NYSWA FOUNDERS
The New York Society of Women Artists
Marguerite Thompson Zorach (1887-1968)
Lucile Lundquist Blanch (1895-1981)
Concetta Scaravaglione (1900-1975)
Today, the New York Society of Women Artists finds itself tasked with remaking itself. We aspire to birth new schools of art and encourage new avenues of exchange and discussion. As we embrace women who work in many diverse artistic styles from abstract to realism, we dedicate ourselves with a look to the future and a respect for our past.
Research by Rachelle Weisberger, Chair of the Keystone Committee.
Concetta Scaravaglione (1900-1975)
When sculptor Concetta Scaravaglione received the green light from her italian immigrant family to attend art school, her burning desire to be an artist was finally realized. Throughout her career that spanned over five decades, she kept this artistic flame alive by deciding to never marry.
While funds were scarce for the Scaravagliones, their spirited 16 year old daughter pursued her studies in the tuition-free National Academy school in her hometown of New York. When the size of her sculpture class dwindled down to only Scaravagioline attending, the school cancelled the all-female class. School rules against coed classes prevented her from joining the all-male class.
Looking ahead to pay her tuition at the Art Students League, Scaravaglione worked in a perfume factory and also in a lampshade factory. However, almost immediately after enrolling at the school, her financial woes were put to rest when she was awarded a scholarship. There she studied drawing with John Sloan and sculpture with William Zorach, among others. In 1924 she was awarded a scholarship to the Masters Institute of Sculpture to study with Robert Laurent.
In the mid 1920’s, Scaravaglione came into her own as a professional artist that also included a side profession of teaching. In 1926, she was elected to the New York Society of Women Artists and that year in their group show, her work was singled out for praise. Two years later, at age 28, Scaravaglione received invitations to exhibit her work at the Whitney Studio, later the Whitney Museum and the Brooklyn Museum.. In 1930, she participated in the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition, “46 painters and Sculptors Under 35 Years of Age.”
During this period Scaravaglione launched her teaching career at NYU. She was also receiving recognition for her work that secured future commissions and awards. In 1935, she received the Widener Gold Medal from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.. Her sculpture, “Girl with a Gazelle,” was exhibited in the 1938 Federal Art Outdoor Show, and was featured on the covers of both Newsweek and Art Digest.
It is noteworthy that in 1947 she was the first woman awarded the Prix de Rome from the American Academy. This grant provided her with an opportunity to live and work in Italy and to collaborate with other artists. During this time, Scaravaglione composed “Icarus,” a bronze sculpture that was included in a 1951 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Scaravaglione returned to the United States in the early 1950’s. Recognizing a changed art world, she resumed her teaching career at Vassar in 1952. Nevertheless, her sculpture was included in the 1964 New York World’s Fair. When she retired from teaching in 1967, she had a solo show at the Vassar Art Gallery. At age 72, Scaravaglione had her first New York one-woman show at the Kraushaar Galleries.
Concetta Scaravaglione was one of the original members of NYSWA.
After a long bout with cancer, she died at age 75.