Lorna Blaine

Lorna Blaine Howard Halper studied at Barnard College in New York before enrolling at Black Mountain College for the 1945 Summer Art Institute. She returned to the college in the winter of 1946 as a regular student and remained through the spring of 1948, except for the spring and summer 1947 terms. She studied with Josef Albers, Fannie Hillsmith, Robert Motherwell, Max Dehn and Ilya Bolotowsky, among others.

In December 1947, she married Tasker Howard, Jr. (January 15, 1913-February 21, 1952), a former student who was teaching economics. The Howards moved to New York at the end of the 1948 spring semester where Howard worked for the National Labor Relations Board.

After Howard’s death, Lorna worked for America House, an outlet for crafts. She married novelist and critic Albert Halper. They lived in New York City and then outside Pawling, New York. Hamper’s paintings, drawings, and sculptures were exhibited at the Bodley II and Cisneros Galleries in New York and are housed in many private and public collections, including the Asheville Art Museum.

Biography written by Mary Emma Harris for the Black Mountain College Project.

Alternative Name: Lorna Blaine Howard, Lorna Blaine Halper

Black Mountain College Project

Mary Emma Harris interviewed Lorna in 1987 (transcript) and 1997 (transcript) available from Appalachian State University under The Mary Emma Harris and Black Mountain College Project, Inc. Oral History collection.

Topics in 1987: Ruth Asawa (artist) – family background – hearing about the college – college reputation – Josef Albers classes – marriage to Tasker Howard (economics) – influence of college – work at America House

Topics in 1997: William McGee Black Mountain Gallery in Pawling, NY – Lorna Halper “gates” (collection Asheville Art Museum) – Columbia University and Barnard studies – hearing about BMC and escort Fannie Hillsmith – Cornelia Williams (cook) – train from New York to BMC – family privileged background – Lyonel Feininger (artist) – Josef Albers classes – Ilya Bolotowsky classes – Max Dehn (geometer) – Mary “Molly” Gregory (woodworker) – influence of BMC on life and work – marriage to Tasker Howard – Ray Johnson at BMC – Josef Albers at party – Robert Motherwell at BMC.

Courses Taken

Summer Art Institute 1945: Color with Albers, Design with Albers, Painting with Hillsmith, Feininger, and Motherwell.

Winter Quarter 1945-1946: Drawing with Albers, Design with Albers, Descriptive Geometry with Dehn, Woodworking with Gregory

Spring Quarter 1945-1946: Drawing with Albers, Painting with Albers, Design with Albers, Geometry with Dehn, Shop with Gregory, Work Program.

Summer Art Institute 1946: Color with Albers, Painting with Varda

Fall 1946-1947: Mechanics and Analytical Math with Dreier, Drawing with Bolotowsky, Painting with Bolotowsky, Design tutorial with Bolotowsky.

Fall 1947-1948: Mathematical Analysis and Mechanics with Dreier, Introduction to Mathematics with Dehn, Drawing with Bolotowsky