Celebrating a Trailblazing Female Artist who Struggled for Equality
Interview with
Authors Les and Sue Fox
Interview with
Authors Les and Sue Fox
Sue & Les
Photo Courtesy: Les and Sue Fox
Photo Courtesy: Les and Sue Fox
Les and Sue Fox share details about their ambitious quest to document the life and work of Fern Isabel Coppedge (1883-1951), whom they consider to be the greatest, female, winter landscape artist.
When were you first inspired to document the life and work of Fern Coppedge?
Before Fern’s work was celebrated in 1990 at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, we read Michele Stricker's 'Fern Coppedge: A Forgotten Woman' essay. We were inspired by her beautiful paintings and wanted to learn more about the artist. Unfortunately, we were involved with other projects at the time. It was 30 years later that we realized we needed to make contact with the living descendants of the Kuns/Coppedge family – those who could share memories, photos and letters. And since no art researcher or scholar had added much to what was known about Fern's life and career since 1990, we decided that it was up to us to preserve her memory and expand the body of knowledge of this gifted artist and trailblazer. She was special in so many ways, and we wanted the world to understand who she really was and how hard it was for her to achieve recognition a century ago.
There is still much to learn, and we are still actively doing research. We hope to create another retrospective exhibition by 2027 and increase the number of Fern's paintings in museums and public places.
You consider Fern to be "the greatest, female, winter landscape artist." Please explain.
When were you first inspired to document the life and work of Fern Coppedge?
Before Fern’s work was celebrated in 1990 at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, we read Michele Stricker's 'Fern Coppedge: A Forgotten Woman' essay. We were inspired by her beautiful paintings and wanted to learn more about the artist. Unfortunately, we were involved with other projects at the time. It was 30 years later that we realized we needed to make contact with the living descendants of the Kuns/Coppedge family – those who could share memories, photos and letters. And since no art researcher or scholar had added much to what was known about Fern's life and career since 1990, we decided that it was up to us to preserve her memory and expand the body of knowledge of this gifted artist and trailblazer. She was special in so many ways, and we wanted the world to understand who she really was and how hard it was for her to achieve recognition a century ago.
There is still much to learn, and we are still actively doing research. We hope to create another retrospective exhibition by 2027 and increase the number of Fern's paintings in museums and public places.
You consider Fern to be "the greatest, female, winter landscape artist." Please explain.
It's always controversial to claim that someone is 'The Greatest'- except for Muhammed Ali, of course! Was Houdini really the greatest escape artist of all time? Was Hank Aaron the greatest home run hitter? Despite our best effort, we could not find a single female artist who could paint snow scenes as well as Ms. Coppedge. We considered super talented Impressionists and Modernists, such as Mary Cassatt, Jane Peterson and Georgia O'Keeffe. However, in our opinion, no other well-known, female artist – except Grandma Moses – specialized in winter landscapes.
Fern was obsessed with the hidden colors and emotions expressed by the effect of new fallen snow and its symbiotic relationship to its colorful surroundings. Although she is more famous than Fern, Grandma Moses did not really try to capture the beauty of snow. Her works presented the snow as a neutral background color. And yes, we did find other women artists (like Gladys Mitchell) who could occasionally paint a 'Fern Quality' snow scene. But we were unable to find any woman artist (and few men artists) who, like Fern and Edward Redfield, would trudge out into a raging blizzard and paint what they saw until their fingers froze and something eternal was captured in oil on canvas! We'd be very interested to learn of other candidates for Fern Coppedge's ‘title.’ |
January Sunshine (c. 1930) - Antiques Roadshow
CWF-24 in Catalogue Raisonne Photo Courtesy: Antiques Roadshow WGBH/Boston (2021) |
Fern Isabel Coppedge
Photo Courtesy: Les and Sue Fox |
Was Fern’s move to Pennsylvania one of the reasons she was able to garner support of her work?
