Kathleen Gemberling Adkison

"October" by Kathleen Gemberling Adkison, 1966

Kathleen Gemberling Adkison (Gemberling) (1917–2010)^[1] was the last surviving artist trained under Mark Tobey (Jackson Pollock's inspiration). Adkison was an abstract painter who was considered one of the Northwest's premier female artists.

Her work has been shown in museums as early as 1960 when the Frye Art Museum staged a solo show of her work.^[2] She also had a show at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, (formerly Cheney Cowles Memorial Museum).^[3] in Spokane, Washington, from December 13, 1973 to January 13, 1974. Her work can be seen in exhibitions and museums across the Pacific Northwest.

Like Jackson Pollock, Adkison worked with her canvas on the floor. She is recognized as the first female to do so. However, her focus is based on the natural beauty of rocks, trees, tall grasses and other images she perceived from her hikes with her husband.

Adkison was a critically acclaimed artist and highly recognized for her work.^[4] She was among only eight women included in "Northwest Art Today" at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. She died in August 2010.^[5][6][7]

Kathleen Gemberling Adkinson was the feature of a solo retrospective at the Cheney Cowles Museum, in Spokane, Washington from March 27, 1999 to June 27, 1999. It was the first retrospective of her work, at that museum, since 1974.

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