Gerald Cassidy grew up with his family in Covington, Kentucky. His father was a builder, and at age 12, Cassidy began to follow in his footsteps by studying at the Institute of Mechanical Building. It was there that he studied under Frank Duveneck. Although he began his education at the Mechanical Institute, by age 20 he was the art director for a New York City lithographer.
Cassidy first went west seeking relief from pneumonia. In 1899, he entered a sanitarium in Albuquerque. During this time, he began painting Southwest landscapes and shortened his name from Ira Diamond Gerald Cassidy to Gerald Cassidy.
After he recovered from the pneumonia, he briefly moved to Denver to work as a commercial artist and lithographer specializing in theatrical subjects.
Although Cassidy had great success as a commercial artist in Denver, he decided to return to New York City where he studied at the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League. While in New York, he met Ina Sizer Davis. Soon after, the couple was married. In 1912, encouraged by Carlos Vierra and Kenneth Chapman, Gerald and Ina took up permanent residence in Santa Fe.
Cassidy became one of the founders of the Santa Fe Art Colony. During the WPA era, Cassidy died of poisoning while working on murals for the Santa Fe Federal Building.
Exhibited: AIC, 1914, 1916-17, 1928; Pan.-Calif. Expo, San Diego, 1915 (gold, prize); S.Indp.A., 1920; Chicago Gal. Assn., 1928 (prize), 1929 (prizes), 1930 (prize), 1931 (prize), 1932 (prize); LACMA
Works held: USPO, Santa Fe, NM; Mus. New Mexico; El Onate Theatre, Santa Fe; NYPL; Southwest Mus.; San Diego AM; decorations on Indian Arts Bldg., San Diego; Hotel Gramatan, Bronxville, NY; Golden (CO) H.S.; mural, La Fonda Hotel, Santa Fe; USPO, Santa Fe; Freer Collection, Washington, D.C; Mus. FA, Houston; Gary (N) H.S.; McPherson, Kansas. H.S.; designer, Parfet Mem. Park, Golden, CO; Canton (China) Christian College; City Mus., Berlin, Germany; Albertina Mus., Vienna; Luxembourg, Louvre, both in Paris.
Further Reading: Who Was Who in American Art 1564-1975: 400 Years of Artists in America, Vol. I. Peter Hastings Falk, Georgia Kuchen and Veronica Roessler, eds.,Sound View Press, Madison, Connecticut, 1999. 3 Vols.
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