Etherl Ashton

Ethel V. Ashton studied at Philadelphia's Moore College of Art and in 1920 graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.  Ethel and her longtime studio partner, renowned American artist Alice Neel, worked closely together through the 1920's.

Bold pastels and powerful canvases are Ethel Ashton's artistic legacy. In the 1940's, Ashton was accepted by the WPA and created many historical murals. She went on to become the research librarian for the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where she mentored many young artist and was instrumental in the success of the Academy's Fellowship program.

Ethel Ashton's work is included in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Women in the arts, Washington, D.C. and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.