Irene Bianucci
{{Short description|Italian-American painter}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Irene Bianucci
| image = Irene_Bianucci.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Biannuci in 1951
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1903|12|16}}
| birth_place = Lucca, Tuscany, Italy
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1988|11|20|1903|12|16}}
| death_place = Encinitas, San Diego County, California
| nationality = American
| other_names = I. B. Soravia, Irene Bianucci-Soravia
| occupation = artist, muralist
| years_active = 1931–1980
| known_for =
| notable_works =
}}
Irene Bianucci (December 16, 1903{{spaced ndash}}November 20, 1988) was an Italian-born American painter, who participated in the art projects for the New Deal's Section of Painting and Sculpture creating the post office mural for Mount Carroll, Illinois, as well as murals for some of Chicago's elementary schools.
Early life
Irene Bianucci was born on December 16, 1903, in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy to Assunta (née Cataldi) and Amadeo Bianucci.{{sfn|Illinois Women Artists Project|2017}}{{sfn|The Decatur Herald|1930|p=8}}{{sfn|The Decatur Daily Review|1955|p=21}} When she was six years old, her family immigrated to the United States, first settling in Farmer City, Illinois, before moving to the nearby city of Clinton.{{sfn|The Decatur Daily Review|1951|p=15}} After graduating from Clinton High School in 1922, Bianucci went on to study at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois.{{sfn|The Decatur Daily Review|1951|p=15}}{{sfn|The Decatur Daily Review|1927|p=14}} In 1924, Bianucci won the Minnie Bachman Mueller prize from Millikin for exceptional ability in execution of a mural entitled "Music".{{sfn|The Decatur Herald|1924|p=3}} She began entering her work in county fairs, winning two first-place ribbons at the Illinois State Fair in 1926 for a still life and a painting of animals. Graduating from Millikin after completion her studies,{{sfn|The Pantagraph|1926|p=19}} Bianucci continued her training, enrolling at the Chicago Art Institute, later that same year.{{sfn|The Decatur Daily Review|1927|p=14}}
Returning to the fair competition in 1927, Bianucci won three blue ribbons and five red ribbons for her paintings at the state fair.{{sfn|The Decatur Daily Review|1927|p=14}} In 1930, she was awarded the Union League Club of Chicago Art Prize for her painting, "Little Russian Girl"{{sfn|The Decatur Herald|1930|p=8}} and then won The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Fellowship to continue her studies in New York.{{sfn|The Decatur Daily Review|1951|p=15}} Bianucci's painting, "La Pensierosa", was selected to be part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s 34th Annual Exhibition in 1930.{{sfn|The Art Institute of Chicago|1930|p=19}} The following year, she participated in a show of works by the present and former students of George Raab at the Decatur Art Institute. Bianucci's portraiture was singled out for its eye-catching qualities.{{sfn|The Decatur Daily Review|1931|p=18}}
Career
Beginning in 1931, Bianucci worked as a professional portraitist.{{sfn|The Decatur Daily Review|1931|p=18}} Her studio was located on Dearborn Street and she participated in gallery showings in 1935 at the Chicago Art Institute and Tower Town Galleries.{{sfn|The Decatur Daily Review|1935|p=6}} Glowing reviews of her works, such as "In the Storm", "Rain", and "Young Girl", appeared regularly in Eleanor Jewett's column on the arts in The Chicago Tribune in 1940.{{sfn|Jewett|February 27, 1940|p=13}}{{sfn|Jewett|March 3, 1940|p=100}}{{sfn|Jewett|May 5, 1940|p=118}}
File:Rural Scene-Wakarusa Valley.jpg
