Clara Steiner, 89, died April 9. She lived in one of the original houses connected to the Whitney Estate, behind St. Mary’s on 4th St. Clara lived there for over 45 years and was a long time member of the Graphic Eye in Port Washington.
Clara was an artist and she created visual statements for over 60 years using a variety of mixed media, mono prints, collage, painting and assemblage. A Fine Arts graduate from Cooper Union (class of ‘47), Clara studied print making under S. W. Hayter in the late 40’s at Atelier 17, drawing under Will Barnet at the Art Students League and was also a student of Ruben Tam at the Brooklyn Museum Art School. She attained her masters in Fine Art at Pratt.
Although Clara had many exhibits in galleries and many reviews in the New York Times, Newsday and local press over the years, she never felt she was able to break the barrier that existed in the male-dominated professional art world.
All of her works have hidden, not so hidden, and sometimes very loud statements about life’s absurdities.
Clara is survived by her daughter Margaret Owen, grandchildren Jesse and Alice Owen, and her son Allen Perry.
