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Betty Cooke

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Betty Cooke
Born
Catherine Elizabeth Cooke

(1924-05-05) May 5, 1924 (age 100)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materJohns Hopkins University, Maryland Institute College of Art
Known forDesigner, Metalworker Jewelry Designer
MovementAmerican Modernist
SpouseWilliam C. Steinmetz
External audio
audio icon “Conversations Podcast 1: Betty Cooke”, Cara Ober, BMoreArt

Betty Cooke (born May 5, 1924-) is an American designer principally known for her jewelry.[1][2][3][4][5] She has had a career of over 73 years as a designer.[6] Her pieces have been shown nationally and internationally and are included in a number of museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York.

Early life and education

Catherine Elizabeth "Betty" Cooke was born in Baltimore, Maryland on May 5, 1924. After taking art classes in high school, she went to the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she later taught.[7] In addition to teaching jewelry design, she developed a class in "Design and Materials" for furniture design with wood, metal, fabric, and leather. During this time she met her husband-to-be, artist Bill Steinmetz.[1]

Design Career

In 1946, Cooke bought and restored an old rowhouse on Tyson Street in Mount Vernon in Baltimore. She and her partner Bill Steinmetz restored it for use as a house and shop and established a design consultancy there.[3]

They later established The Store Ltd at the Village of Cross Keys in Baltimore in 1965.[2][3]

Early in her career, she designed furniture and household articles as well handbags, belts and jewelry. Her first store-front was a small house on Tyson Street, where she lived. In 1955, she married Bill Steinmetz. The couple worked together as designers "Cooke and Steinmetz". Their projects included a restaurant, a bowling alley, and a church.[1]

Jewelry design

Although she reads widely in the areas of art and design, Betty Cooke is largely self-trained. Her jewelry style is influenced by Bauhaus and modernism, and is very simple and pure. Her pieces have been sold through museums (Museum of Modern Art, Hirshhorn Museum) and contemporary designers (Keegs in Washington). She has designed jewelry for Kirk Stieff and for Geoffrey Beene's shows in New York and Milan.[1]

“There is an enduring timelessness about her work, and today, as she did 50 years ago, she continues to create work that is extraordinary in its clean, spare architectural line and stunning simplicity.” Fred Lazarus IV, president of Maryland Institute College of Art[8]

Exhibitions

Awards

Collections

Betty Cooke's work is found in museum collections, including:

Catalogues

  • Design, Jewelry, Betty Cooke : June 2-25 1995. (Catalog of an exhibition held at the Meyerhoff Gallery). Baltimore, MD: Maryland Institute College of Art. 1995. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)

Awards

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Oral history interview with Betty Cooke, 2004 July 1-2". Archives of American Art. Smithsonian Archives of American Art. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  2. ^ a b Sugarman, Joe (2015). "Town Jewel Betty Cooke's The Store Ltd just turned 50 years old. And at 90, she's not slowing down". Baltimore Magazine. Retrieved 8 March 2016. Cite error: The named reference "Sugarman" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c Kelly, Jacques (February 6, 2015). "Designers make lifelong impact on Baltimore's arts scene". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 8 March 2016. Cite error: The named reference "Kelly" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ "A Visit with Betty Cooke Designer, Silversmith". Silver Salon Forums. SM Publications. September 2, 2006.
  5. ^ Kirkham, Pat (2000). Women designers in the USA, 1900-2000 : diversity and difference : Jacqueline M. Atkins ... [et al.]. New York: Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts. p. 207. ISBN 9780300093315. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  6. ^ Cooke, Betty (June 2–25, 1995). Design, Jewelry, Betty Cooke : June 2-25 1995. Baltimore, MD: Maryland Institute College of Art; Meyerhoff Gallery. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)CS1 maint: date format (link)
  7. ^ Yager, Jan (July 1, 2004). "Oral history interview with Betty Cooke, 2004 July 1-2". Archives of American Art, Smithsonian.
  8. ^ a b May, Stephen (June 14, 2013). "Betty Cooke: Modern Jewelry Pioneer". Antiques and the Arts Weekly. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  9. ^ a b Shaykett, Jessica (September 19, 2011). "Betty Cooke: Art + Work". American Craft Magazine. American Craft Council.
  10. ^ "American Craft Council College of Fellows". American Craft Council. Retrieved 8 March 2016.

DEFAULTSORT:Cooke, Betty Category:1924 births Category:Living people Category:American jewellers Category:Designers Category:Jewellery designers

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