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Summary

M. Elizabeth Price painting in the

"Art appreciation is a hobby of mine."
-
M. Elizabeth Price, New York Sun, March 6, 1930

A dedicated, energetic artist and promoter of the arts, M. Elizabeth Price was well known as a painter, lecturer, and art teacher. Widely acclaimed as a "decorative" artist when the word held positive connotations, Price painted a wide range of subjects, although she was best known for her street scenes and floral still lifes. Her most distinctive works were paintings executed on a background of gold and silver leaf, imitating the technique of early Italian Renaissance artists. Committed to women's involvement in the arts, Price was a member of the Philadelphia Ten, a group of women artists who shared a common philosophy of art and who exhibited their work together from 1921 until 1945.

Zealously devoted to cultivating art appreciation in the general public, Price lectured widely and organized several exhibitions across America. In an attempt to cultivate creativity and an eye for beauty in children, she founded the Neighborhood Art School in New York City in 1917. M. Elizabeth Price's tireless efforts on behalf of the arts earned her a place of honor even in an artistic family as distinguished as her own.

Price studied at the Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Art, now known as the University of the Arts, and at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

She exhibited at the Corcoran Biennial in Washington, D.C., the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the National Academy of Design where she received the the Carnegie Prize for best oil painting by an American artist in 1927.

A tireless promoter of the arts, M. Elizabeth Price shared her zeal with her accomplished siblings. One brother, Frederic Newlin Price, owned the successful Ferargil Art Gallery in New York City; another brother, R. Moore Price, was an art dealer and an accomplished frame maker, while his wife, Elizabeth Freedley Price, was a painter; and her brother-in-law, Rae Sloan Bredin, was a member of the New Hope Group. Even in this company, M. Elizabeth Price distinguished herself for her cultivation of women's and children's involvement in the arts.

In attempt to boost women's confidence in their appreciation of art, Price lectured to women's groups, delighting them with canvases by her illustrious friends. Dedicated, also, to advancing the careers of female artists, Price chaired national associations of women artists and served as a member of a respected local organization, the Philadelphia Ten. Committed to stimulating children's creativity, Price founded the Neighborhood Art School in New York City, the success of which earned her national recognition. As an art educator, Price must have drawn upon the childhood experience that shaped not only her own, but also her siblings', extraordinary devotion to the arts.

M. Elizabeth Price painting in the "Glen", 1940. Image courtesy of Joseph Barrett.

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