Henrietta Berk: Bay Area Figurative Painter Rediscovered Through Research Project
Henrietta Berk, an influential painter born in 1919 in Wichita, Kansas, later moved to San Francisco, where she honed her craft at local art institutions. A pivotal member of the Bay Area Figurative Movement, which emerged in the 1950s as a reaction against Abstract Expressionism, her work celebrated figure painting. Her distinctive pieces, including "Green Hills" from 1968 and "Picnic" from 1960-1962, highlighted her vibrant style. Berk's art gained additional recognition through its feature in the film "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner" and is part of the collection at the U.S. Embassy in Peru, showcasing her lasting impact on American art.
Key facts
- Henrietta Berk was born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1919 and died in 1990.
- She studied at San Francisco State College and the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland.
- Berk was associated with the Bridge Generation of the Bay Area Figurative Movement.
- The Bay Area Figurative Movement was named after a 1957 exhibition at the Oakland Museum of Art.
- Her painting appears in the 1967 movie Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and hangs in the U.S. Embassy in Peru.
- California Vineyard (ca. 1979) is held at the Mills College Art Museum in Oakland, California.
- The Steven Stern Fine Arts Gallery started The Henrietta Berk Research Project.
- Deborah Solon authored In Living Color: The Art & Life of Henrietta Berk.
Entities
Artists
- Henrietta Berk
- Deborah Solon
Institutions
- San Francisco State College
- California College of Arts and Crafts
- Oakland Museum of Art
- Mills College Art Museum
- Steven Stern Fine Arts Gallery
- The Henrietta Berk Research Project
- Bonhams
- Hilbert Museum
- Blue Heron Gallery
- Voiceofoc
- DailyArt Magazine
Locations
- Wichita
- Kansas
- San Francisco
- California
- Oakland
- Peru
- Paris
- Berlin