Sally Turner: 1916-1997 AKA: Sarah (Sally) Sargent Turner

Black Leather Jacket
Oil on Canvas 30 X 40 Inches
Signed

Ms. Turner, like many excellent artists of her day, got lost behind her husband’s career; Theodore R. Turner, Art Professor, University of Virginia. His work and career took center stage and she played a supporting role. Which is strange, because she was well educated, trained and was an excellent artist in her own right.

Perhaps this blog should be called: Sally Turner: The Lost and Forgotten. She was born in Jefferson, Ohio to parents who understood that a good education was important for young women. She graduated from Wellesley College and Parsons School of Design. She also studied painting in New York at the Arts Student League and the Hans Hoffman School of Art.

Clearly this exposure to noted artists clearly influenced her work. In the example shown here: Black Leather Jacket, Turner’s work could easily be compared with other great women artists of her time, such as, Nell Blaine (1922-1996) and Alice Neel (1900-1984). Turner demonstrates that she can capture the forlorn just as Neel frequently does with her subjects.

She had a career before heading to Charlottesville with Mr. Turner. She worked in the advertising field on Madison Avenue, and during World War II, she served as an artist in the U.S. Navy.

Turner's work can still be found within Virginia and DC auction houses, and at times, upscale art and antique shops. Along with her husband there has been some exhibits of her work at the McGuffey Art Center and Second Street Gallery in Charlottesville, VA.

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©2021. Waller-Yoblonsky Fine Art is a research collaborative, working to track artists that got lost and overlooked due to time, changing styles, race, gender and/or sexual orientation. Our frequent blogs highlight artists and art movements that need renewed attention with improved information for the researcher and art collectors. The photo in this blog was created by Mr. Waller and all written materials are used under the Fair Use Section 107, Copyright Act, unless otherwise noted.

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