Background
She was born on August 23, 1912 in Celina, Ohio. She grew up in Decatur, Alabama. Her father was a pharmacist.
She was born on August 23, 1912 in Celina, Ohio. She grew up in Decatur, Alabama. Her father was a pharmacist.
Bachelor of Arts Monte Vallo, 1932. Master of Arts, Colorado College, 1944.
During the Great Depression, her art career was temporarily placed on hold, as she taught Latin and English in Alabama for a decade. She did make trips to study at the Chicago Art Institute and the Art Students League of New New York After World World War II, the Wolfes settled in Jackson, constructing Wolfe Studio and becoming regionalist artists interested in depicting Mississippi.
Inspired by European Masters, Impressionists, and Post-Impressionists, she mostly painted landscapes in oil or watercolor.
In addition to painting, both Wolfes worked with ceramics, sculpture, and stained glass. In 1978, while Karl was included in an exhibition of Mississippi art, she was not.
After Karl"s death in 1984, the art community of Mississippi began appreciating Mildred for her own art, not for being Karl"s wife. The Mississippi Museum of Art mounted exhibitions of her work in 1994 and 2006.
In addition, the University Press of Mississippi published a monograph of Mildred"s work, showing examples of her paintings and public works.
Death
She died of congestive heart failure at her Jackson home on February 11, 2009, aged 96.
Mildred worked in her husband"s shadow for many years, first at Wolfe Studios, then at Millsaps College, where both were members of the art department.
Daughter of Roy Clifford and Augusta Wilhelmina (Hoenie) Nungester;m. Karl Wolfe, 1944 (deceased 1984). Children: Karl Michael, Elizabeth Hoenie.