Bianucci joined the Works Progress Administration (WPA) artists of Illinois, receiving commissions to paint murals in Chicago at the Clara Barton Elementary School and the Martin A. Ryerson Elementary School. Her two murals at Ryerson, Discovery of America and Landing of Columbus, were painted in 1940. Her mural at Clara Barton School was later destroyed.{{sfn|Illinois Women Artists Project|2017}}{{sfn|Becker|2002|pp=175, 210}} In 1941, Bianucci won the commission to paint the post office mural at Mount Carroll, Illinois. The mural, entitled Rural Scene–Wakarusa Valley, was an oil on canvas farm scene,{{sfn|The Journal Standard|1941|p=5}} which was restored in the late 1990s.{{sfn|McAdams|1997}} When the federal artist's program ended in 1943, Bianucci worked as an illustrator and designer for the Container Corporation of America throughout World War II.{{sfn|Illinois Women Artists Project|2017}}{{sfn|The Decatur Daily Review|1951|p=15}}
Bianucci married fellow artist Roy Robert Soravia, who was involved in the Op art movement and directed the Parnassus Gallery in Chicago. In 1949, the couple moved to Leucadia, Encinitas, California.{{sfn|Holzinger|2015}} Both continued to paint and showed their works at such galleries as Mandel Brother's Art Gallery of Chicago.{{sfn|The Decatur Daily Review|1953|p=14}}
Death and legacy
Bianucci died on November 20, 1988, in Encinitas, San Diego County, California.{{sfn|Illinois Women Artists Project|2017}}
References
=Citations=
{{Reflist}}
=Bibliography=
{{Refbegin|30em}}
- {{cite report|ref={{harvid|The Art Institute of Chicago|1930}} |title=Catalogue of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Exhibition by Artists of Chicago and Vicinity |date=1930 |publisher=Art Institute of Chicago |location=Chicago, Illinois |page=19 |url=http://www.artic.edu/sites/default/files/libraries/pubs/1930/AIC1930ArtofChi34thAn_comb.pdf |access-date=4 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915223114/http://www.artic.edu/sites/default/files/libraries/pubs/1930/AIC1930ArtofChi34thAn_comb.pdf |archive-date=15 September 2016 |url-status=dead }}
- {{cite book|last=Becker|first=Heather|title=Art for the people: the rediscovery and preservation of progressive- and WPA-era murals in the Chicago public schools, 1904-1943|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ik9IAQAAIAAJ|year=2002|publisher=Chronicle Books|location=San Francisco, California|isbn=978-0-8118-3579-4}}
- {{cite web|last1=Holzinger |first1=Lin |title=Soravia Collection |url=http://sandieguitoartguild.com/off-track-gallery/roy-soravia-collection/ |website=San Dieguito Art Guild |access-date=4 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161102201448/http://sandieguitoartguild.com/off-track-gallery/roy-soravia-collection/ |archive-date= 2 November 2016 |location=Encinitas, California |date=2015 |url-status=dead }}
- {{cite news|ref={{harvid|Jewett|March 3, 1940}}|last1=Jewett|first1=Eleanor|title=Sharaku Works on Exhibit at Art Institute |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1940/03/03/page/100|access-date=4 March 2017|publisher=The Chicago Tribune|date=March 3, 1940|location=Chicago, Illinois|page=100}}
- {{cite news|ref={{harvid|Jewett|May 5, 1940}}|last1=Jewett|first1=Eleanor|title=South Honors Chicago Artist and Sculptor|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1940/05/05/page/118/article/south-honors-chicago-artist-and-sculptor#text|access-date=4 March 2017|publisher=The Chicago Tribune|date=May 5, 1940|location=Chicago, Illinois|page=118}}
- {{cite news|ref={{harvid|Jewett|February 27, 1940}}|last1=Jewett|first1=Eleanor|title=Whorf Offers Fine Show of Watercolors|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1940/02/27/page/13|access-date=4 March 2017|publisher=The Chicago Tribune|date=February 27, 1940|location=Chicago, Illinois|page=13}}
- {{cite news|last1=McAdams |first1=Heather |title=Mount Carroll, Illinois |url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/mount-carroll-illinois/Content?oid=893315 |access-date=4 March 2017 |publisher=Chicago Reader|date=May 1, 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007151813/http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/mount-carroll-illinois/Content?oid=893315 |archive-date= 7 October 2016 |location=Chicago, Illinois |url-status=dead }}
- {{cite web|ref={{harvid|Illinois Women Artists Project|2017}} |title=Irene Bianucci |url=http://iwa.bradley.edu/artists/IreneBianucci |website=Illinois Women Artists Project |publisher=Bradley University |access-date=4 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151106214900/http://iwa.bradley.edu/artists/IreneBianucci |archive-date= 6 November 2015 |location=Peoria, Illinois |date=2017 |url-status=dead }}