There is no doubt that after painting and exhibiting in Kansas, Gloucester and New York, Fern realized instantly that Bucks County was where her destiny would incubate and grow. There are some talented and moderately successful Midwest women artists, notably members of the Hoosier School (the only widely acknowledged Midwest genre art group), such as Ada Shulz and Leota Loop. But the Pennsylvania Impressionists, led by Daniel Garber and Edward Redfield, were the only 20th Century American Impressionists (second generation) who can legitimately be compared to the likes of Monet and the French Impressionists. Proximity to the art centers of New York, Philadelphia and New England also gave the East Coast painters an advantage over Midwest artists. Fern saw this and knew that she would have a better chance at making money and winning acclaim in Pennsylvania. Ironically, her big break came in 1916 when she gained national attention for her work in Gloucester, Massachusetts in a Philadelphia art show. As illustrated in our book, she was first identified as a great Topeka artist, but Fern used this as a stepping-stone to greener (and whiter) pastures in the Keystone State. |
As the only female member of the New Hope School, were there any male members who truly accepted her as an equal, or was her inability to fit in as 'one of the boys' the reason she began to associate with women's arts groups?
Sadly, we never found any evidence that any of 'the New Hope Boys' treated Fern with proper respect. They were forced to accept her talent, popularity and prize-winning ability, but they never wanted to be associated with her. Her teacher and mentor, Daniel Garber, whom she revered (she lived across the street from him for ten years and painted his cottage dozens of times), once said that no one understood or could express color quite like Fern Coppedge. Yet even Garber did not praise Fern the way she deserved to be praised. There are no known photos of Fern with any of the male artists. There are no letters or other documentation to prove they admired her or thought she was a great talent. Even her next-door neighbor in New Hope, John Folinsbee, hardly spoke to her. The Folinsbee family was unable to shed any light on this situation.
Ironically, Fern is now the most fascinating and sought after of all of the New Hope artists, some of whom painted with technical superiority but not with the same creativity, imagination and spirit.
How important was her relationship with the women of the Philadelphia Ten? It seems she sought several women's groups, including the National Association of Women Artists, to help promote her work at various exhibitions.
Sadly, we never found any evidence that any of 'the New Hope Boys' treated Fern with proper respect. They were forced to accept her talent, popularity and prize-winning ability, but they never wanted to be associated with her. Her teacher and mentor, Daniel Garber, whom she revered (she lived across the street from him for ten years and painted his cottage dozens of times), once said that no one understood or could express color quite like Fern Coppedge. Yet even Garber did not praise Fern the way she deserved to be praised. There are no known photos of Fern with any of the male artists. There are no letters or other documentation to prove they admired her or thought she was a great talent. Even her next-door neighbor in New Hope, John Folinsbee, hardly spoke to her. The Folinsbee family was unable to shed any light on this situation.
Ironically, Fern is now the most fascinating and sought after of all of the New Hope artists, some of whom painted with technical superiority but not with the same creativity, imagination and spirit.
How important was her relationship with the women of the Philadelphia Ten? It seems she sought several women's groups, including the National Association of Women Artists, to help promote her work at various exhibitions.
Our book states, ‘On a scale of 1 to 10, the Philadelphia Ten was a solid 10 in promoting Fern Coppedge's art career.’ After exhibiting and selling paintings in Topeka, Kansas and Gloucester, Massachusetts from 1915 to 1920 at $50 to $150, Fern purchased her first 'Boxwood' home and studio in Lumberville, Pennsylvania where she represented her work for ten years. In 1921, she met Mary Elizabeth Price, a successful artist who had recently joined the Philadelphia Ten art sisterhood to gain exposure. Fern joined in 1922, the same year she helped organize 'Art Week' in downtown Philadelphia. From 1922 to 1935, Fern constantly showed and sold paintings with this organization, mostly at the Philadelphia Art Club. By 1935, Coppedge felt she had built a strong enough reputation to market her paintings mainly at her second 'Boxwood' home which overlooked the Delaware River in New Hope.
