Call Number:

04

Repository:

Woodmere Art Museum

Extent:

2.0 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

circa 1950s-2000s

Creator:

Woodmere Art Museum

Abstract:

Woodmere Art Museum, located in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was officially established in 1940 through the will of Charles Knox Smith and is dedicated to Philadelphia-area artists. Woodmere Art Museum small collections of artists' papers, circa 1950s-2000s, consist of small amounts of photographs and slides, sketches, exhibition materials and other documents related to artwork, memorials, and other materials from artists who have a connection to Philadelphia and Woodmere Art Museum. Artists represented in the collection include Walter Erlebacher, Betty W. Hubbard, Jerome Kaplan, Charlotte Schatz, and Leon Sitarchuk.

Woodmere Art Museum, located in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was officially established in 1940 through the will of Charles Knox Smith and is dedicated to Philadelphia-area artists.

Walter Erlebacher (1933-1991) was a figure sculptor and teacher in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1933. Erlebacher came to the United States with his family in 1940. In 1947 he enrolled in the Pratt Institute in New York City, where he received bachelor's and master's degrees in industrial design, but became interested in sculpture. He experimented with creating abstract metal sculptures before moving on to figure sculpture. In 1966 he began teaching at the Philadelphia College of Art (now University of the Arts) in Philadelphia, where he became a professor in 1974 and continued to teach until his passing in 1991. He also lectured at the New York Academy of Art. In 1976, he received a commission from the Eucharistic Congress, which resulted in his bronze, life-size statue "Jesus Breaking Bread" located beside the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Works of both Walter Erlebacher and his wife, artist Martha Mayer Erlebacher (1937-2013) can be found at Woodmere Museum of Art in the Chestnut Hill area of Philadelphia, PA.

Elizabeth Conrad Welsh Hubbard (1901-1967) was an American artist born in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1901 to Emily Loomis Price and Samuel Welsh. Known as "Betty," she studied art with Arthur B. Charles (1880-1958), at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Arts and with Henry A. McCarter (1864-1942) and Daniel Garber (1880-1958) in summer sessions in Chester Springs, PA and Ventnor, NJ. Betty married Arthur Daniel Paul (1898-1976) in 1922 and they had two children together, but the marriage did not last. In the 1930s, Betty married New York artist Richard L. Hubbard (1903-1993), they had one child together and for over 30 years they lived and created art work in both New York and Cape Cod. Several of Betty's paintings are at the Woodmere Art Museum.

Jerome Kaplan (1920-1997) was a graphic artist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who served as chair and professor of the Printmaking Department at the University of Arts. His art can be found in several museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the British Museum, and Woodmere Art Museum.

Charlotte Schatz is a sculptor and painter, who also creates drawings and digital pieces. Born in 1929 in Philadelphia, PA, Schatz attended Temple University's Tyler School of Art and majored in sculpture. In addition to pursuing her own art, Schatz taught sculpture and design at Bucks County Community College from 1973 to the early 2000s. Her work is award-winning and can be found in public and private collections in the United States, France , and Venezuela. Schatz has participated in several group exhibitions at Woodmere Art Museum. Still active as of 2016, Schatz has a studio in Philadelphia.

Leon Sitarchuk (1922-1993) was a sculptor, painter, and teacher in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While a student at Simon Gratz High School, he painted several murals in the school cafeteria and hallways. He graduated from Temple University's Tyler School of Art with bachelor's and master's degrees in fine arts and education. He served in the United States Army during World War II and received the Purple Heart, Victory Ribbon, and American Theater Service Ribbon. While still working on his own art, Sitarchuk taught art classes at Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts), the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Delaware Art Museum, Woodmere Art Museum, and the Cheltenham Township Art Center. His sculptures can be found at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in a park near South and 8th streets, at Woodmere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill, and in other places, including private collections.

Bibliography:

Rosenberg, Amy S. "Artist Leon Sitarchuk." Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA), November 30, 1993. Accessed August 18, 2016. http://articles.philly.com/1993-11-30/news/25944446_1_art-program-temple-university-s-tyler-school-woodmere-art-museum.

Schatz, Charlotte. "Artist Statement." 2016. Accessed August 18, 2016. http://www.charlotteschatz.com/#!artist-statement/c1j2q.

Senior Artists Initiative. "Anne and Jerome Kaplan Learning Center." Accessed August 18, 2016. http://www.seniorartists.org/kaplanlearningcenter.html.

Wallace, Andy. "Walter S. Erlebacher, 57, Sculptor And Professor At Phila. Art School." Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA), August 23, 1991. Accessed August 18, 2016. http://articles.philly.com/1991-08-23/news/25807186_1_human-figure-martha-mayer-erlebacher-sculpture.

Woodmere Art Museum. "Betty W. Hubbard, Self Portrait." 2016. Accessed on August 18, 2016. https://woodmereartmuseum.org/explore-online/collection/self-portrait-1578.

Woodmere Art Museum small collections of artists' papers, circa 1950s-2000s, consist of small amounts of photographs and slides, sketches, exhibition materials and other documents related to artwork, memorials, and other materials from artists who have a connection to Philadelphia and Woodmere Art Museum. Artists represented in the collection include Walter Erlebacher, Betty W. Hubbard, Jerome Kaplan, Charlotte Schatz, and Leon Sitarchuk.

Walter Erlebacher papers, circa 2000s, include photographs, slides, a CD with images of his artwork, and documentation of "A Mythic History" his master opus, a sculptural tableau of life stages he was working on when he died.

Betty W. Hubbard photographs and artifacts, undated, include modern scans of family photographs taken circa 1930 and artifacts. Some of the photographs are identified.

Jerome Kaplan papers, circa 1950s-1960s, include exhibit catalogs; Society of American Graphic Artist newsletters, minutes, and information on award nominees; and a sales receipt and letter from the Print Club in Philadelphia, where he exhibited work.

Charlotte Schatz exhibition papers, circa 1970s-1990s, consist of catalogs from Schatz's exhibitions in the Philadelphia-area and photocopies of publicity materials related to her exhibitions.

Leon Sitarchuk papers, 1970s-1990s, consist of sketches, newspaper clippings, photographs, documentation of his work being exhibited, slides of his artwork, materials relating to a mural he painted for a school, and papers gathered at his funeral, including memorials and other writings about him.