Jane Baldwin
1908–1991
Nationality: American
Affiliations: Spokane Art Center and Washington State College Extension Program
Jane Dunning Baldwin graduated from Spokane’s Lewis & Clark High School and studied art at Washington State College. After completing her B.F.A., Baldwin moved to San Francisco, where she lived for two and a half years. She returned to Spokane and became instrumental in promoting art and art education within the community.
As a charter board member of the Works Progress Administration’s Spokane Art Center, she was enthusiastic about the opportunities for artistic expansion offered by the Center including working alongside prominent artists from Chicago and New York. After the closure of Spokane Art Center in 1942, she taught classes at the YWCA and the Washington State College Extension Program.
Jane Baldwin exhibited widely during the 1930s: the Art Institute of Chicago and the 27th Annual Artists Show at the Seattle Art Museum in 1941; The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1942; the San Francisco Museum of Art, 1943; and the Library of Congress in 1945.
Her works also appear in numerous publications. One of the earliest was Who’s Who in Northwest Art, edited by Marion Brymner Appleton and published in 1941. Two 1984 publications, Great American Prints: 1900-1950, by June and Norman Kraeft, Dover Publications, Inc. and James Watrous, A Century of American Printmaking, University of Wisconsin Press, re-introduced her work to art history students.
Although Baldwin worked in watercolor, tempera, and gouache, she worked primarily with wood engravings and block prints. The Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture owns sixty examples.
Jane Baldwin was the daughter of Chap Dunning, a prolific collector and serious student of regional American Indian culture. In 1962, when Dunning donated her collection of 1,427 items to the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, it was considered the single best collection of regional American Indian cultural material owned by a museum.
Sources: Manuscript collections, Joel E. Ferris Research Library and Archives, Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture; Collection records, Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Spokane.
Bachelor Quarters
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 6 x 4 inches (image)
Medium: woodblock
Inscription: “Bachelor Quarters,” lower left margin; “3/10,” lower center margin; “Jane Baldwin,” lower right margin; “JB,” on plate, lower right corner; “Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Philadelphia Water Color Club Fortieth Annual Water Color and Print Exhibition Oct. 25–Nov. 29, 1942,” on the back of the original mat
Curator Notes: This print was shown at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Philadelphia Water Color Club Fortieth Annual Water Color and Print Exhibition Oct. 25–Nov. 29, 1942
Subjects: house and men
Provenance: Museum purchase from the artist, 1987
Collection Number: 3230.14
Big Top
Date: c. 1943
Image Dimensions: 6 x 4 inches (image)
Medium: Linoleum block print
Inscription: “JMB,” on plate, lower right corner
Subject: circus
Provenance: Gift of the artist, 1989
Collection Number: 3454.10
Construction
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 3 1/4 x 4 inches (image)
Medium: woodblock
Inscription: “Construction,” lower left margin; “4/10,” lower center margin; “Jane Baldwin,” lower right margin; “JMB,” on plate, lower right corner
Subjects: landscape and building
Provenance: Museum purchase from the artist, 1987
Collection Number: 3230.2
Drying Nets
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 4 x 6 inches (image)
Medium: Block print
Inscription: “Drying Nets 5/10,” lower left margin; “Jane Baldwin,” lower right margin; “JB,” on plate, lower right corner
Subjects: boat and net
Provenance: Gift of the artist, 1989
Collection Number: 3454.8
Ex Libris, Albert C. Adams
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 3 1/2 x 3 1/8 inches (image)
Medium: Block print
Inscription: “Ex Libris,” on plate, above image; “Albert C. Adams,” on plate, below image, “JMB,” on plate, lower left corner
Subjects: tree and house
Provenance: Gift of the artist, 1989
Collection Number: 3454.17B
Ex Libris, John F. Adams
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 3 1/2 x 3 1/8 inches (image)
Medium: Block print
Inscription: “Ex Libris,” on plate, above image; “John F. Adams,” on plate, below image; “JMB,” on plate, lower left corner
Subjects: house and tree
Provenance: Gift of the artist, 1989
Collection Number: 3454.17C
Ex Libris, Verna Mae Adams
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 3 1/2 x 3 1/8 inches (image)
Medium: bookplate
Inscription: “Ex Libris,” on plate, above image; “Verna Mae Adams,” on plate, below image, “JMB,” on plate, lower left corner
Subjects: tree and house
Provenance: Gift of the artist, 1989
Collection Number: 3454.17A
First Snow
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 6 x 4 inches (image)
Medium: woodblock
Inscription: “First Snow 2/10,” lower left margin; “Jane Baldwin,” lower right margin; “JMB,” on plate, lower right corner.
Subjects: tree, snow, and building
Provenance: Gift of the artist, 1989
Collection Number: 3454.5
Glover Road
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 8 3/8 x 4 inches (image)
Medium: woodblock
Inscription: “Glover Road,” lower left margin; “2/10,” lower left margin; “Jane Baldwin,” lower right margin; “JB,” on plate, lower right corner; “The Art Institute of Chicago,” on the back of the original mat
Curator Notes: An undated inscription on the back of the original mat suggests this print was shown at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Subjects: house and landscape
Provenance: Museum purchase from the artist, 1987
Collection Number: 3230.12
Joe’s Place
Date: 1937
Image Dimensions: 4 x 5 inches (image)
Medium: woodblock
Inscription: “Joe's Place,” lower left margin; “10/10,” lower center margin; “Jane Baldwin,” lower right margin; “Shown at Philadelphia Print Club 1945,” back of original mat.
