Born in Lorain, OH, daughter of Sarah Jennings and William Gallagher
Lenore Tawney (left) with her mother and siblings, Lorain, OH, ca. 1913
1927
Moves to Chicago
1927–42
Works as proofreader for publisher of court opinions and attends evening classes at the Art Institute of Chicago
1941
Marries George Tawney
1943
Death of George Tawney
1943–45
Resides In Urbana, Illinois. Studies art (art therapy) at University of Illinois
1945
Travels to Mexico
1946
Returns to Chicago
1946–1947
Attends Institute of Design, Chicago. Studies sculpture with Alexander Archipenko, drawing with Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, drawing and watercolor painting with Emerson Woelffer, weaving with Marli Ehrman
Chicago, 1948
1947–48
Further studies with Archipenko in Chicago and at his studio in Woodstock, NY
1949–51
Lives in Paris and travels extensively throughout Europe and North Africa
1954
Studies tapestry with Martta Taipale at Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC
At the loom, Penland School of Crafts, NC, 1954
1955
Begins open-warp weavings
1956
Travels throughout Greece and Near East to Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt
Greece, 1956
1957
Tapestry commissioned by Marshall Field, North Shore Shopping Center, ChicagoMember, textile design panel, American Craftsmen’s Council’s (now American Craft Council) First National Conference of Craftsmen, Asilomar, CA
Moves to 27 Coenties Slip, New York, NY
Coenties Slip, New York, 1958. Photo: David Attie
1958
Moves to 27 South Street, New York, NY
1959
Commissioned by the Interchurch Center to create a large tapestry for the narthex of the chapel in its new building on Riverside Drive, New York
1960
Completes Nativity in Nature for Interchurch Center, New York
Lenore Tawney, Nativity in Nature, 1960, 126” x 50”. The Interchurch Center, New York
1961
Studies gauze weave with Lili Blumenau; explores gauze-weave techniquesLenore Tawney, Tawney’s first solo exhibition in New York, opens at the Staten Island Museum. Forty weavings created between 1955 and 1961 are exhibited
1962
Designs an “open reed” for her loom, allowing the shape of the works to change as they are woven. Creates “woven forms”Moves to Thomas Street, and then to Beekman Street, New York
Beekman Street studio, ca. 1965
1963
Twenty-two of Tawney’s new “woven forms” are exhibited in the seminal Woven Forms at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts (now Museum of Arts and Design), New York, along with work by Alice Adams, Sheila Hicks, Dorian Zachai, and Claire Zeisler. Portions of the exhibition tour internationallyDark River (1962) acquired by Museum of Modern Art, New York
Commissioned by Congregation Solel to create the ark veil for its new building in Highland Park, IL
Lenore Tawney, Ark veil, 1963, 120” x 54”. Congregation Solel, Highland Park, IL
1964
Gewebte Formen, based on Woven Forms, opens at the Kunstgewerbe Museum in Zurich. Work by Tawney, Sheila Hicks, and Claire Zeisler is included. Travels with Hicks and Zeisler to the exhibition in Switzerland and to France
Installation of works by Lenore Tawney, Gewebte Formen, Kunstgewerbemuseum, Zurich, 1964
During First World Congress of Craftsmen, sponsored by American Craftsmen’s Council in New York, visits New Jersey factory to see an industrial Jacquard loom
Studies Jacquard harness at Textile Institute, Philadelphia, PA
Begins a series of drawings inspired by Jacquard loom
1964–65
Begins work in collage and assemblage; creates first postcard collages
1965
Travels to Peru and Bolivia
1966
Moves to Spring Street, New York
Spring Street studio, New York, 1966. Photo: Clayton J. Price
1969
Travels throughout Far East to Japan and Thailand, with extended stay in India
India, 1969.
Studies at New York Zendo
Included in Wall Hangings which premieres at the Museum of Modern Art, New York and tours nationally
Included in Objects: USA, The Johnson Collection of Contemporary Crafts which premieres at National Collection of Fine Arts, Washington, D.C. and tours nationally and internationally
1970
Moves to East 4th Street, New YorkMeets Swami Muktananda
Tawney and Swami Muktananda, ca. 1975
1973
Moves to Wooster Street, New York
Wooster Street studio, 1974. Photo: Clayton J. Price
Travels to Ireland
1974
Integrates weaving and paper collageTravels to Guatemala
Toshiko Takaezu and Lenore Tawney, Guatemala, 1974
1975
Elected Fellow of American Craftsmen’s Council (inaugural group)
1976
Weaves Waters Above the Firmament, her last work on the loom
Completing Waters Above the Firmament, 1976
1976–77
Travels to India
1977
Moves to Quakertown, NJReceives General Services Administration commission for lobby of Santa Rosa Federal Building, Santa Rosa, CA
1977–78
Creates and installs Cloud Series IV in Santa Rosa Federal Building.
Lenore Tawney, Cloud Series IV, 1978, 16’ x 30’ x 5’. Santa Rosa Federal Building, Santa Rosa, CA
1978
Artist-in-residence, University of Notre Dame, IN
1979
Receives National Endowment for the Arts Craftsman’s Fellowship Grant
1981
Cloud Series VI commissioned and installed at Frank J. Lausche State Office Building, Cleveland, OHMoves to 20th Street, New York
20th Street studio, 1985. Photo: Paul J. Smith
1982
Artist-in-residence, Fabric Workshop, Philadelphia, PATravels to Taiwan and India
1983
Cloud Series VII commissioned and installed at Western Connecticut State University, Danbury, CTReceives Honor Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Visual Arts, Women’s Caucus for Art, Port of History Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Triune (1961) acquired by Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Waters Above the Firmament (1976) acquired by Art Institute of Chicago
1987
Distinguished Lecturer, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZReceives American Craft Council’s Gold Medal Award
1989
Travels to Italy
1990
Lenore Tawney: A Retrospective opens at American Craft Museum (now Museum of Arts and Design), New York and tours nationally
At the opening of Lenore Tawney: A Retrospective, American Craft Museum, New York, 1990
1991
Travels to Greece
1992
Awarded Honorary Doctorate Degree, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MDInstallation of Cloud Labyrinth, Great Hall, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Lenore Tawney, Cloud Labyrinth, 1983, 16’ x 24’ x 18’. Great Hall, University of the Arts, Philadelphia. Photo: Jack Ramsdale
1994
Begins Shrines and Drawings In AirTawney with Drawing In Air XV (The Crossing), 1998. Photo: George Erml
1995
Travels to Colombia
1996
Travels to Netherlands
1999
Receives Master of the Medium Award, Renwick Alliance, Washington, DC
2000
Receives Visionaries Award, American Craft Museum (now Museum of Arts and Design), New York, NY