Today in Wheeling History: March 23—Virginia B. Evans, a renowned painter, glass designer, educator, and alumna of Wheeling’s Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy, passed away in Moundsville (1983).
Virginia Bargar Evans (June 5, 1894–March 23, 1983) was an American painter, glass designer, and educator, celebrated for her impressionist art and art déco glasswork. Born in Moundsville, West Virginia, she was the daughter of lawyer D. Barger Evans and Mary Estelle Myers Evans. In 1914, she graduated from Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy in Wheeling, then studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the School of Fine Arts at Fontainebleau, France. Her extensive training earned her recognition as one of the best trained artists of her generation.
Evans debuted her paintings at juried exhibits in Pittsburgh in 1923, showcasing works inspired by her European travels. She broke the conventions of her era, traveling alone across Europe and the Atlantic to study and exhibit her art. Her work appeared in significant shows, including “The American Scene” and solo exhibits at New York’s Studio Guild and Public Library.
Her artistic career expanded in 1942 when hired by Imperial Glass Corporation in Bellaire, Ohio. Evans designed glass pieces with Asian-inspired motifs, some displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Later, she returned to painting, creating experimental landscapes while teaching in Florida and West Virginia.
Evans passed away in Moundsville in 1983 and was interred at Oak Grove Cemetery. Her contributions established her as one of West Virginia’s foremost 20th-century artists.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/5y4he8ee), Horse Country Chic (https://tinyurl.com/bdfyfsdu), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/yc4rpjpa)
Photo credits: Horse Country Chic, Imperial Glass Corporation, Stone and Thomas, Etsy, eBay, Find a Grave
Virginia Bargar Evans (June 5, 1894–March 23, 1983) was an American painter, glass designer, and educator, celebrated for her impressionist art and art déco glasswork. Born in Moundsville, West Virginia, she was the daughter of lawyer D. Barger Evans and Mary Estelle Myers Evans. In 1914, she graduated from Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy in Wheeling, then studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the School of Fine Arts at Fontainebleau, France. Her extensive training earned her recognition as one of the best trained artists of her generation.
Evans debuted her paintings at juried exhibits in Pittsburgh in 1923, showcasing works inspired by her European travels. She broke the conventions of her era, traveling alone across Europe and the Atlantic to study and exhibit her art. Her work appeared in significant shows, including “The American Scene” and solo exhibits at New York’s Studio Guild and Public Library.
Her artistic career expanded in 1942 when hired by Imperial Glass Corporation in Bellaire, Ohio. Evans designed glass pieces with Asian-inspired motifs, some displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Later, she returned to painting, creating experimental landscapes while teaching in Florida and West Virginia.
Evans passed away in Moundsville in 1983 and was interred at Oak Grove Cemetery. Her contributions established her as one of West Virginia’s foremost 20th-century artists.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/5y4he8ee), Horse Country Chic (https://tinyurl.com/bdfyfsdu), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/yc4rpjpa)
Photo credits: Horse Country Chic, Imperial Glass Corporation, Stone and Thomas, Etsy, eBay, Find a Grave
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