View source for Amy Otis

{{Short description|American painter}}
'''Mary Amy Otis'''<ref name="ebooksread1">{{cite web|author=Denis Larionov & Alexander Zhulin |url=http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/biographical-review-publishing-company/biographical-review-this-volume-contains-biographical-sketches-of-the-leading-c-147/page-72-biographical-review-this-volume-contains-biographical-sketches-of-the-leading-c-147.shtml |title=Read the eBook Biographical review; this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Cayuga County, New York by Biographical Review Publishing Company online for free (page 72 of 85) |publisher=Ebooksread.com |date= |accessdate=2017-01-13}}</ref> (1863–1950) was an American miniaturist.
Otis was a native of [[Sherwood, New York|Sherwood]], [[New York (state)|New York]], and was born to a family of [[Society of Friends|Quakers]]. Her parents had migrated to the area at different times from [[Massachusetts]], and had seven other children, six surviving; among them was Susan, who later became a noted physician in Cayuga County. Her grandfather was Job Otis,<ref name="ebooksread1"/> who with his wife Deborah was a leader of the Otisites, [[Job and Deborah Otis House|and whose house]] may still be seen today in Sherwood.<ref name="nrhpinv_ny">{{cite web|url=http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=102309|title=National Register of Historic Places Registration: Job and Deborah Otis House|date=March 2008|accessdate=2009-11-10|author=Nancy L. Todd|publisher=[[New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926032515/http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=102309|archive-date=2012-09-26|url-status=dead}}''See also:'' {{cite web|url=http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=102303|title=Accompanying six photos|access-date=2017-01-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230917/http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=102303|archive-date=2016-03-03|url-status=dead}}</ref> Amy studied at [[Cornell University]] and the [[Philadelphia School of Design for Women]],<ref name="Marquis1915">{{cite book|author=Albert Nelson Marquis|title=Who's who in New England: A Biographical Dictionary of Leading Living Men and Women of the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_5jk1AAAAIAAJ|year=1915|publisher=A.N. Marquis & Company|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_5jk1AAAAIAAJ/page/n809 807]–}}</ref> and was a graduate of the [[Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts]].<ref name="cujah.org">{{cite web|url=http://cujah.org/past-volumes/volume-viii/essay-9-volume-8/|title=Cultural Housekeepers: Elizabeth Otis Dunn and American Women's Organizations in Early Twentieth Century China and America|date=28 April 2013|publisher=|accessdate=13 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116154227/http://cujah.org/past-volumes/volume-viii/essay-9-volume-8/|archive-date=16 January 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> She also studied at the [[Académie Colarossi]] in Paris. For some years she was active as a portraitist in [[Philadelphia]], where she also taught art at Miss Capen's School for Girls from 1911 to 1914.<ref name="Marquis1915"/> In that year<ref name="wheatoncollege.edu">{{cite web|url=http://wheatoncollege.edu/college-history/1950s/amy-otis-memorial-lecture-series-established/|title=Amy Otis Memorial Lecture Series established – College History – Wheaton College – Massachusetts|date=7 January 2011|publisher=|accessdate=13 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116185600/http://wheatoncollege.edu/college-history/1950s/amy-otis-memorial-lecture-series-established/|archive-date=16 January 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> she began work a professor at [[Wheaton College (Massachusetts)|Wheaton College]] in [[Massachusetts]],<ref name="Marquis1915"/> ultimately becoming the head of the art department.<ref name="Filene1920">{{cite book|author=Catherine Filene|title=Careers for Women|url=https://archive.org/details/careersforwomen00file|year=1920|publisher=Houghton Mifflin|pages=[https://archive.org/details/careersforwomen00file/page/n51 69]–}}</ref> Otis retired from Wheaton in 1932.<ref name="wheatoncollege.edu"/> She designed the seal for the school's Alumnae Association while she was there.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wheatoncollege.edu/quarterly/2013/03/26/20-100/570_100-1928/|title=1928, Designed by Amy Otis, Professor of Art, and drawn by Helen Lewis, Class of 1921, Alumnae Association Seal Final Design – Wheaton Quarterly|publisher=|accessdate=13 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116185727/https://wheatoncollege.edu/quarterly/2013/03/26/20-100/570_100-1928/|archive-date=16 January 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> After leaving Wheaton she taught for a time at [[Wells College]], where she was at one point acting head of the Department of Art.<ref>[http://fultonhistory.com/newspaper%202/Auburn%20NY%20Citizen%20Advertiser/Auburn%20NY%20Citizen%20Advertiser%201933.pdf/Newspaper%20Auburn%20NY%20Citizen%20Advertiser%201933%20-%203378.PDF Auburn ''Citizen Advertiser''] of February 27, 1933</ref>
During her career Otis exhibited work throughout the United States. She was a member of the Philadelphia Water Color Club, the [[Pennsylvania Society of Miniature Painters]], and [[The Plastic Club]], and was a sister of [[Kappa Kappa Gamma]].<ref name="Marquis1915"/> Among her pupils at Wheaton was the future [[Precisionism|Precisionist]] [[Molly Luce]].<ref name="Tufts(U.S.)1987">{{cite book|author1=[[Eleanor Tufts]]|author2=National Museum of Women in the Arts (U.S.)|author3=International Exhibitions Foundation|title=American women artists, 1830–1930|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EvxPAAAAMAAJ|year=1987|publisher=International Exhibitions Foundation for the National Museum of Women in the Arts|isbn=978-0-940979-01-7}}</ref>
Otis was the aunt of painter [[Elizabeth Otis Dunn]] and illustrator [[Samuel Davis Otis]],<ref name="cujah.org"/> and was a descendant of ''[[Mayflower]]'' passenger [[John Howland]];<ref name="Marquis1915"/> numerous other ancestors were prominent in the history of [[Scituate, Massachusetts]].<ref name="ebooksread1"/> A lecture series at Wheaton was established in her honor<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wheatoncollege.edu/art/department/lectures/|title=Lectures – Art – Wheaton College – Massachusetts|date=20 September 2010|publisher=|accessdate=13 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116185647/http://wheatoncollege.edu/art/department/lectures/|archive-date=16 January 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> by the Class of 1931 after her death.<ref name="wheatoncollege.edu"/> A miniature watercolor-on-ivory portrait of Dorothy Gifford, titled ''A College Girl'', is currently owned by the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/54594.html?mulR=179|title=Philadelphia Museum of Art – Collections Object : A College Girl (Portrait of Dorothy Gifford)|first=Philadelphia Museum of|last=Art|publisher=|accessdate=13 January 2017}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Otis, Amy}}
[[Category:1863 births]]
[[Category:1950 deaths]]
[[Category:American portrait miniaturists]]
[[Category:Cornell University alumni]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts alumni]]
[[Category:Académie Colarossi alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century American painters]]
[[Category:20th-century American women painters]]
[[Category:People from Cayuga County, New York]]
[[Category:People from Norton, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Painters from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Painters from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Wheaton College (Massachusetts) faculty]]
[[Category:Wells College faculty]]
[[Category:Philadelphia School of Design for Women alumni]]
[[Category:American women academics]]
{{US-painter-1860s-stub}}