Bernique Mae Wilderson Longley (New Mexico / Illinois, 1923-1999), scene of roosters and chickens, oil on masonite panel, signed and dated upper left, 1967

sight: 22 x 30 in., frame: 26.5 x 34 in.

Provenance: Property from a home in Houston, Texas

Bernique Longley studied for eight years at the Art Institute of Chicago on scholarship and graduated in 1945 with the Bryan Lathrop Foreign Travel Scholarship. She also studied in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and later at the Santa Fe School of Arts and Crafts, where she worked on her sculpting and bronze casting skills. Longley worked in many media, including oil and acrylic painting, murals, stained glass, mosaics, printmaking, and sculpture. Her subjects ranged from still lifes and landscapes to Native Americans, portraits, and architecture. Her large, strong figures show the influence of Diego Rivera. She had nearly 60 exhibitions during her career, and her work is in the permanent collections of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the New Mexico Museum of Art. In 1982, she was named “Artist of the Year” by Santa Fe Magazine and was featured in publications such as Southwest Art.