Sangre de Cristo Arts & Conference Center -- All of the Arts for All of Southern Colorado

Visual Arts: Gene Kloss Collection

Born Alice Geneva Glasier in Oakland, CA in 1903, Gene Kloss began painting and producing intaglio prints in the Taos area in the mid-1920s. She continued through the mid-1980s yielding a body of work which is breathtaking in its scope and significance.

During her lifetime, Gene Kloss etched more than 627 copper plates, with editions ranging from five to 250. Every print in every edition she pulled herself. Believing subject matter dictated technique, she adeptly employed etching, drypoint, aquatint, mezzotint, roulette, soft ground and many experimental approaches, often on the same plate. From her first exhibition at San Francisco’s exclusive Gump’s in 1937, to her election in 1972 as one of 25 graphic artists recognized as full members of the prestigious National Academy of Design, Gene’s artistic career was widely hailed. She received numerous awards, and her artworks are included in collections throughout the world, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery, Library of Congress. She continued to etch until 1985, when declining health made printmaking too arduous.

Thanks to the generosity of our donor, John Armstrong, the Gene Kloss collection is our fastest growing collection. With over 755 items representing the collection includes prints, painting, watercolors, original plates and her print making tools. The collection is the most extensive collection of Gene Kloss prints in the world and a true treasure.