biography of Francis CRISS (1901-1973)

Birth place: London, England

Addresses: Moved to Phila. with his family in 1904; NYC; Spring Valley, NY

Profession: Painter, commercial artist, teacher

Studied: Phila. Sketch Club; PAFA (won four-year scholarship at the age of 16): Barnes Foundation, Merion, PA; ASL; & with Jan Matulka. Awards: Cresson traveling scholarship PAFA, 1920; Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, 1934 (allowed him to travel to Europe)

Exhibited: MoMA; WMAA, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1942, 1951; Jeu de paume, Paris, France, 1937; Corcoran Gal, 1935-47; PMA; De Young Mus.; Rochester (NY) Mus.; WFNY, 1939; PAFA, 1934-66; South America, 1939; San Francisco Expo, 1940; MMA, 1941; AIC, 1934-35, 1937, 1941-1943, 1947; CI., 1943-46; Nat. Gal.; Phila. Artists All., 1953-54 (solo); E'Lan and Midtown Galleries, 1970s; NYC WPA Art" at Parsons School Design, 1977. "

Member: An Am. Group; Fellow, PAFA; Am. Soc. PS & G; Am. Artists Congress

Work: NGA; WMAA; PMA; PAFA; Cincinnati Mus.; Encyclopedia Collection; Tel Aviv Mus.; Kansas City AI; La France Inst., Phila., PA; BM; Graphic Sketch Club

Comments: Painted in a precisionist style in the 1930s, concentrating on architectural subjects. While employed as a WPA artist, he created a large abstract mural. Worked as a commercial artists for about fifteen years (from c. 1940), returning to painting in the early 1950s. Positions: instructor of painting, BM Sch. Art; Albright Art Gal.; ASL; Cart. & Illus. Sch.

Sources: WW59; WW47; New York City WPA Art, 23 (w/repro.); 300 Years of American Art, 896.