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Merry Renk
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Merry Renk
Merry Renk (born Mary Ruth Gibbs; July 8, 1921 – June 17, 2012), also known as Merry Renk-Curtis, was an American jewelry designer, metalsmith, sculptor and painter. In 1951, she helped to found the Metal Arts Guild of San Francisco (MAG), and served as its president in 1954.
Mary Ruth Gibbs was born on July 8, 1921, in Trenton, New Jersey.
From 1939 until 1941, she attended the Trenton School of Industrial Arts to study painting. In 1946, she moved to Chicago and enrolled in the IIT Institute of Design, studying industrial design. Between 1947 and 1948, Renk co-founded 750 Studio at 750 N. Dearborn Street in Chicago with Olive Oliver and Mary Jo Slick. They lived in the back of the building, which they renovated.
750 Studio is credited as "the first contemporary arts and crafts gallery in America to show abstract art". The gallery showed works by well-known artists including Henry Miller, László Moholy-Nagy, Harry Callahan, and Margaret De Patta. During this time Renk became interested in enamels on metal and began working in metals; she was largely self-taught as a jeweler.
In 1948, Renk traveled to Europe and eventually settled in San Francisco. Renk started creating organic forms in her jewelry and they grew in popularity. In 1950 she went to Paris, and to Spain and Morocco with Lenore Tawney, returning to San Francisco in 1951.
Then and later, she commemorated events that she found important, such as a meeting with Constantin Brâncuși in 1951, in "Memory" paintings incorporating both words and images.
Invited by Margaret de Patta, Renk became a founding member of the Metal Arts Guild of San Francisco (MAG) in 1951. MAG was the first organization in the United States to address the needs of studio jewelers.
Other founding members included Vera Allison, Irena Brynner, Margaret de Patta, Florence Resnikoff, Francis Spensen, Byron August Wilson, Bob Winston, Peter Macchiarini, and Virginia Macchiarini. In 1954, Renk served as President of the Metal Arts Guild. She remained active in the group until age 90.
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Merry Renk
Merry Renk (born Mary Ruth Gibbs; July 8, 1921 – June 17, 2012), also known as Merry Renk-Curtis, was an American jewelry designer, metalsmith, sculptor and painter. In 1951, she helped to found the Metal Arts Guild of San Francisco (MAG), and served as its president in 1954.
Mary Ruth Gibbs was born on July 8, 1921, in Trenton, New Jersey.
From 1939 until 1941, she attended the Trenton School of Industrial Arts to study painting. In 1946, she moved to Chicago and enrolled in the IIT Institute of Design, studying industrial design. Between 1947 and 1948, Renk co-founded 750 Studio at 750 N. Dearborn Street in Chicago with Olive Oliver and Mary Jo Slick. They lived in the back of the building, which they renovated.
750 Studio is credited as "the first contemporary arts and crafts gallery in America to show abstract art". The gallery showed works by well-known artists including Henry Miller, László Moholy-Nagy, Harry Callahan, and Margaret De Patta. During this time Renk became interested in enamels on metal and began working in metals; she was largely self-taught as a jeweler.
In 1948, Renk traveled to Europe and eventually settled in San Francisco. Renk started creating organic forms in her jewelry and they grew in popularity. In 1950 she went to Paris, and to Spain and Morocco with Lenore Tawney, returning to San Francisco in 1951.
Then and later, she commemorated events that she found important, such as a meeting with Constantin Brâncuși in 1951, in "Memory" paintings incorporating both words and images.
Invited by Margaret de Patta, Renk became a founding member of the Metal Arts Guild of San Francisco (MAG) in 1951. MAG was the first organization in the United States to address the needs of studio jewelers.
Other founding members included Vera Allison, Irena Brynner, Margaret de Patta, Florence Resnikoff, Francis Spensen, Byron August Wilson, Bob Winston, Peter Macchiarini, and Virginia Macchiarini. In 1954, Renk served as President of the Metal Arts Guild. She remained active in the group until age 90.
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