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The Helen Farr Sloan Library and Archives
REMEMBERING HELEN:
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Read Posted Memories Here
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Helen Farr Sloan, patron of the arts, inspired educator, accomplished artist and widow of renowned artist John Sloan, died late Tuesday evening, December 13, 2005, at the age of 94 in Wilmington, Delaware.
Over the past 50 years, Helen Farr Sloan quietly created a most remarkable profile as an American philanthropist. Following the 1951 death of her husband, John Sloan, one of the premier American artists of the 20th century, Helen organized the artist’s estate and turned it into an exceptional philanthropic instrument to serve local, regional, national, and international arts constituencies. |
| Helen standing before a painting by Sloan, c. 1975 |
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Far more than being one of Sloan’s acolytes, Helen Farr was instrumental in advancing the artist’s career. In 1932 she suggested that a book be published of Sloan’s comments about art, including his art instructions, philosophy and technical directions based upon the notes she had taken in his classes at the Arts Students League as well as from the recollections of others of his students. Called The Gist of the Art, it was published in 1939. Between 1933 and 1939 Helen Farr worked at the King-Coit School, using her summers to organize Sloan’s teaching notes. She also worked in art therapy using art classes to aid children with dyslexia. In the 1940s Helen taught art at the Nightingale-Bamford School for Girls in New York.
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While her marriage to Sloan lasted only seven years (1944-1951), Helen Farr Sloan’s devotion to art was a life-long commitment. After Sloan’s death she returned to her teaching career and continued to paint. She also spent her remaining years focused on supporting research about her husband and American art history and working on distributing his estate. The contents of his studio and his wide-ranging library became a treasure trove for philanthropic giving. The recipients of her largesse include the University of Delaware, Sewell C. Biggs Museum in Dover, Delaware, Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery of Art, Boston Film and Video Foundation, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Katonah Museum of Art in New York and the New York-Historical Society. Helen Farr Sloan’s own paintings are held in private and public collections, including the Delaware Art Museum and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. |
| Sloan and Helen in NYC, 1950-51 |
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Beginning in 1961, and continuing throughout her life, Helen Farr Sloan nurtured a special relationship with the Delaware Art Museum. Because of Helen Farr Sloan’s gifts and scholarship, the Delaware Art Museum received more than 5,000 works including the preeminent collection of the work of John Sloan with virtually every aspect of his career represented. This has made the Delaware Art Museum the leading repository for the study of John Sloan who was noted for his realistic images of turn-of-the-century New York City.
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In recent decades, Helen Farr Sloan has provided critical financial support to numerous exhibitions, scholarly programs and publications related to American art, including the transfer of the John Sloan Trust to the Delaware Art Museum. In honor of her many gifts and her dedicated service, the Museum re-named its library the Helen Farr Sloan Library and Archives in 1985. More recently, the Museum also named a large gallery in its newly renovated building after her. The State of Delaware recognized her outstanding contribution in 1998 by awarding Helen Farr Sloan the Governor’s Award for her role as an artist, teacher, and champion of teaching and learning in the museum. |
Helen assisting with the installation of an exhibition
at the Delaware Art Center, 1960 |
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Helen Sloan placed her faith in Delaware as a center for the study of American art, especially John Sloan and his circle,” said Dr. William I. Homer, Professor Emeritus at the University of Delaware. Over time she gave to the Delaware Art Museum a superb collection of the Eight which makes Delaware the unrivalled center for research in this field. In addition, she collected, organized and preserved documentation that helps students and the public interpret this work. Helen was an intellectually gifted and gracious lady, always willing to lend a helping hand. Helen Sloan was surely one of the great cultural treasures of the state of Delaware and of the nation at large.
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Helen Farr was born in New York on February 24, 1911. She was the daughter of Dr. Charles Farr, a New York surgeon and Helen Woodhull Farr. She graduated high school from The Brearley School for Girls in 1929. She also took anatomy classes at Cornell University Medical School and studied weaving, pottery, metalwork, wood carving and jewelry making at the Craft Students League. At sixteen Helen Farr enrolled in the New York Art Students League where she first met and studied with John Sloan (1871-1951) who became her lifelong friend, mentor and finally, in 1944, her husband.
Helen Farr Sloan is survived by her nephew, Dr. Charles Farr, of Fresno, California, and his three children, Michael, Kevin, and Caroline.
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| "Helen at the Easel," by John Sloan |
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REMEMBERING HELEN:
Share your memories of Helen with us. Click here
It was my privilege to know Mrs. Sloan through my affiliations with the Studio Group Inc. (my membership since 1976) and also The National League of American Pen Women (my membership since 1978.) Mrs. Sloan was an Honorary Member of both organizations. She made herself available as a mentor us as well as a participant in many celebrations, which included presence at exhibitions of both organizations and honorary events at Studio. As a friend of the Studio's founder, Eugenia Eckford Rhoads (and a previous President of the DAM Council), Mrs. Sloan continued her interest in nurturing the arts. She was a generous donator to the Studio Group Inc. who maintains the Howard Pyle Studio located on 1305 N. Franklin St. Mrs.. Sloan made us aware of our history, its importance to our local Delaware Art Museum and the cultural arts in Delaware. On a personal note my daughter, Julia and husband Thomas R, Keane were also captivated by her intelligence, good will and sense of humor.
