Judith Schermer

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Judith Schermer
Born (1941-02-19) February 19, 1941 (age 82) [1] :184
Detroit [1] :184
Occupation(s)Painter; [2] former children's author/illustrator [1]
Years activec. 1973–2000s [1] :185 [2] [3]
Children2 daughters [1] :184
Parents
Relatives1 sister [4]

Judith Schermer (born on February 19, 1941) is a Detroit-born, Philadelphia-based painter who also wrote and illustrated for children during the 1970s and 1980s.

Contents

Life and career

Schermer was born on February 19, 1941 in Detroit, Michigan. [1] :184 Her father, Minnesota-born George Schermer, [5] worked in human and urban relations; [1] :184 [4] her mother Bernice had jobs in real estate and teaching. [1] :184 She attended the Universities of Colorado and Pennsylvania in 1964, and Chicago during 1965–67, returning to the Pennsylvania facilities in 1970–72. [1] She was also a member of the Philadelphia Art Alliance. [1] :184

Schermer studied anthropology in college, [3] but later chose to pursue a career in painting and illustration. [1] :185 [3] Self-taught in that field, she used oils and acrylics in her artwork. [1] :185 Between c. 1973 and 1983, she illustrated titles by other writers; [3] [6] by 1979, she also illustrated Mouse in House , her first and only book as an author. [1] :185 [3]

In 1995, the rundown state of the Philadelphia Naval Home (situated close to her residence) inspired Schermer to create a painting called Burgeoning. [7] Entering the 2000s, her works were exhibited at the city's Third Street Gallery. [2]

Critical analysis

As The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote in March 2000, "Schermer's [evocation of] lines, angles and shadows [in depictions of buildings]... results in crisply defined patterns of the kind that Charles Sheeler made famous. ... [Her] small-scale [art is] understated in every particular, but not so matter-of-fact that they seem as ordinary as her raw material." [8] Her works, according to the Philadelphia Daily News , "capture a contemporary moment reminiscent of early DeChirico paintings, when forms seem suspended in time." [9]

Selected works

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Mouse in House is a 1979 children's picture book, which gave Philadelphia artist and illustrator Judith Schermer her only such writing credit. The account of a turn-of-the-20th-century family who wrecks their home trying to get rid of a mouse, it was published by Houghton Mifflin to positive reviews.

Stepdog is a 1983 children's book by Marlene Fanta Shyer, with illustrations by Judith Schermer. Shyer's story revolves around a girl's excitement over her father's new wife, and the jealousy the latter's pet dog develops after they wed. It received positive reviews, and several publications throughout the 1980s discussed its portrayal of stepfamily dynamics.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Commire, Anne, ed. (1983). "Schermer, Judith (Denise) 1941–" . Something About the Author. Vol. 30. Gale Research. pp. 184–185. ISBN   0-8103-0055-9 . Retrieved July 15, 2023 via Internet Archive.
  2. 1 2 3 Sozanski, Edward J. (October 22, 2004). "Museums • Galleries — Art: Into the trees" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . p. W22. Retrieved July 15, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Eby, Eleanor (July 15, 1979). "Children's corner: Field and mouse: Picture books" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . p. 15-I. Archived from the original on July 10, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 3 "Urban Relations Consultant George Schermer, 78, Dies" . The Washington Post . June 5, 1989. p. D04. Retrieved July 15, 2023 via ProQuest.
  5. 1 2 Loyd, Linda (June 5, 1989). "Obituary: George Schermer, Housing Activist" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . p. E.10. Retrieved July 15, 2023 via ProQuest.
  6. 1 2 Cuddigan, Maureen; Hanson, Mary Beth (1988). "Emotions and Feelings: Jealousy" . Growing Pains: Helping Children Deal with Everyday Problems Through Reading. American Library Association (ALA). p. 47. ISBN   0-8389-0469-6 . Retrieved July 15, 2023 via Internet Archive.
  7. Dove, Pheralyn (December 15, 1995). "In Abington show, a celebration of artistry and community" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . p. N5. Retrieved July 15, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  8. Sozanski, Edward J. (March 31, 2000). "Museums • Galleries — Art: Architectural patterns" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . p. W42. Retrieved July 15, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  9. Fabbri, Anne R. (March 3, 2000). "Bright Idea: Shed the Darkness and Gloom of Winter – Gallery-Hop by Daylight" . Philadelphia Daily News . p. 76. Retrieved July 15, 2023 via ProQuest.
  10. Monson, Dianne L., ed. (1985). "Contemporary Realistic Fiction: Stories About Everyday Life: Picture Books". Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K - Grade 6 (PDF). National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). p. 160. ISBN   0-8141-0076-7 . Retrieved July 15, 2023 via ERIC.ed.gov Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .