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Ada Howe Kent

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ada Howe Kent (1858 – June 30, 1942) was an American artist and philanthropist.[1] She was a mentee of James Abbott McNeill Whistler and worked with M. Louise Stowell. She was a member of the American Watercolor Society and the Rochester Art Club.[2] Kent also had a large collection of Japanese prints.[1]

Biography

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Ada Howe Kent was a student of James Abbott McNeill in Paris, and was also a student of Abbott Thayer and George de Forest Brush.[1][3] She was an artist during the Arts and Crafts movement who worked closely with M. Louise Stowell and Harvey Ellis. Her watercolor was heavily influenced by Japanese prints, which she had a large collection of.[3][1] Her art was said to have "mystical overtones and a symbolism that is reminiscent of the Pre-Raphaelites.”[3] Kent worked with the Mechanics Institute to organize Arts and Crafts exhibitions.[3] Kent was also an alum of the Livingston Park Seminary and an original member of the Rochester Tuesday Reading Club. She was a philanthropist who gifted Kent Hall to the Rochester Y.W.C.A in 1916. She was also part of the board of managers for Rochester State Industrial School.

Exhibitions

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Kent had multiple exhibitions in during her life. She exhibited at the National Academy of Design in 1890 and then in 1893. Kent also had exhibitions with the Boston Art Club in 1893, 1896 and 1905. Between 1896 and 1897, she had an exhibition in the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Annual Exhibition. She had another exhibition with the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1902. Kent also exhibited with the Art Institute of Chicago between 1900-1901 as well as 1905-1906.[4]

Art

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Image shows a light-skinned, redheaded woman in a dress that has an ombre affect, with light pink on top and white on bottom. The bottom of the dress has light purple flowers on the edge of it. The woman is also wearing multiple long scarves that are green, light purple, and purple with yellow flowers. She also has a purple flower in her hair, which is styled in an updo. The woman is holding a blue and yellow bowl on the same plane as her face. There are two doves sitting on the bowl, the one in the background is white and the one in the foreground is blue. There are three more doves by the woman's feet and another dove flying into the picture in the upper-right corner. In the lower-right corner there is a tall plant with yellow flowers. The background of the picture shows rolling hills with a trail in various shades of green and tan. In the upper-left corner, the background has a set of dark green trees with little detail.
Woman Feeding Birds by Ada Howe Kent and M. Louise Stowell, 1902

References

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  1. ^ a b c d TH, Sgecla to; TreES, NZW YoRK (1942-07-01). "ADA HOWE KENT, 84; A PHILANTHROPIST; Rochester Woman, a Painter, Studied Art in Paris With James McN. Whistler". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
  2. ^ Hughes, Edan Milton. Artists in California, 1786-1940.
  3. ^ a b c d Ludwig, Coy L. The Arts and Crafts Movement in New York State: 1890s - 1920s.
  4. ^ "Ada Howe KENT (1858-1942) - Biography, life, background and work by Artprice". Artprice.com. Retrieved 2022-11-29.