Tully Filmus

Background

Tully Filmus was born in 1903 in Ataki (Otaci), Bessarabia. He was the son of Mehl (Michael) Filmus and Eva Gustoff. In 1913, he immigrated with his family to the United States, settling in Philadelphia.

Education

He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1924 to 1927 under Henry McCarter.

Career

Filmus developed his career as a realist painter, focusing primarily on portraiture. In 1936, he contributed works to the Birobidzhan Museum project. In 1937, he exhibited with the American Artists Congress and joined the faculty of the American Artists School.

In 1938, he joined the faculty of Cooper Union in New York City, where he later served as a professor of art from 1938 to 1950, teaching painting and mentoring young artists.

Throughout his career, Filmus exhibited widely. His work was shown at the Whitney Museum of American Art Annual exhibitions and in institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum, the City Art Museum of St. Louis, and the Berkshire Museum.

His paintings were also included in the collection of New York University. His artistic career spanned several decades, with exhibitions documented from 1937 through 1971. Later, he participated in joint exhibitions with his sons in 1980 and 1985.

Achievements

• 

  Filmus received awards from the American Jewish Cultural Festival, the Salmagundi Club, the Audubon Artists Annual Exhibition, and the Fleisher Art Memorial. He was also a Cresson Traveling Scholar. His works are held in major museum collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art and the National Gallery of Art.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Tully Filmus Selected Drawings with an Essay By Isaac Bashevis Singer

    (A fine copy in a worn jacket. The jacket is just ok)

  • Tully Filmus Selected Drawings with an Essay By Isaac Bashevis Singer

    (A fine copy in a worn jacket. The jacket is just ok)

• painting

  • The Dance
  • Street Musicians

  • Lady is knitting

Views

He always appreciated and advocated the equality of all before all that could be found in his works and his active participation in the organizations that deal with equality.

Membership

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  Bnai Birth , Israel

• Artist Equity Association , United States

• Artists Network Association , United States

Personality

He was very devoted to his work - painting - and spent a huge part of his life on it. He also liked to teach art to students, because he understood that he could teach them anything fascinating. He loved his family very much. His exhibitions were held from 1937 to 1971, but in addition, he also held two joint exhibitions with his sons in 1980 and 1985, respectively.

Interests

• Theatre

• Artists

  Gustave Courbet,
  
  Vasily Perov

Connections

He was married to Gladys Filmus, a choreographer and lecturer. They had two sons, Michael Filmus and Stephen Filmus, both of whom became painters.

Wife:

Gladys Filmus

She was choreographer, lecturer on dance and activist for the same Organization - Bnai Birth.

Son:

Michael Filmus

Machael is Tully's son, who became a painter as well. He was born in 1943.

Son:

Stephen Filmus

Spethen is Tully's son. He was born in 1948. He became a painter as well.

close friend:

Willem de Kuning

He became a close friend of Tully after they had rented a studio together, in New York