Catherine O’Keeffe Klenert

Two of Georgia O’Keeffe’s sisters were also taking advantage of the expanding opportunities under

the various New Deal art-funding programs of the time.  Catherine, a nurse who had never had any training as an artist, became inspired to paint by Georgia’s success.

When, in late 1932, Catherine sent her paintings from Wisconsin to the Delphic Studios in New York for a show, people were shocked.  Her work, consisting primarily of close-ups of morning glories and other flowers, appeared to be the almost replicas of Georgia’s giant blossoms.

Her show opened in early 1933 and headlined in the New York Time: “Another O’Keefe Emerges”.  Whatever motives lay behind Catherine’s actions, Georgia, her getting famous sister,  was enraged and broke off all communication with her until she abandoned painting four years later.

Biography of Georgia O’Keeffe by Laurie Lisle p.255

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Catherine O’Keeffe Klenert was a painter. Even without formal art training like her sisters Georgia and Ida Ten Eyck O’Keeffe, her artwork was included in several exhibitions of national importance. A painting of Catherine O’Keeffe Klenert’s, “The Red Barn,” is of significance as she and Georgia O’Keeffe painted the same barn on the same day in 1928.

There is so little written about her or her work and much about Georgia & Anita.