The National Association of Women's Artists, which Fern joined around 1916, was extremely helpful in getting Fern noticed in New York, the art capital of the world. NAWA, an organization which preceded the Philadelphia Ten by 28 years and was the first women's fine arts organization in the U.S., promoted the work of luminaries like Mary Cassatt, Louise Nevelson and Alice Neel. The Philadelphia Ten's focus was on Pennsylvania artists. Fern never became famous in New York, even though she personally arranged for a solo exhibition at the Carlyle Hotel in 1931. |
Gloucester Harbor ~ 30 x 36 inches
Damaged during Hurricane Camille - Foxes are Restoring Photo Courtesy: Les and Sue Fox |
Click Cover for Excerpt
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While writing this book, what was the most surprising fact you learned?
Several things surprised us. Fern's everlasting financial support came from her husband and devoted life partner, Robert Coppedge, a modest high school teacher about whom little was known until our book was published. Fern's family supported her emotionally, but they gave her no financial assistance. Instead, she helped them, to the best of her ability, after Robert's salary was surpassed by her earnings in the 1930s. We were also surprised to learn that Fern lived across the street from the waterfront cottage of Daniel Garber (not his 'Cuttalossa' estate), one of the leaders of the New Hope School and arguably Fern's most influential art teacher. Prior to our research, Garber's 'Bittersweet' cottage in Lumberville was erroneously believed to be Fern's first 'Boxwood' studio (shown on the cover of our book). Fern loved to paint Bittersweet, and art buyers loved this idyllic scene, which is why she re-created it over and over. |
Although Fern and Robert Coppedge were married and loved each other from 1904 to 1948, between 1920 and 1948, they mostly lived in two separate houses (he in Philly, she in Bucks County), sharing their lives the way contemporary workaholics might co-exist in New York or Hollywood.
As a married couple writing this book together, how did your support of each other help you to complete this incredibly ambitious project?
Sue and Les have been married for 50 years, but called upon their innermost reserves of patience and stamina to avoid bickering over silly issues regarding the book’s publication.
For more than two years, from 2019 to 2021, Sue and I literally spent every single day researching and writing this book while supporting our daughter, Jamison, an aspiring songwriter and former music teacher living in Nashville.
We knew from the start that this labor of love would be a costly self-publishing enterprise that would probably not be our second national bestseller. (Fingers still crossed.) We had set aside enough money to create and print a limited First Edition of 1,000 high-quality hardcover books. We tracked down and communicated with everyone who could possibly shed light on the artist's personal life and professional career.
We occasionally disagreed with each other over the wisdom of spending so much time, effort and money to write a book that might only be read by a regional audience. But Fern's paintings have been selling for six figures, so we hope many people will want to know more about her. In fact, we understand that 'Winter Decoration,' one of Fern's masterpieces (page 61 in our book) will be sold at auction in June 2022.
Needless to say, we are very proud of the book and still happily married!
Does each of you have a favorite painting?
We agree that 'Back Road To Pipersville' (pages 74 to 76 in our book) is unquestionably our favorite painting. Donated to the James A. Michener Art Museum by her parents in 1999, the granddaughter of the man who bought it from Fern in 1938 for $1,000 as an anniversary gift told us about the famous painting her family once owned.
While writing the book, we searched for the Pipersville area of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, but could not find the exact location that inspired the painting. Unlike many of Coppedge's finer works, this piece appears to have only been painted once. It was extensively exhibited in the 1930s and is on permanent display in the Michener Museum in Doylestown, PA.
A close second favorite is ‘Winter Decoration.' Our book, includes a Catalogue Raisonne of over 400 Coppedge paintings.
What advice would Fern give a 21st century, female artist who is uncomfortable promoting her own work?
First, we think Fern would tell the artist that standing out from the crowd and becoming successful is a long-term proposition. She would then advise the artist to paint what she feels in her heart and soul. In Fern's case, snow was her passion and a lifetime obsession. Fern would also advise a protégé to enter art competitions frequently and exhibit anywhere her work could be seen and appreciated publicly. Today, an aspiring artist can utilize marketing techniques that were not available in the 1920s and 1930s, such as a website and social media.