Maria J. Keane
member of
NLAPW and the Studio Group Inc.
My work with Mrs. Sloan at the Delaware Art Museum during the summer of 1982 was memorable for several reasons. First, Mrs. Sloan was an incredibly gracious lady who treated us with respect and had a wealth of information not only about art in general but also about her husband, John Sloan. Secondly, the opportunity to work with a collection of paintings by a legendary artist was, and still is, one of the highlights of my career as a conservator. Lastly, my first child, Sara, was born on June 18th shortly after starting this project with Mrs. Sloan. It was truly a wonderful and unforgettable time in my life. I will always remember that summer and Mrs. Sloan fondly.
Carmen F. Bria, Jr.
Chief Conservator
Knowing Mrs. Sloan was a great delight for me with regard to all the “hats” I wear in life. She was always interested in my theatre work (telling me Sloan’s constant interest in theatre), my art history work with Whistler (she supported my research trip to Glasgow, Scotland, for research on my dissertation on Whistler), my conservation work (she understood and appreciated the procedures for the treatment of paintings), and my teaching. She regularly came to the final oral presentations of our graduating Master’s-level conservation students for many years, she supported at least two summer internships and study projects on Sloan’s techniques, and she visited the paintings conservation studio and talked to students about their treatments. She was gracious, informed, fun, talented and highly intelligent. We will all miss her greatly and are privileged to have known her.
Joyce Hill Stoner
During my training to become a docent at the Delaware Art Museum I was told to go visit and speak with Helen Sloan. I did and it was a wonderful morning spent with her talking about her life, John Sloan's life and their life together. We looked at some of the art together and when I left she gave me a copy of Gist of Art. I was very impressesd with her knowledge and her warm personal nature. I'll never forget her.
Phoebe Dill
I never had the honor of meeting Helen in person, but her influence has reached far beyond Delaware. It was her devotion to art and her husband John Sloan that I will forever be indebted to her. I was born 20 years after John Sloans death, and would never have known as much about his art, his struggles, and his success if not for Helen. All the books I own about Him, and the Eight have had her touch. She graciously provided me a mentor, teacher and kindred spirit. And countless generations will also know her and her husband because of her great dedication and love. Her gift to us is immeasurable.
Jay Jackson
Hope this doesn't get posted twice! OK, I first met Helen about seven years ago when we were preparing to tell her story on film. We instantly became friendsand Helen seemed terminally interested in life, art...and me! I suspect that she responded to all of her MANY friends in the same way. My fondest memory is visiting Helen one Christmas Eve when she still resided at Park Place. I had smuggled in a wee nip of Chivis Regal for her after she made it known that she enjoyed a glass of Scotch, though `managment' frowned on it. I opened the little bottle (too tough for her hands) and it was secreted away for the right moment. I will continue to toast my friend, a `game gal', and hope she will do the same for me wherever she is...certainly in heaven.
Sharon Baker
I had so many wonderful conversations with Helen over the years, and what stands out, is that it was never "me" or "I" with her. She was genuinely interested in others. In addition to being modest, she was thoughtful, wise, kind, respectful, caring, and giving. She dedicated her life to what Sloan and others of his period would have wanted. Helen harbored no ill feelings toward others. When a museum decided not to exhibit Sloan's work, she would only say that it will happen. What greatly impressed me is that she never said anything negative about Dolly Sloan, and spoke only of her virtues. She would always ask me how my arms were after elbow surgeries, and not once complain or ask for sympathy over the condition of her hand. Helen treated everyone alike, giving no special treatment to someone of so-called "higher" standing. Lastly, I will always cherish the conversations in which she shared her memories of Sloan and his circle of friends. I'm sure that Sloan is very proud of her and that their spirits are united in heaven.
Ken Ratner
My best memory of Helen was a time when the Museum Store did a Southwestern Trunk Show. Helen loved seeing pictures and other items pulled together by the our library. She and Sloan had collected great treasures on trips to the west.
We arranged a lunch with Helen and Irma Bailey. Irma Bailey also in her 90's had brought her truck show from New Mexico to the museum. Irma gave Helen a little animal fetish. Helen loved the feel of the charm.
It was interesting to see and hear these ladies talk about their experiences.
Connie Cordeiro
Delaware Art Museum Store Manager
One of my first impressions when I started Docent training over 6 years ago was the sight of Helen Farr Sloan sitting in her wheelchair in the library as we had our first introduction to that area of the museum. She was so absorbed in the papers that she did not even notice us as we toured. But just a week earlier we had begun to learn about John SLoan and it was incredible to me that here was his wife right in front of me, an icon of the art world. I was so thrilled to know that I was about to become part of such a formidable institution. Unfortunately, I never got to see her again, but that memory will always be with me.
Paula Shulak
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