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Edna Merrill Van Frank
(1899 - 1985)
Edna Merril Van Frank, of Logan, New York City, and Salt Lake City, graduated from the Utah Agricultural College, which is now known as Utah State University. She was unhappy with the level of education and training that was available to her there so she, along with two female friends, enrolled at Columbia University in New York City. At Columbia she was able to develop her artistic studies in a more open environment. She went on to work for Bergdorf-Goodman in Manhattan as an artist and then worked as a freelance fashion illustrator for firms in New York after she was married. Eventually, she and her husband moved to Utah after her two children had grown up. Her art had strong Western themes, with a focus on Utah history. In Utah she worked as an artist for Auerbach’s department store in Salt Lake City for five years and had painted several murals to commemorate the Utah Centennial of 1947 on display at the Pioneer Craft House in December 1959. She went on to work for ZCMI department store in Salt Lake City where she executed more murals for the store. The department store exhibited and sold several of her works and she worked for them as an interior designer. At the end of her life she still acted in association with the Pioneer Craft House as a teacher and exhibitor and pursued painting. An oil painter and watercolorist, Van Frank painted not only murals but easel works featuring landscape and genre subjects. (b. August 4)
(1899 - 1985)
Edna Merril Van Frank, of Logan, New York City, and Salt Lake City, graduated from the Utah Agricultural College, which is now known as Utah State University. She was unhappy with the level of education and training that was available to her there so she, along with two female friends, enrolled at Columbia University in New York City. At Columbia she was able to develop her artistic studies in a more open environment. She went on to work for Bergdorf-Goodman in Manhattan as an artist and then worked as a freelance fashion illustrator for firms in New York after she was married. Eventually, she and her husband moved to Utah after her two children had grown up. Her art had strong Western themes, with a focus on Utah history. In Utah she worked as an artist for Auerbach’s department store in Salt Lake City for five years and had painted several murals to commemorate the Utah Centennial of 1947 on display at the Pioneer Craft House in December 1959. She went on to work for ZCMI department store in Salt Lake City where she executed more murals for the store. The department store exhibited and sold several of her works and she worked for them as an interior designer. At the end of her life she still acted in association with the Pioneer Craft House as a teacher and exhibitor and pursued painting. An oil painter and watercolorist, Van Frank painted not only murals but easel works featuring landscape and genre subjects. (b. August 4)
