James Schwalbach

The Gallery seeks early prints, and paintings by James Schwalbach. Contact: info@GalleryofWisconsinArt.com

BORN: 1912, South Germantown, MI

DIED: 1984, Three Lakes, WI

James Schwalbach received his B.S. Degree in Art Education after attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1930-1934. While at Madison, he coordinated the "First National Collegiate Exhibition of Photography".

He also attended UW- Milwaukee for a short time, but returned later to his alma mater UW-Madison. From 1937-194, he completed his M.S. Degree in Art Education with advanced graduate work in art education and educational supervision.

Schwalbach was the creator and narrator of the "Lets Draw" radio series of the "Wisconsin University School of the Air" from 1936-1973. From 1936-1946, he received awards for the best educational program in national radio, public and private sectors - and wrote the teacher's manuals for these programs.

From 1940 -1945, Mr. Schwalbach was chairman and instructor of the art department at UW- Whitewater and from 1943 - 1945 became principal of the Training High School on the Whitewater campus.

In 1945 James joined the faculty of the Department of Rural Sociology of Agriculture at UW- Madison. He became the Director of Extension Programs in Art at Wisconsin Public Radio in Madison. He also founded and directed the Wisconsin Rural Art Program in 1945, directing the program until 1964. He worked closely with John Steuart Curry, and laterAaron Bohrod, to establish the Wisconsin Regional Artists Association. Since that time, the organization has changed its name twice (to eliminate confusion between the WRAP and WRAA) but continues today as AWA (Association of Wisconsin Artists) Link to: History of WRAP, WRAA, and AWA.

In 1947 Schwalbach published Funtime Crafts - a Children's Book, and from 1947-1962, he was the Director of the Wisconsin State Fair Festival of Arts.

In 1956, he married Mathilda Nadenbergh who was a textile artist. They exhibited together and published Screen Process Printing for the Textile Designer and Serigrapher, c. 1970. Schwalbach produced many block prints early in his career, but by the 1950's he switched to painting and serigraphy.

Schwalback was a member of Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors organization, and exhibited extensively through out the state.