Merry Renk

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Merry Renk
Born
Mary Ruth Gibbs[1]

(1921-07-08)July 8, 1921
Trenton, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedJune 17, 2012(2012-06-17) (aged 90)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Other namesMerry Renk-Curtis
EducationIIT Institute of Design
Spouse(s)Stanley Edwin Renk (m.1941–1945, death)[1]
Earle Watt Curtis (m.1958–2008, death)
Children2

Merry Gibbs Renk (July 8, 1921 – June 17, 2012), also known as Merry Renk-Curtis, was American jewelry designer, goldsmith, and sculptor.

Biography[]

Mary Ruth Gibbs was born on July 8, 1921 in Trenton, New Jersey.[1][2] From 1939 until 1941, she attended the Trenton School of Industrial Arts to study painting.[2][3] She became interested in art around the end of World War II, after the death of her first husband.[4]

In 1946, Renk moved to Chicago and enrolled in the IIT Institute of Design, studying industrial design.[2] Between 1947 and 1948, Renk co-found a gallery 750 STUDIO in Chicago with Oliv Oliver and Mary Jo Slick.[3] During this time she started experimenting with light metals and jewelry; she was a self-taught jeweler.[2][4]

In 1948, she travelled to Europe and eventually settled in San Francisco, where she met Margaret de Patta.[2][3] Renk started creating organic forms in her jewelry and they grew in popularity, and later she started creating tiaras and crowns.[2] In 1951, she was invited to join the Metal Arts Guild in San Francisco, she ended up being a founding member.[5] By 1954, Renk served as President of the Metal Arts Guild and she remained active in the group until age 90.[5]

At the age of 60, in 1982, she decided to focus on painting.[2] In 1994, Renk was elected a fellow at the American Craft Council (ACC).[2]

Death and legacy[]

Renk died on June 17, 2012 in San Francisco of congestive heart failure.[4] Renk's work is many public museum collections including Renwick Gallery,[2] the Oakland Museum of California,[2] the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,[2] among others. 

Personal life[]

In 1941, she married Stanley Edwin Renk.[1] During World War II, her first husband Stanley died in 1945. In 1958, she married potter Earle Watt Curtis, and together they had two daughters.[2] Earle Watt Curtis died in October 30, 2008.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Oral history interview with Merry Renk, 2001 January 18-19". Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. 2001-01-19. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l Shaykett, Jessica (June 25, 2012). "Remembering: Merry Renk". American Craft Council (ACC).
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c Doornbusch, Esther (2020-07-02). "Merry Renk". Hedendaagse sieraden (in Dutch). Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Merry Renk Curtis". Legacy.com. San Francisco Chronicle. June 24, 2012.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Sea, Baunnie; Gans, Jennifer Cross (2012-07-17). "In Remembrance: Merry Renk". Society of North American Goldsmiths. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  6. ^ "Earle Curtis Obituary". Legacy.com. San Francisco Chronicle. 2008. Retrieved 2021-03-10.

External links[]

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