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ABOUT HIBELTM |
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An Artist and Humanitarian |
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CURRENT ACTIVITIES:
Most recently, National Women's History Month 2008 Honoree
Edna Hibel was honored in 2007 by the League of American Pen Women in Washingon, D.C with an exhibit and proclamation by the mayor of Washington, D.C. and featured on the Legends and Legacies program on WPBF-TV, affiliate Channel 25 in Palm Beach County Florida.
PREVIOUSLY :
Edna returned from Zurich on June 13, 2003 and we celebrated the completion of her 600th edition of original stone lithographs at a special party at the Edna HIBEL Gallery in Boynton Beach, FL This accomplishment is quite significant in the life of an artist. We are unaware of any other American creating so many unique drawings for editions of multi-stone lithographs.
EDNA HIBEL RECEIVES A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL ART AWARD:
Edna is honored with the Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts
from Rector Gispen of Utrecht University on November 21, 2001.
| Edna is greeted by Dr. Jose Rafael Estrada, Founder of the World Cultural Council of Mexico City which created the International Honor. |
| The prestigious International Art award has been granted once every three years since 1980. Ms Hibel has been cited for her innovations in artistic methods (especially in original stone lithography and porcelain ) and her contribution to art education. The World Cultural Council has appointed 100 members from five continents which jury the art prize. They also grant every two to three years an Einstein science prize and an education prize. Previous art recipients include Robert Rauschenberg, and most recently a Polish artist. The first art prize was awarded to the City of Athens, Greece. |
| The ceremony took place in the most historic room at Utrecht University, the Hall in which 350 years before the country of The Netherlands was formed. |
| After the awards ceremony, a reception permitted the invited guests to socialize. Edna was joined at the event by Bryant Smith, a long time collector from Ft Lauderdale, now deceased, Virgina Goulet, another collector from Florida and Massachusetts, Ula, Tommy and Celestine Wolfensberger of her Lithograph studio in Zurich, son, Andy and husband, Tod Plotkin, and Etonella Christlieb's mother, Mary Hartree. The next day, Edna traveled to Zurich to complete more lithographs for your viewing pleasure. . |
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Edna signs the winner's book of the World Cultural Council with Dr. Prof. Wild Executive Director of the new Global Foundation and the Rector. |
With her husband, Tod Plotkin |
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Edna is congratulated again by the Rector with students applauding
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| In other news, Edna celebrated her 84th birthday on January 13, 2001. Photos |
| White House 200th... |
| In 2000, Edna was asked to create a painting to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the White House. The painting called "the Heart and Conscience of America" was unveiled at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D. C. that June. Photos |
| Who is Edna Hibel ? |
 May
2004* |
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| Photograph courtesy of Patti Carr of Dubuque, Iowa. | ||
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For over 40 years, Edna Hibel has been referred to as America's best loved and most versatile artist, and best colorist. Since being commissioned by the Foundation of the U.S. National Archives in 1995 to commemorate 75 years of women receiving the universal right to vote, Hibel is now acclaimed the "Heart and Conscience of America." when Ms. Lucy Baines Johnson, of the U.S. National Archives described her as such. |
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One of many Edna Hibel porcelain collectibles Click Here For Plates. |
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| Born in 1917 to Abraham and Lena Hibel of Boston, Massachusetts, Miss Hibel grew up in the Boston area. She was educated at Brookline High School where she met her future husband, Theodore Plotkin. She spent many summers at the shore in Hull, Massachusetts and in Maine studying watercolor painting. She began painting at the age of 9 in elementary school. In addition to art, Miss Hibel was very proficient in tennis and she had a wide circle of friends many with whom she still stays current by telephone. | ||
| Edna Hibel was educated at the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts, from 1935-39, and was a special graduate student later. In 1942, she was honored with the Sturtevant Traveling Fellowship to Mexico. | ||
Edna began "pulling" stone lithographs in 1966
in Boston and then moved to work in a fourth generation 'atelier" in Zurich in
1970 and she still works in Switzerland.  Lithography is a drawing
medium and it is especially suited to her draftsmanship and exquisite control
over "the line."  She innovated in creating works with up to 32 stones (or
colors) on paper, silk, wood veneer and encouraged her porcelain manufacturers
to allow her to create color separations with stone lithography which were
transferred in a "secret" complicated process onto Bavarian hard paste
porcelain. These works are now called lithographs on porcelain. Ms. Hibel
has created the "Arte Ovale" series, and various plaques with this technique.
