Photograph included with student application. Courtesy of Western Regional Archives.
Courtesy of Western Regional Archives
FOCUS
ROLE
ATTENDANCE
BIRTH
DEATH
Eini Sihvonen was the youngest of three Sihvonen siblings to attend Black Mountain College and the last to enroll. She attended from 1947 to 1949.
After graduation from high school in Voluntown, Connecticut, she attended Swain School of Design in New Bedford, Massachusetts for a semester. The emphasis was on commercial art, and although she know she wanted to be an artist, she did not know in what area. She recalled that she was attracted to Black Mountain by its small size, Josef Albers’s teaching, the informality of the school, the grading system, and the location in the mountains.
At Black Mountain, Sihvonen took Albers’s classes, Geometry for Artists with Max Dehn, courses with M.C. Richards, dance with Elizabeth Jennerjahn, and music with Charlotte Schlesinger. She also studied weaving with Trude Guermonprez. Sihvonen left Black Mountain in the spring of 1949 when Josef Albers, Anni Albers and Trude Guermonprez resigned.
She moved to New York and took evening courses with Lili Blumenau in weaving. She supported herself with a day job working for a printer. She later moved to Voluntown, Connecticut where she wove wall hangings, afghans, and other items.
Biography written by Mary Emma Harris for Black Mountain College Project.
Relationships:
Sister: Fellow BMC student, Miriam T. Sihoven
Brother: Fellow BMC student, Oli Sihvonen
Mary Harris has long been regarded as one of the most prominent scholars on Black Mountain College. Her book, "The Arts at Black Mountain College" (1987), is one of the most influential publications on the history of BMC.
Help us uphold the legacy of Black Mountain College by supporting our yearbook project by donating today. Every donation fuels our efforts to expand our digital archive and enhance the accessibility of this invaluable resource.
To contribute research, photos, or to ask questions about our project, email blackmountainarchives@gmail.com
© 2024 Black Mountain College Yearbook. All rights reserved.