the next 25 years in a country home and studio built by Lloyd.
1959
Has second one-person exhibition of watercolors and first oil painting exhibition at Garelick Gallery in Detroit. E.P. Richardson, then Director of Detroit Institute of Arts Museum, writes the forward to her brochure. Detroit News again favorably reviews exhibition. • Teaches drawing and painting at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, part-time for next five years.