Curator Notes: Shown at Philadelphia Print Club 1945
Subjects: automobile, landscape, and house
Provenance: Museum purchase from the artist, 1987
Collection Number: 3230.7
Lake House
Date: 1930s
Image Dimensions: 4 1/8 x 3 inches (image)
Medium: woodblock
Inscription: “Lake House,” lower left margin; “4/10,” lower center margin; “Jane Baldwin,” lower right margin, “JB,” inscribed on plate, lower right corner
Subject: house
Provenance: Museum purchase from the artist, 1987
Collection Number: 3230.3
Latah Creek Washington
Date: 1937
Image Dimensions: 7 1/8 x 5 inches (image)
Medium: woodblock
Inscription: “Latah Creek Washington,” lower left margin; “6/10,” lower center margin; “Jane Baldwin,” lower right margin; “JB,” on plate, lower right corner
Subjects: Spokane County-Latah Creek and landscape
Provenance: Museum purchase from the artist, 1987
Collection Number: 3230.9
Monday Morning
Date: c. 1938
Image Dimensions: 7 x 5 inches (image)
Medium: paper,woodblock
Inscription: “Monday Morning,” lower left margin; “4/10,"” lower center margin; “Jane Baldwin,” lower right margin; “JB,” on plate, lower left corner; “Northwest Printmakers 18th International Exhibition - March 6th - April 7th, 1986, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle,” on back of original mat
Curator Notes: Appeared in the Northwest Printmakers 18th International Exhibition - March 6th–April 7th, 1986, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle
Subjects: woman and house
Provenance: Museum purchase from the artist, 1987
Collection Number: 3230.10
Peppers
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 8 x 5 inches (image)
Medium: woodblock
Inscription: “Peppers” lower left margin; “2/10,” lower center margin; “Jane Baldwin,” lower right margin; “JB,” on plate, lower left corner
Subject: representational
Provenance: Museum purchase from the artist, 1987
Collection Number: 3230.11
Summer Evening at the Corner
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 12 1/8 x 9 inches (image)
Medium: woodblock
Inscription: “Summer Evening at the Corner,” lower left margin; “2/10,” lower center margin; “Jane Baldwin,” lower right margin; “JMB,” on plate, lower right corner
Subjects: woman, men, and landscape
Provenance: Museum purchase from the artist, 1987
Collection Number: 3230.15
The Bridge
Date: 1937
Image Dimensions: 4 1/8 x 3 inches (image)
Medium: woodblock
Inscription: “The Bridge,” lower left margin; “1/20,” lower center margin; “Jane Baldwin, ’37” lower right margin; “JB,” on plate, lower right corner
Subject: Monroe Street Bridge
Provenance: Museum purchase from the artist, 1987
Collection Number: 3230.4
Untitled
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 4 x 3 inches (image)
Medium: Block print
Subjects: house and landscape
Provenance: Gift of the artist, 1989
Collection Number: 3454.19
Untitled
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 6 x 5 1/2 inches (image)
Medium: Block print
Inscription: “Jane,” on plate, lower right corner
Subjects: landscape, nude, and woman
Provenance: Gift of the artist, 1989
Collection Number: 3454.28
Untitled
Date: 1934
Image Dimensions: 6 x 3 1/2 inches (image)
Medium: Block print
Inscription: “J.M.B.,” on plate, lower right corner
Subjects: figurative and woman
Provenance: Gift of the artist, 1989
Collection Number: 3454.29
Untitled
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 6 x 4 inches (image)
Medium: woodblock print
Inscription: “J.M.B.,” on plate, lower left corner
Subjects: woman and abstract
Provenance: Gift of the artist, 1989
Collection Number: 3454.30
Untitled
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 3 1/4 x 2 1/4 inches (image)
Medium: watercolor
Inscription: “J.B.,” lower right corner
Subjects: figurative and street
Provenance: Gift of the artist, 1989
Collection Number: 3454.41
Untitled
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 4 x 6 inches (image)
Medium: Block print
Inscription: “JB,” on plate, lower left corner
Subjects: farm and figurative
Provenance: Gift of the artist, 1989
Collection Number: 3454.15
Vegetable Garden
Date: Not dated
Image Dimensions: 6 x 4 inches (image)
Medium: woodblock
Inscription: “Vegetable Garden,” lower left margin; “3/10,” lower center margin; “Jane Baldwin,” lower right margin; “Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Philadelphia Water Color Club Fortieth Annual Water Color and Print Exhibition Oct. 25–Nov. 29, 1942,” on the back of the original mat.
Curator Notes: This print was shown at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Philadelphia Water Color Club Fortieth Annual Water Color and Print Exhibition Oct. 25–Nov. 29, 1942
Subjects: garden, landscape, and women
Provenance: Museum purchase from the artist, 1987
Collection Number: 3230.13
Wheat Barony
Date: 1937
Image Dimensions: 8 x 5 inches (image)
Medium: woodblock
Inscription: “Wheat Barony 7/10,” lower left margin; “Jane Baldwin,” lower right margin; “JB,” on plate, lower edge, left of center
Subjects: landscape and house
Provenance: Museum purchase from the artist, 1987
Collection Number: 3230.8