Gertrude Freyman

Gertrude Freyman was a prolific artist who played an influential role in the development of the arts community in Kansas City, Missouri. Her exhibition record spanned six decades, her murals adorn many local buildings, and her work can be found in collections throughout the Midwest. 

Gertrude Freyman was born to German immigrants on June 22, 1901, in Chicago. Her family moved to Kansas City when she was young, where her father worked as an interior designer. After graduating from high school in 1922, Freyman won a scholarship to attend the Kansas City Art Institute. Freyman quickly became active in artists' groups centered around the school. 

As a student, Gertrude Freyman exhibited work in the Midwestern Artists' Exhibition and the Kansas City Society of Artists exhibition, two prestigious juried shows. In 1925, she received a study fellowship from the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, and spent a year painting at the Tiffany Estate on Long Island, New York. The next year, Freyman had her first solo exhibition at the Hyde Park Hotel in Kansas City. Freyman would continue to exhibit her work almost every year for the rest of her career.

Freyman played a critical role in establishing arts organizations that made Kansas City an artistic hub. She was a core member of the Kansas City Society of Artists and helped organize exhibitions for the Mid-America Artists Association and the Greater Kansas City Art Association. She participated in the Country Club Plaza Art Fair for more than fifty years, from its foundation in 1932 into the 1980s. In 1960, Gertrude Freyman won the national Macy's Living With Art Competition for her painting of an historic home in Kansas City. 

In addition to her practice as an artist, Freyman earned a living as a professional interior designer, creating layouts for buildings until her retirement in the 1970s. She was a renowned muralist and received commissions from airports, clubs, restaurants, funeral chapels and private homes. She was an illustrator for the Kansas City Star during the 1920s, and later created graphic designs for charitable efforts, including Red Cross benefit exhibitions, murals for veterans, and posters for the Blood Bank.

Gertrude Freyman continued painting and mounting solo exhibitions well into her eighties. She was a passionate animal lover and frequently painted at the Kansas City Zoo. Freyman died on July 14, 1994, at her home in Kansas City.