With both lithographs on paper and on other materials, she often segments her editions of lithographs by colors, papers or
the use of gold. Edna wrote a
statement about
lithography in her early years which applies to more recent works. Her husband of 67 years has written a
statement about her philosophy which admirers may
value. Edna working in Zurich.
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Today Edna paints each day in her studio at home beginning early in the morning and hand enhances her original stone lithographs, serigraphs and giclee with pastels, oil paint, gold leaf, pencil, ink, conte crayon and charcoal. She travels for special exhibits to promote the Hibel Museum of Art and to join the Edna Hibel Society on overseas trips. She brings home new creations from almost every trip. She normally works in oil paint. However, she is also working in watercolors again on a limited basis since she had mastered the techniques as a young person. The Hibel Museum of Art has received a wonderful collection of watercolors from the 1930's and 1940's which confirms her master watercolor artist status. Her oil paintings are sold through the Edna Hibel Gallery, at Hibelfest events or through her corporation. | |
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A depiction of Edna's father's experience as an immigrant | |
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| The work of Edna Hibel has been exhibited in prestigious museums and galleries in more than 20 countries on four continents including national museums in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Russia and the U.S.A., and under the royal patronage of Count and Countess Bernadotte of Germany, Count Thor Bonde of Sweden, Prince and the late Princess Rainier of Monaco and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England. | ||
| Hibel received medals of honor from His Eminence Pope John Paul II and the late Belgian King Baudouin, and has received six honorary Doctorate degrees including one from Eureka College, the alma mater of President Ronald Regan and Northwood University of Florida, Michigan and Texas. She received her sixth honorary degree from Simmons College, Boston in May, 2005. According to Will Ray formerly of the Palm Beach County Cultural Council, Ms. Hibel is Palm Beach's most famous artist. | ||
| In addition to her numerous artistic awards, Edna Hibel has received many humanitarian honors for her more than one half century in raising donations with her work for children's and medical charities. She has also used her humanistic and compassionate work to bring peace through cultural understanding between China and the United States, Yugoslavia and the United States and Russia and the United States with her "Golden Bridge" and " Peace Through Wisdom" exhibits in those countries. The television documentary " Hibel's Russian Palette" was developed during her trips and art shows in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg. She was recognized for her effect on people and their love and understanding for each other long before her travels to communist countries with an honorary doctorate degree from the University for Peace in Costa Rica. | ||
| For
other honors, click here. In 2001, Edna received a Lifetime Achievement Award from "Women in the Visual Arts," an organization of artists in the South Florida area. Edna was particularly appreciative of this honor from her peers.
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| Edna Hibel was been a professional artist
for 75+years... Since 1960, the Edna Hibel Gallery was the exclusive distributor of Edna Hibel's work world wide. For fifteen years the Hibel Gallery was located in Boston, and now the gallery operation is celebrating its 37th year among Palm Beach's premier art galleries, collectible stores, and gift boutiques as part of the Hibel Museum of Art. The gallery is known especially for its original oil paintings, and other distinctive limited edition arts, collectibles, decorative accessories, and gifts by Edna Hibel for all occasions and all budgets. All gallery artworks are also available through the corporate headquarters in Lake Worth, Florida. |
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Edna with her sweetheart of 67 years, Theodore Plotkin, in their home. |
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For more about artist Edna Hibel.....
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| HER GALLERIES: After over 39 years in Palm Beach County, the Edna Hibel Gallery, formerly on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach has been closed. Fine art creations by Edna Hibel which are now available may be seen at Edna's Fine Art Gallery, 5505 South Dixie Highway, corner of Bunker Road and South Dixie Highway ( between Southern Blvd and Forest Hill Blvd. in West Palm Beach, FL 33405. Please contact Gallery Director, Bonnie Benamar for additional information at (561) 891-6619
The Hibel Museum of Art operates separately and is located on the MacArthur campus of Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter, Florida (561) 622-5560. Feedback to be added to our mailing list for invitations to our grand openings at our new locations.
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| Contact us for information about any of the images on this page E-mail: hibelweb@bellsouth.net | ||
Levi Jacket 
Edna painting in her studio with granddaughter,
Wendy
