My Mother, the Artist

My Mother, the Artist
Jacqueline F. Kelly
April 12, 1927-May 9, 1998
Moore College of Art '49
Philadelphia, PA

My mother started painting and taking art classes as a girl. She painted her first nude when she was only 13. She received a full scholarship to Moore College of Art and graduated in the Class of 49. She worked as a textile designer in NYC until she became pregnant. Then she didn't paint again until she was 50. At that time, we sent her back to graduate school but she disliked the pressure of working for grades. After a course or two, she left Moore and started taking painting lessons again at the Wayne Art Center until she was 70. She died just a few weeks after she turned 71. There may be as many as 150 of her finished or unfinished paintings in her portfolio.