User:Lucydevore/sandbox

Louise Grossette Cunningham

Louise Honourine Grossette Cunningham. Artist, opera singer. Louise was born in Berkeley, California, May 4, 1880. She died December 23, 1983 at her home in Felton, California at the age of 103.

Her parents, Andre Grossette and Honourine Grossette, who were from Paris, France, settled in Oakland California in 1878. Andre Grossette came to the Bay Area as an employee of the French Panama Canal Company working in finance. The well-to-do Grossettes were a part of the flourishing San Francisco Bay high society which included the famous bankers, mining interests, rail-road magnates and newspaper publishers of the time. Louise's uncle, Honourine's brother, was Jules Jacques, a member of the French Royal Academy and a well known French portrait painter of the late 1800's. He was a close friend of the impressionist François Millet. Louise was schooled at home by her highly educated parents and tutors. The language spoken in the home was nearly entirely French. A child prodigy in opera singing she began singing professionally at age 8. At age 11 she was enrolled in the newly established San Francisco Art Institute, also known as the Mark Hopkins School of Art where she studied music(piano and voice), art and general education. She studied for eight years at the school. The Art Institute was and still is a serious school aimed at producing professional artists. Louise's career in opera began at 8 years old. Her parents wealth and social connections plus her singing meant she was introduced to a cross-section of the exciting society of San Francisco. As a child musical prodigy on the opera stages she was acquainted with many celebrities. Her association with Jack London lead her and her friends to the legendary camp-outs in Bohemian Grove. She and her school friends formed a group that called themselves "The Bohemian Girls Art Club of San Francisco'. Louise married Robert Cunningham in 1908. Soon after their wedding they moved from Berkeley to Viola, California where Robert was a foreman in the logging industry. Their two daughters, Beatrice and Ione were born during their time in Viola.  Six years later the Mt. Lassen volcano erupted.  The resulting mudflow destroyed their homestead.  They moved to Yosemite for several years. Robert was later the manager of the saw shop on the Oakland Bay Bridge project.  They lived in Berkeley and then Cupertino where Louise owned a basket shop.  She designed more than 40 houses in the bay area including one for Joaquin Miller, the Poet of the Sierra, who was her neighbor and friend.

Louise and Robert retired to the Santa Cruz Mountains to Felton in 1953. They built a home their along the San Lorenzo River which was damaged in a flood in 1955. Robert Cunningham died June 2, 1959. Louise lived out the rest of her life in the house along the river. Louise designed, and had built, a replica of a Japanese Tea-house overlooking the river near her basement studio and surrounded it with extensive Japanese style gardens and rock walls. There she taught oil painting to many students. She painted and exhibited in galleries in central and northern California and Taos New Mexico. Continuing a tradition established with her husband she continued to travel widely across the west, into Mexico and Hawaii. In December, 1982, the river rose again, washing away her tea-house and destroying her basement studio, taking away paintings and memorabilia. He reaction to the destruction the next morning was "Oh, I have something new to paint."

The Valley Press, Scotts Valley Calif./April 8,1983 ("Recited with Bernhardt and sang with Carouso. A friend of Jack London.") The Valley Press, 1960,(Awarded life membership in the Santa Cruz Art League for outstanding contribution to art.) Santa Cruz Sentinel, Woman of the year, 1980, Santa Cruz Business and Professional Women's Club, Listed in "Western Artists" Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and Art Gallery, San Jose, Calif. August 5-30, 1972 The Bent Gallery, Taos, New Mexico, Nov. 1963 Corinthian Corners Gallery, Saratoga, Ca. April 1990 Montalvo Galleries, Nov. 1961 Carmel Art Association, Jan. 1971 San Lorenzo Historical Society Facebook (Louise Grossette Cunningham)