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George Jensen
George Jensen (08/09/1878 - 10/04/1977), is a nationally acknowledged artist of Danish descent born in Port Clinton, Ohio best known for his Midwest and New England landscape and seascape oil paintings as well as for his artistic versatility producing numerous works from water colors to linoleum block. George Jensen often traveled to Michigan (Saline, Marquette, Presque Isle), New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Massachusetts (Cape Cod, Provincetown) and compiled sketches which he would later transcribe to canvas. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is where he would paint seascapes of black rocks and waves that would “wash 15 feet high” off ''Lake Superior'’. After graduating from high school in Port Clinton, Ohio George Jensen attended the Ohio Business College in Sandusky, OH, and from there the Zanerian Art College in Columbus, Ohio. George Jensen studied under several of America’s finest artists including; John F. Carlson (Impressionist - Woodstock, NY), George Elmer Brown (Cape Cod, MA), Albert H. Krebrial (Chicago Institute of Art in Saugatuck, Michigan), and Carl Gaertner (Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH). When George Jensen was in his 80’s he continued to paint and travel taking road trips around the United States. George Jensen was a self-proclaimed conservative artist whose collection includes no duplicates.

George Jensen Career
George Jensen's artwork has been exhibited in a number of large cities throughout the United States most notably Toledo, Ohio where he was credited to have “been an important figure in the cultural life of the city”. George Jensen, best known for his oil paintings, began his art career in watercolor, linoleum block, as well as pen and ink. In 1912, George Jensen became one of the first artists to host a solo-exhibition at the Toledo Museum of Art one year after the building opened on Monroe St. in Toledo, Ohio. George Jensen participated in exhibitions in a number of museums including the Brooklyn Museum of Art ‘’New York, NY’’(1932, 1936), Detroit Artist’s Exhibit (Detroit, MI), the Butler Institute of American Art (Youngstown, OH), the Columbus Gallery of Fine Art (Columbus, OH) and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art (Fort Wayne, IN). Other US cities where George Jensen’s art has been exhibited include: Sylvania OH, Bowling Green OH, Philadelphia PA, New York NY, Cleveland OH Minneapolis MN, and others. In addition to painting and teaching, for 20 years George Jensen, who knew Norman Rockwell worked commercially as an artist for Jennison-Wright, Willys-Overland, Conklin Pen Co., Medbury-Ward Co, Webb C. Ball Co, as well as many other national publications. However, as the depression slowed commercial progress, George Jensen kept busy by shifting focus to landscape and seascape art which he preferred. In 1954, George Jensen celebrated the 40th anniversary of his first "one-man art show" held at the Toledo Museum shortly after the building was constructed with an additional exhibit of 20 paintings held at the Toledo Museum of Art. . George Jensen was a member of a number of prominent artist groups including the Scandinavian Art Society of New York, the Society of Independent Artists, the Toledo Artists Club (lifetime member). By 1962, George Jensen had contributed works to the Saturday Evening Post, TIME Magazine, the Ladies Home Journal, and a host of other trade journals. By 1963, the Toledo Area Artist group had sponsored 45 annual art exhibitions to which George Jensen contributed to nearly all of them. George Jensen retired in 1944, however, continued to paint and teach art course for many individuals in a number of northern Ohio cities until a year before his death at the age 99. George Jensen was recognized in the "Who Was Who" book of American Art in 1985 and 1989, as well as other peer-reviewed art publications.

George Jensen Awards
George Jensen received first awards for his oil paintings in 1930 and 1931 from the Toledo Federation of Art Societies. In 1953, George Jensen won Honorable Mention for contributions made to the Williams County, OH Fair in Montpelier, Ohio. In 1962, George Jensen won second prize for an oil painting as well as the Popular Award at the Bowling Green Fair. On May 25, 1966, George Jensen received the “Honorary Award and Life Membership” from the Toledo Artists Club. George Jensen was invited to a “Meet the Artist” party at the Max Pochapin Hall of Art in New York City, NY where they celebrated the sale of the Hall’s 10,000 painting. In observance of his 90th and 91st birthdays, George Jensen was honored by his art students in for his teaching and artistic contributions in Perrysburg, Ohio. In March and April of 1975 George Jensen was honored at the age of 96 by area artists via regional publication. Later in 1975, he was honored at the age of 97 in Sylvania, Ohio for his 60 years as a prominent artist and teacher. Currently, George Jensen is listed amongst the “300 Most Popular Artists”.

George Jensen References
A list of book references for George Jensen. 2005 Davenport, Ray Davenport's Art Reference: The Gold Edition. 2005 AskART.com Inc. Dunbier, Lonnie Pierson (Editor). "The Artists Bluebook 34,000 North American Artists to March 2005". 1999 Falk, Peter Hastings (Editor) "Who Was Who in American Art, 1564-1975." 1995 Adams, H. and Johnson, K. "Made in America: Ten Centuries of American Art". 1985 Falk, Peter Hastings (Editor) "Who Was Who in American Art: Artists Active Between 1898-1947". 1935 Mallett, Daniel Trowbridge "Index of Artists: International-Biographical Two Volumes."

George Jensen Public Contribution and Teaching
George Jensen taught art courses to hundreds of people as well as led public painting demonstrations and chaired several art departments in several northern Ohio cities. In 1945, four art enthusiasts (Herb Mumford, John Blum, Kemp Dereen, and Charlie Green) formed the OnIzed Art Club and soon after sought George Jensen for expertise and instruction in art and paint methodology. In 1947, George Jensen provided instruction to artists during the Second Annual Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings held by the Dorwood OnIzed Art Club. George Jensen taught in the Toledo Museum of Art as well as instructed privately over 150 students many of whom contributed art to exhibitions. George Jensen often donated art to community organizations including the Bethel Lutheran Church in Toledo (where he was a member) and the Magruder Memorial Hospital in Port Clinton, OH.

George Jensen Family
George Jensen traveled around Michigan (Marquette, MI), Pennsylvania (near the Juniata River), as well as many other New England towns to paint landscapes road-side with his family. His parents, John Jensen and Bergette Jurgensen, were both Danish immigrants, settling in Port Clinton, Ohio. His father was owned a neighborhood grocery store, but died when George was barely four years old. His mother supported the family by being a seamstress. There were four children by this marriage: Anne Marie, James, George, and Chris. George Jensen married Catherine Kuhnle and was a proud family man with a Daughter - Mrs. Georgana Bauman and two Sons – Elliot & Clifford. George Jensen's artistic ability continues through his Grandson Ronald Bauman.