- {{cite news|ref={{harvid|The Decatur Herald|1930}}|author=|title=Irene Bianucci, Clinton, Wins Union League Club Award for Oil Painting|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5191963/the_decatur_herald/|access-date=4 March 2017|publisher=The Decatur Herald|date=January 16, 1930|location=Decatur, Illinois|page=8|via = Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}
- {{cite news|ref={{harvid|The Decatur Daily Review|1935}}|author=|title=Clinton|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9324051/clinton_the_decatur_daily_review/|access-date=4 March 2017|publisher=The Decatur Daily Review|date=December 30, 1935|location=Decatur, Illinois|page=6|via = Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}
- {{cite news|ref={{harvid|The Decatur Daily Review|1927}}|author=|title=Clinton Girl Winner|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5191825/clinton_girl_winner_the_decatur_daily/|access-date=4 March 2017|publisher=The Decatur Daily Review|date=September 1, 1927|location=Decatur, Illinois|page=14|via = Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}
- {{cite news|ref={{harvid|The Decatur Herald|1924}}|author=|title=Clinton Student Wins Art Prize|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5191868/clinton_student_wins_art_prize_the/|access-date=4 March 2017|publisher=The Decatur Herald|date=June 9, 1924|location=Decatur, Illinois|page=3|via = Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}
- {{cite news|ref={{harvid|The Pantagraph|1926}}|author=|title=Clinton Woman Won Art Prize|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5191662/clinton_woman_won_art_prize_the/|access-date=4 March 2017|publisher=The Pantagraph|date=August 27, 1926|location=Bloomington, Illinois|page=19|via = Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}
- {{cite news|ref={{harvid|The Decatur Daily Review|1951}}|author=|title=Former Clinton Resident Paints in Studio|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5191686/the_decatur_daily_review/|access-date=4 March 2017|publisher=The Decatur Daily Review|date=May 24, 1951|location=Decatur, Illinois|page=15|via = Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}
- {{cite news|ref={{harvid|The Decatur Daily Review|1931}}|author=|title=Decatur Artists Show Work at Art Institute|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/illinois/decatur/decatur-daily-review/clippings/Celebrity/212472/|access-date=4 March 2017|publisher=The Decatur Daily Review|date=March 1, 1931|location=Decatur, Illinois|page=18|via = Newspaperarchive.com}} {{open access}}
- {{cite news|ref={{harvid|The Decatur Daily Review|1955}}|author=|title=Mrs. Bianucci, 75, Celebrates Today|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5192186/the_decatur_daily_review/|access-date=4 March 2017|publisher=The Decatur Daily Review|date=January 5, 1955|location=Decatur, Illinois|page=21|via = Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}
- {{cite news|ref={{harvid|The Journal Standard|1941}}|author=|title=Other Mt. Carroll News|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5192099/other_mt_carroll_news_the_freeport/|access-date=4 March 2017|publisher=The Journal Standard|date=November 8, 1941|location=Freeport, Illinois|page=5|via = Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}
- {{cite news|ref={{harvid|The Decatur Daily Review|1953}}|author=|title=Paintings at Mandel's: Irene Bianucci and Husband Have Exhibition|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5192260/the_decatur_daily_review/|access-date=4 March 2017|publisher=The Decatur Daily Review|date=May 5, 1953|location=Decatur, Illinois|page=14|via = Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}
{{Refend}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bianucci, Irene}}
Category:People from Clinton, Illinois
Category:Millikin University alumni
Category:Artists from Illinois
Category:Federal Art Project artists
Category:Section of Painting and Sculpture artists