This exhibit commemorated the 150th birthday of famous Oshkosh sculptor Helen Farnsworth Mears. The Museum is proud to share that this exhibition received the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Board of Curator’s 2023 Exhibit Award!
Helen Farnsworth Mears (1872-1916) is considered one of Wisconsin's premier sculptors. She showed talent for sculpture very young, and eventually received more formal training in Europe and New York. Her most famous works are on public display. Genius of Wisconsin was commissioned to represent Wisconsin at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The nine-foot marble sculpture now stands in the Wisconsin State Capitol. She also won a national commission: the marble statue of suffragist Frances Willard was unveiled in Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol in 1905, and still stands there today. She was very prolific and well-respected, but her promising career was cut short after she died suddenly from an illness in 1916.
The exhibit explored Mears’ life and career. New information pulled from the Mary Mears Collection, purchased by the Museum at auction in 2017, adds to the understanding of Helen Farnsworth Mears’ personality and work, as well her relationship with her sister, Mary. This exhibition showcased new information along with never-before-seen photos, documents, and drawings.