Eckhardt, Edris

Cleveland artist Edris Eckhardt is best known for her work with ceramics, glass, and bronze. Born in 1905, she studied painting and sculpture at the Cleveland School of Art (CSA), now the Cleveland Institute of Art. She graduated in 1931. It was around this time that Eckhardt, whose given name was Edythe, began using the gender-neutral name Edris after she was overlooked for an award.

Eckhardt was employed at Cowan Pottery before opening her own ceramic studio. By 1934 she had joined the faculty at the Cleveland School of Art. During the Great Depression, she created works for the WPA Federal Arts Project and from 1935-1941 served as the director for the Ceramics and Sculpture Section.

In addition to her work at CSA and the WPA, Eckhardt regularly exhibited in CMA’s May Show. She created Alice in Wonderland sculptures for the World’s Fair in 1937, a set of which was purchased by Princess Elizabeth for the royal collection. She also created a Huckleberry Finn sculpture for Eleanor Roosevelt in 1939 (A thank you letter from Roosevelt is part of this collection).

By the 1950s Eckhardt was regarded for her glasswork when she rediscovered an ancient Egyptian technique of fusing gold leaf between sheets of glass to create gold glass. She was subsequently awarded two Guggenheim fellowships and a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Fellowship. In 1971, Eckhardt was recognized with a Special Citation for Distinguished Service to the Arts by the Cleveland Arts Prize for her pioneering work in glass sculpture. Edris Eckhardt passed away in 1998.