Dorothy Mayhall (1925–1995) was an American museum director and sculptor. She worked at art museums in New York and Connecticut, primarily exhibiting contemporary art.
Early years Mayhall hailed from Oregon. She went to high school in Omaha, Nebraska, where she was an honors student and worked on the yearbook."It Always Happens – Gals Lead Guys Again" (PDF) Central High School Register, Omaha, Nebraska (February 5, 1943), p. 1. Retrieved November 7, 2011"Lulu Gets to Heaven; O-Book Sales Top 1200" (PDF) Central High School Register, Omaha Nebraska (February 24, 1943), p. 1. Retrieved November 7, 2011 She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa.Judy Werley, "Dorothy Mayhall: Cornwall's Sculptor, Curator" The Evening News (November 12, 1974). Retrieved November 6, 2011
Unable to make a living from her sculpting, she went back to college and got a master's degree in art history. She was awarded a Fulbright scholarship and went to Paris, France. When her funds ran out, she returned to the United States and got a job at the University of Omaha. Determined to escape what she felt was a "cultural desert", she enlisted in the Women's Army Corps for two years. After the period was over, she was told that if she remained in the Corps, she could be sent to the place of her choice, anywhere in the world, so she re-enlisted and went to Japan. While there, she visited museums, learned about oriental art and met Japanese artists, calling the time a "fabulous experience".
Career Once released from active duty in the army, she moved to New York and got a job at the Museum of Modern Art after working briefly at Time-Life.In the mid-1960s, Larry Aldrich offered her the job of director at his new museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut. She was the first director of the "Old Hundred", as the museum was briefly called. The name was changed to the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art"Oral history interview with Larry Aldrich, 1972 Apr. 25 – June 10" Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved November 6, 2011 before being changed again to its present name. Mayhall stayed at the Aldrich Museum for six years before leaving to work at Storm King. She later returned to the Aldrich.
Through a mutual friend, she met Ralph E. Ogden and his wife, who had built Storm King, and they became friends. Mayhall became the director of the Storm King Art Center in 1972.Vivien Raynor, "Putting It All Together At the Aldrich Museum" The New York Times (July 24, 1994). Retrieved November 6, 2011 Located in upstate New York, about an hour north of New York City, it had few galleries, but had extensive grounds suitable for displaying monumental art. Part of Mayhall's job was to organize the installation of art that weighed tons.One of the pieces in the sculpture garden at Storm King stood tall, another weighed 44 tons (40 metric tons).
Mayhall had a solo exhibition of her own work at the Sachs Gallery in New York in 1972.Art listings New York Magazine (June, 1972), p. 21. Retrieved November 7, 2011
Mayhall's last job was director of art at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center in Stamford, Connecticut, where she worked for 12 years. At the Stamford Museum, she had successful solo exhibits with the work of Cletus Johnson, Reuben Nakian and Nicholas Krushenick,Vivien Raynor, "Words and Images, the Works of 15 Connecticut Artists" The New York Times (June 4, 1995). Retrieved November 6, 2011 the last two, former residents of Stamford. Her last studio space was with the Loft Artists Association,Advertisement for studio open house The Hour, Norwalk, Connecticut (November 1994), p. 17. Retrieved November 7, 2011 at the former Yale and Towne factory in the South End of Stamford.About the Loft Artists Association Loft Artists Association. Retrieved November 7, 2011
Legacy There is a folder of Mayhall's papers at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.Dorothy Mayhall (Folder)" Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved November 7, 2011 A year after Mayhall's death, the Stamford Museum's "New Art Annual '96", a show and competition, gave an award in Mayhall's honor. The piece that won the award was by painter Joan Wheeler and was titled, "I Always Wanted to Be a Redhead".William Zimmer, "In Stamford, a Decorous Annual" The New York Times (April 14, 1996). Retrieved November 7, 2011
Publications (selected list) Catalogues Highlights of the 1965–66 art season. Exhibition: July 10 thru September 11, 1966. Larry Aldrich Museum, Ridgefield ConnecticutHighlights of the 1965–66 art season Larry Aldrich Museum, Ridgefield Connecticut (1966). Retrieved November 7, 2011 The Minimal Tradition. Exhibition held April 29 through September 2, 1979. Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, ConnecticutThe Minimal Tradition Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, Connecticut (1979). Retrieved November 7, 2011 American Art: American Women 1965 through 1985. Exhibition dates: December 15, 1984 – February 23, 1985. Stamford Museum and Nature Center, Stamford, Connecticut Beverly Fishman: Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture. Exhibition dates: November 4 – December 6, 1985. Housatonic Museum of Art American artists at the turn-of-the century. (1988) Stamford Museum and Nature Center
See also Jacqueline Moss
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