Georgia O'Keeffe

1887-1986

Georgia kept returning to New Mexico every summer until her husband died in 1946. It was then she decided to move away from New York permanently and set up residence in the arid country she called "her land". In 1949, she purchased an abandoned hacienda in the village of Abiquiu, 16 miles from Ghost Ranch , where she had spent much time during the first half of the decade. In 1950, she decided to try and put on her own show, organizing "Georgia O’Keeffe: Paintings 1946-1950" to open at An American Place in October. Over the years to come, Georgia continued her work, and although her husband had passed away, it did not stop her from having many more shows. Edith Halpert, owner of The Downtown Gallery, took over as Georgia O'Keeffe's agent, treating her work with the same respect Alfred Stieglitz had in the past. In 1963, Doris Bry took became O'Keeffe's agent, and remained so until the end.

Over the years, Georgia's eyesight began to fail, and she found painting increasingly difficult; however, this affliction did not deter her from creating many more masterpieces, and in 1970, she set up a permanent exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art. The following year, she lost her central vision ,and from then on could not continue painting without assistance. She hired Juan Hamilton who also taught her how to make hand-rolled pots. Although she was could not paint any large canvases without Juan's help, she did continue with her watercolor and charcoal work unassisted until the mid 1980s. As her eyesight kept getting dimmer, Georgia said her only regret would be "that I will not be able to see this beautiful country anymore...unless the Indians are right and my spirit will walk here after I'm gone."

In 1977, she received the Medal of Freedom from President Gerald Ford, and was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Ronald Reagan in 1985. Her final years were spent in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with Juan Hamilton and his family, She died on March 6, 1986, at the age of 98. Her body was cremated, and Hamilton scattered her ashes over her "faraway". Georgia O'Keeffe's legacy is a rich one, and her art was as groundbreaking as it was beautiful to behold. She was a true American master.

"Fill a space in a beautiful way"
Georgia O'Keeffe

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