This is the precise reason we were inspired to create the nonprofit Fern Coppedge Art Scholarship program whereby we hope to discover ‘future Fern Coppedges’ among the myriad of talented, young, female artists faced with the same challenges Fern overcame in her day.
Please share more details about the Fern Coppedge Art Scholarship Fund.
We believe that there are young female artists with the talent, originality and creativity to follow in the footsteps of Fern Coppedge. We created an art scholarship program to give these artists the opportunity to attend the same art schools where Fern studied from 1908 to 1919 (the Chicago Art Institute, the Art Students League and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts or PAFA) as well as other reputable art schools in the U.S.
With the help of donors and sponsors, we plan to support aspiring artists with financial needs. An Art Evaluation Committee will choose from a pool of talented candidates, and those selected will be well on their way to developing promising careers in the arts.
As a married couple writing this book together, how did your support of each other help you to complete this incredibly ambitious project?
Sue and Les have been married for 50 years, but called upon their innermost reserves of patience and stamina to avoid bickering over silly issues regarding the book’s publication.
For more than two years, from 2019 to 2021, Sue and I literally spent every single day researching and writing this book while supporting our daughter, Jamison, an aspiring songwriter and former music teacher living in Nashville.
We knew from the start that this labor of love would be a costly self-publishing enterprise that would probably not be our second national bestseller. (Fingers still crossed.) We had set aside enough money to create and print a limited First Edition of 1,000 high-quality hardcover books. We tracked down and communicated with everyone who could possibly shed light on the artist's personal life and professional career.
We occasionally disagreed with each other over the wisdom of spending so much time, effort and money to write a book that might only be read by a regional audience. But Fern's paintings have been selling for six figures, so we hope many people will want to know more about her. In fact, we understand that 'Winter Decoration,' one of Fern's masterpieces (page 61 in our book) will be sold at auction in June 2022.
Needless to say, we are very proud of the book and still happily married!
Does each of you have a favorite painting?
We agree that 'Back Road To Pipersville' (pages 74 to 76 in our book) is unquestionably our favorite painting. Donated to the James A. Michener Art Museum by her parents in 1999, the granddaughter of the man who bought it from Fern in 1938 for $1,000 as an anniversary gift told us about the famous painting her family once owned.
While writing the book, we searched for the Pipersville area of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, but could not find the exact location that inspired the painting. Unlike many of Coppedge's finer works, this piece appears to have only been painted once. It was extensively exhibited in the 1930s and is on permanent display in the Michener Museum in Doylestown, PA.
A close second favorite is ‘Winter Decoration.' Our book, includes a Catalogue Raisonne of over 400 Coppedge paintings.
What advice would Fern give a 21st century, female artist who is uncomfortable promoting her own work?
First, we think Fern would tell the artist that standing out from the crowd and becoming successful is a long-term proposition. She would then advise the artist to paint what she feels in her heart and soul. In Fern's case, snow was her passion and a lifetime obsession. Fern would also advise a protégé to enter art competitions frequently and exhibit anywhere her work could be seen and appreciated publicly. Today, an aspiring artist can utilize marketing techniques that were not available in the 1920s and 1930s, such as a website and social media.
This is the precise reason we were inspired to create the nonprofit Fern Coppedge Art Scholarship program whereby we hope to discover ‘future Fern Coppedges’ among the myriad of talented, young, female artists faced with the same challenges Fern overcame in her day.
Please share more details about the Fern Coppedge Art Scholarship Fund.
We believe that there are young female artists with the talent, originality and creativity to follow in the footsteps of Fern Coppedge. We created an art scholarship program to give these artists the opportunity to attend the same art schools where Fern studied from 1908 to 1919 (the Chicago Art Institute, the Art Students League and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts or PAFA) as well as other reputable art schools in the U.S.
With the help of donors and sponsors, we plan to support aspiring artists with financial needs. An Art Evaluation Committee will choose from a pool of talented candidates, and those selected will be well on their way to developing promising careers in the arts.
The Fern Coppedge Art Scholarship Fund is a nonprofit providing an opportunity for talented, young women to follow in the footsteps of a great American artist.
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Contact Les & Sue Fox |