With its proximity to the cultural hub of New York City and its quieter suburban and rural landscapes, Connecticut was fertile ground for artists and writers in the period of Modernist movements between 1913 and 1979. Many of these cultural figures are well known through biographical and critical studies. Creative Places seeks to show how place played a significant role in creative work, and how in turn the artists and writers influenced communities in Connecticut.
Henry Kreis
Sculpture
1899 – 1962
Kreis sculpted the original eagle that sat atop the old war memorial outside of Essex Town Hall. Made of sandstone, it weathered poorly and was moved inside. A bronze replica now graces the memorial.
- Biography/Description of Work
A native of Germany, Kreis became a stone carver later studied at the State School of Applied Arts in Munich. He immigrated to the US in 1933, and studied at the Beaux Arts Institute and later with Paul Manship, while earning a living as a stone cutter. Kreis was a WPA artist during the Depression, served as a faculty member of the Hartford Art School, and lived in Essex for many years.
- Sources view
- New Deal Art Along the River, Ct River Museum 2015, Amy Trout Curator. Kreis, Henry, Papers 1920-1963. Archives of American Art. [ http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/henry-kreis-papers-9168 ]
- Associated Resource(s)